By the =27th=, the German attacks had lost much of their earlier sting. The French, whose resistance was stiffening steadily, harassed the enemy unceasingly. Their infantry, now thirty-six miles from their base, could only be revictualled with great difficulty. The Allied airmen bombed their convoys and the railway stations incessantly. Their artillery had difficulty in keeping up with the infantry, and the latter were not always efficiently supported. Meanwhile, the Allies steadily organized their defences. Gen. Pellé's group, with strong positions on the bastions of the Île de France, repulsed the enemy's repeated assaults. Five attacks on Mont Renaud were broken. From Canny to the Oise, the Allies stood firm. [Illustration: _Montdidier fell, but in face of the Allies' increasing resistance, the enemy could advance no further._] [Illustration: GENERAL DEBENEY.] Held on this front, the enemy deviated towards Montdidier, overwhelming Gen. Robillot's forces, which fell back on Rollot. The Germans reached Montdidier, Piennes, Rubescourt and Rollot. A wide breach was thus made between Gen. Humbert's left and the right of Gen. Debeney's Army, then taking up its positions on the tablelands before the valley of the Avre. [Illustration: GENERAL RAWLINSON. _Photo Russell, London._] It was a tragic moment. Gen. Debeney telegraphed to Gen. Fayolle: _There is a gap of nine miles between the two armies, with nobody to fill it. I ask General Fayolle to have troops brought up in motor-lorries and despatched north of Ployron, to resist at least the passing of the Cavalry._ [Illustration: _March 26-27._ _British reinforcements arrived north of the Somme. The Germans converged towards Montdidier._] A few hours later, two divisions of Humbert's Army filled the breach. Exhausted by their terrible losses, the enemy were brought to a stand. East of Rollot, the essential portions of the massif of Boulogne-la-Grasse were strongly held. Behind the Avre, trains and lorries were bringing up the divisions of Debeney's Army. The British received reinforcements, and stayed their retreat in the outskirts of Albert. The thrust against their line was now less violent, the enemy forces converging towards Montdidier. Gen. Rawlinson replaced Gen. Gough. [Illustration: THE ANCRE AT ALBERT.] The Battle for Amiens. The Allies consolidate their front and counter-attack. [Illustration] After the fall of Montdidier, the fourteen divisions of von Hutier's army converged towards the pocket to the south-west. Seven other divisions, marching against the British front between the Somme and Arras, suddenly turned south. On the 28th, 80,000 Germans made for the gap, through which 160,000 men of von Hutier's army were already pressing. In all, 240,000 men were about to attack on a seventeen-mile front. General Humbert's left maintained an aggressive defensive.