Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-11

1 Inc FldDQ6TS dbJdCkS IkdU 81 uepItletl
the English forces that the general
staff contemplated the abolition of nine
divisions.
The generalisSimo protested. The re-
ply was that it was necessary. He
refused to hear to it, urged that it was
only necessary to send reinforcements
in greater numbers in order to refill
! the depleted units, and, moreover, asked
FOR British tanks.
A compromise was suggested to him
the divisions would be reformed. but
/ Sent to a quiet sector. He pointed out
the danger of this solution and only ac-
ceptcd it as a temporary compromise
and asked for return to common-Sense
: methods as early as possible. The Brit
ish government changed its mind, adj
mitted that all the units were fit for
battle and agreed to dispatch the nee
eSsary rcinforcements.
Paris Again Threatened.
In the meantime. the conference of
Abbeviile had extended his command TO
cover the whole of the western front in
europe.
On May q the Germans released 30
divisions to attack the Chemin dos
Danes During the night of the 28th
a re-cutrant 60 kilometerS wide and more
than 20 deep had been made in our
and on the 31st, over front of 20 kilo-
meters. from Dormans to Chateau
Thierry. the river bank was reached
The line from Paris to Nancy was cut
and the capital threatened.
The generalissimo, immovable, re-
tanned his GOODNESS and confidence.
Gen. Foch collected men from all quar-
ters, asked the Belgians and English to
take over more line in order to release
hi hnrTnUtinQ
men from Field Marshal Haig, urged
him to undertake vigorous action on
his own front.
On June the tidal wave had spent
its force on the embankment."
On June 9 the enemy launched ID
divisions between Noyon and Montdi-
der The counter attack was quickly
made, with astounding results.
"On June IL, 1918, Mangin showed
astounding strength. i saw him
on June 10; he had to counter attack
on the Disc with five divisions. One
had arrived, the second was just
detraining, the third was expected dur
ing the evening. the fourth at midnight
and the fifth later still. He said, to me,
I shall attack tomorrow
FOch Supports Counter Thrust.
Fayolle, who had made the prepara-
tionS for this offensive, preferred to de-
fer the attack. You can never do 1t!
Wait a couple of days!" II replied to
Fayolle, Let him go aheadr"
Negative as their results might seem
at the time, these two and a half
months had changed the course of the
war.
Early in June Gen. Foch moved his
quarters to Bombon. a chateau situated
in a remote part of the great plain OF
he
Paris. Silence is necessary for the
concentration of ideas"
On July Is at AIS am. the Ger
mans opened a great drive between
Chateau Thierry and MaSSiges. The
new defensive tactics proved to be Won
derfully successful. To the east OF
Rheims, by noon, Gouraud's army was
master of the situation
From now onward. Foch held the
upper hand.
Second Battle of Marine Won.
On July 10, he released his counter
offensive, which he had foreseen and
prepared for, Five French armies,
holding the enemy in formidable grip.
compelled him hastily to fall back
across the Marine.
Thus, on July "a. 1919" said the
marshal. six days after the counter
offensive had opened, had assembled
my commanders-in-ch chief and had given
them my plan. They all thought me
mad. / said to them: We will meet
again in four days. and you will report
to me in writing Four days later they
had all moved forward"
On August the second victory of
the Marine had been won. scissors and
Chateau Thierry had been recaptured,
and Paris freed. On August Z, Gen
Foch was made marshal of France.
The following day. August 8. was
day Of mourning for the German
Army. The Canadians and Aus
tralianS in Rawlinsons 4th British
Army, and Debeney's 1st French
Army, attacked between Amiens and
Montdidier. They dislodged the enemy
at certain points driving him back IS
kilometerS.
Marshal Foch moved his G. H, @. to
Sarcus, between Amiens and Beauvais.
Being visited there by Gen. Pershing, he
urged him to carry out as soon as DOS
sible the operations contemplated in
the Woevre.
The result was that the Paris-Amiens
railway line was freed. the Montdidier
salient reduced, 10000 prisoners and TOO
guns captured.
Here are his comments on his at
tempt to avoid the same error as the
Germans: "IS the handspring broken?
We must think of some means of re-
placing 1t. Has the music stopped? Are
we tired OF the tune? We must start a
new one. Never stop. We tried to ex-
tend the battle to the TANKS, to grip
the enemy on wider front. That sue
ceeded."
On August II the marshal tele-
graphed to Diaz, urging him to attack.
On the 18th he sent Mangin's 10th
French army forward between the Disc
and the Aisne.
Ground Lost I'm March Retaken.
Regarding the 21st, he wrote to Haig.
Il am counting on the attack of yoiIr
third army being pressed violently and
that the neighboring divisions will 90
forward at the same time"
On August 80 Mangin's army once
more advanced and drove the enemy
back to the north of Scissors. This
enabled Berthelot's 5th Army and
Degoutte's 9Th Army to make an adj
vance Of four kilometers on a front of
30 kilometers.
On September 2 Horne's LIST British
Army in the north attacked in its tlIrn
on the Arras Cambria road and pene-
trated to depth of 20 kilometres into
the German lines, where 1t captured
10000 prisoners.
In support to this flank success the
center armies under Humbert, Debenev.
Rawlinson and Byng increased their
rate Of progress.
BY September 8 in a month the
battle OF Picardy, which had now taken
in the whole front from YpreS to
Rheims, had had considerable results
10000 prisoners, including 5000 on
GERS, 1000 guns, $4,000 machine guns
and the recapture of all the ground lost
in March.
I'm his final article Commandant
Bugnet tells Of Marshal Foch's triumph
and his views on the peace)
Copyright, 1929