Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 19??-1918, 1918-06-21


struct lts opening stages. One OF the
most valuable stories IL TINT supplied
by colonel. acting brigadler. who
was temporarily tnken prisoner and
hnd the unique experience OF witch
Ing the German advance from the Ger
man side for a period Of more than six
hours.
General Cough. who was In COM
mand Of the Fifth army. wns relieved
of this command ns nn unsuccessful
general. but subsequent Information
about the battle does not chow that
nny specific charges can be brought
against him.
From the facts now known II IN nv
tonlshIng. not that the Fifth army
fnlled to hold the Germans, but that
they were able 10 resist as they did.
The men fought Ike lions. Rear
guards died where they stood to save
the rest OF their comrndes. and the
retreat this army accomplished has
been described as miracle"
Line Held Lightly N Men.
For reasons which nre not disclosed
the lIne cf the Fifth army was lightly
held In men. but strongly In every
artlhce Of modern defense. II was the
mechanical part Of the defense which
failed or. rather. was neutralized at
the crucial moment.
II is not possible TO go into very
great dctnil. but the most serious OF
the minor breaks which occurred and
the one which developed into the most
menaclnr. was that In the ncighbor.
hood OF st. Quentin. II was through
this principally that the German forces
poured. A few divisions OF local re-
serves were thrown In. but these were
soon moppcd mp IN the fighting with
superior German forces.
In the reports Of the battle II will
he noted that the reserves came to the
rescue Of the rctreatlng Fifth army.
This wns not n chance happening de-
cldcd upon after the battle began. The
battle dispositions o. the allied armies
provided general reserves for the Fifth
army. In point of fact these re-en-
forccments were delayed In coming up,
which makes the work done and the
retreat Of the Fifth army all the more
remarkable.
II was between the break-through
by General Won Hutler at st. Quentin
and the arrival of re-enforcements
that the nondescript forces OF en-
glneers and lnborers collected by
Brig. Gen. Sandcmnn Carey saved the
line.
Secret Of German Success.
The secret of the German success
against the Fifth army was the ex-
traordlnarlly heavy mist which devel.
oped on the morning of the attack.
The British knew the attack was In
preparation, and in anticipation Of II
had developed n most elaborate sys-
TEN Of traps and cross.fre arrange
ments, which were considered sufii-
cient TO shatter any advance by the
enemy.
What perhaps the British did not
know was the exact moment when the
attack would be delivered, and what
they could not foresee was the extraor-
binary weather conditions which pre-
vailed.
The British line OF defense consisted
FIRST Of all of a line of outposts: In
side of this was the carefully sighted
battle zone. at tho boundary Of which
was the line of resistance. What hap
pened on the day of the attack was
that the Germans effected n surprise
by advancing right up to the outposts
without being seen and by terrific
weight Of numbers rushed the battle
zone In which the carefully planned
cross.Hre which was to wIther up the
enemy forces could not he used to ef-
feet on account of the bllndinr mist.