The Washington herald., 1919-04-20


folly or at best as gallant adven-
ture, daring In ITS schemes and of
most rash undertaking. II was
launched at the end of a year
when in the battles OF Flanders
the British armies had lost enor--
nous numbers of men IN the bogs
and swamps SO that they were
dreadfully weakened. and SIR
Douglas Haig had no great re-
serves in hand for new enterprise.
The attack round the Cambria
salient was made by divisions who
had been badly hammered. In the
Flanders fighting SO that they
were tired and nerve-racked and It
was reported by artillery officers
and men who had been firing their
guns for months from the foul
swamps of those fields in Flanders
under Increasing nre It was clear
that what ground was taken must
be held for the most part by the
men who took II, without hope Of
relief. and without heavy reserves
behind them in case of heavy Ger
man counter-attacks. 1t was
battle to test the value of the
Overwhelming surprise by doing
away with the preliminary bonn
bardment which had been neces-
- sary until the arrival OF the tanks
In large Numbers for the smashing
of Gernan trenches and wire and
the obstruction of machine guns
redoubts. The tanks were to
break a away through one part Of
the Hindenburg line, the infantry
was to follow to clear the ground
beyond and the calvary was then
to go into the gap and sweep round
Cambria. The first part of the
plan succeeded remarkably. The
tanks. surrounded by gallant young
pilots and crews, came out Of their
'hiding places at dawn on Novem-
ber 20, broke through broad belts
of barbed wire. crossed the broad
trenches of the Hindenburg line
between and cruised off towards
Bourbon Wood and the villages of
Fontanic. Notre Dame. Annewx.
Marcoing and Masmeres. Their
only check came from a German
major OF artillery who served one
of his guns from Flesquicres VII
Iage and obtained direct hits on
tank after tank as II crawied up
the ridge until he was killed by
the bayonet OF a Highland soldier.
Some Of the tanks were blown up
and their crews killed. but the
success OF the tanks as a whole
was Overwhelming. How are Won
doine?" ] asked one of their pilots,
the next morning on the field Of
battle. and he grinned as he said:
We're going through merry hell.
It's our day out"
The cavalry had something like
a chance because of the demoral-
ized condition of the enemy on
account OF their surprise. and the
absence OF gunfire for some time
after our capture of forward bat
teries. Even then. however. the
chance was a thin one and the
luck was against them. One line
of trenches remained uncaptured
this side of Cambria. 1t was called
the Rumilly Switch-Line and Ger
man soldiers had raced out OF
Cambria to gain and hold II before
the arrival of our men. Again val,
liable time was lost owing to the
breakdown OF the bridge across
the canal at Masmeres, which had
to be mended before cavalry could
pass. The cavalry generals dis
cussed the prospects and decided
against them, but their orders
failed to reach one squadron OF
horse and it was their day of
heroic folly. They belonged to the
Canadian Fort Garry Horse, and
they had some remarkable adven-
lures. They moved earth and
made their way through a gap in
the wire cut by the troopers. and
came under rifle and machine gun
fire, which wounded the captain
and several men.
The command was carried on by
a young lieutenant. who rode with
his men until they reached the
camouflaged road southeast OF the
village Of Rumilly. where they
went through In sections under the
fire OF the enemy hidden in the
banks. Here they came up against
a battery of field guns. one of
which was fired point blank at
them. They charged the battery.
putting the guns out of action and
killing some of the gunners. Those
ed, and the prisoners were left to
he sent back by the supports.
The squadron then dealt with the
German infantry in the neighbor-
hood. Some of them fed. while
some were killed or surrendered.
All these operations were done at
gallon under fire from flanking
blockhouses. The squadron then
slowed down to a walk and took
up n position in a sunken road
one kiIometer east of Rumilly.
Darkness crept down upon them
and gradually they were surround
ed by German infantry with ma
chine guns. so that they were in
great danger of capture or destruc-
ton. Only five of their horses re-
mained unhit, and the lieutenant
In command decided that they
must endeavor to cut their way