Great Britain -- Defenses; Imaginary wars and battles
No news came from London. People in Norwich, Ipswich, Yarmouth, and
other places heard vaguely of the invasion in the North, and of fighting
in which the Germans were careful to report that they were always
successful. They saw the magnificently equipped army of the Kaiser, and,
comparing it with our mere apology for military force, regarded the
issue as hopeless from the very first. In every town the German colours
were displayed, and all kinds of placards in German and in English made
their appearance.
* * * * *
The "Daily Chronicle," on September 10, published the following despatch
from one of its war correspondents:
"ROYSTON, _September_ 9.
"Victory at last. A victory due not only to the bravery and exertion of
our troops, regular and auxiliary, but also to the genius of
Field-Marshal Lord Byfield, our Commander-in-Chief, ably seconded by the
energy and resource with which Sir William Packington, in command of
the IVth Army Corps at Baldock, carried out that part of the programme
entrusted to him.
"But though in this success we may hope that we are seeing the first
glimmerings of dawn--of deliverance from the nightmare of German
invasion that is now oppressing our dear old England--we must not be led
into foolishly sanguine hopes. The snake has been scotched, and pretty
badly into the bargain, but he is far from being killed. The German IVth
Army Corps, under the famous General Von Kleppen, their magnificent
Garde Corps commanded by the Duke of Mannheim, and Frölich's fine
Cavalry Division, have been repulsed in their attack on our positions
near Royston and Saffron Walden, and driven back with great loss and
confusion. But we are too weak to follow up our victory as it should be
followed up.
"The menace of the IXth and Xth Corps on our right flank ties us to our
selected position, and the bulk of our forces being composed of
indifferently trained Volunteers and Militia, is much more formidable
behind entrenchments than when attempting to manoeuvre in a difficult
and intricate country such as it is about here. But, on the other hand,
we have given pause to the invaders, and have certainly gained a few
days' time, which will be invaluable to us.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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