The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-08-17
VICTORY F0CH'S,
SAYSHUMBERT
General Tells Part His Army
Played in Battle on
Picardy Front.
LITTLE WAS EXPECTED
Surprise Action Enabled Him
to Double Advance Asked
His First Day.
LITTLE WAS EXPECTED
BY GERALD CAMPBELL.

Special Cable Despatch 10 THE SITS from Ne
London Times Serrice.
Copyright 1915: oil riohs reserred.
WITH THE FRENCH ARMY. Aug. l6.-l
had an opportunity to-day to talk TO
army played in the Picardy battle and
its connection with the general scheme
OF the advance. According to Gen. Hum
bert the success OF the whole ma
n9uvre was due to the great strategical
skill OF Marshal Foch. for which Gen.
Humbert has the greatest admiration.
The original design was that Gems.
Haig and Debeney, having larger
resources at their command than he did.
should begin the attack and that he
should come In only when their line was
even with his left wing. The British
were to march eastward in the dircc-
ton of Nesle, while Debeney's army
| was to set out in the direction OF Roye,
| with the general objec; OF turning Thies-
court massif.
On the third day Gen. Debeney had
pushed his right forward TO the south
| of Montdidier, and it was then that een.
Humbert took a hand in the affair. be-
! ginning his march northward toward
Roye. His idea was that large num-
! ber of German soldiers would. thus be
caught in Montdidier. and this is ex-
actly what happened.
His Force Was small.
The objectivcs assigned to him were
| on a modest scale, as he had no troops
except those already under his com
mand in the sector. All he was asked
| 20 do the first day was to reach the
Montdidier-Conpicgne road between Rol-
| lot and Cuvilly, an advance of three
! miles, although he was directed TO &c
further II he could.
The enemy was expecting him to joir
the attack, though not so soon as he
did, and had begun to withdraw from
some positions on his front. At dawr
his infantry, aided by only few tanks
began the advance. His guns which
until then had been silent. opened VI
suddenly, and to escape this fire the
Germans went into the ground. where
they were caught by the. Infantry and
tanks almost before tley realized whai
was happening All the first objectiveS
4
were reached in nttr more than one
hour.
| Taking full advantage OF this pre-
| liminary success. Gen. Huuhert pushed
further north toward Roye. and by eve
ming he had added an additional fouI
miles of territory Oh his left. On his
right the ground was more difficult. ant
yielded only about mile. To hav,
taken more tDan twice the amount o.
! around assigned to him, however, wa,
not bad days work,
| switches Attack 20 Heights.
That evening. in consequence of hi
! great success. new man1uvre wa
, decided upon. Instead OF pressing
| north toward Roye 1t was decided tina
Humbert should wheel around towar,
the right and to start an attack oil
Thiescourt massif, at the same tim
| facilitating the advance Of the othe
two armies toward Roye and Noyon.
The next morning therefore Gen
Humbert's army made another hound
plunging nearly two miles. and reaching
the lines he now holds. Having reached
these positions on the right, Humber
turned his attention to moving up hi
left. but as the enemy had brought VI
/ Continued on Seeoad Paoe