The Somme, Volume 2. The Second Battle of the Somme (1918): (Amiens, Montdidier, Compiègne)
History
The Somme, Volume 2. The Second Battle of the Somme (1918): (Amiens, Montdidier, Compiègne)
Somme, 2nd Battle of the, France, 1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Battlefields -- Guidebooks
In the region of Orvillers-Sorel, the 38th Div. repulsed four assaults
delivered by the 4th Div. of the Prussian Guards.
The attack against the front of Debeney's Army was delivered with equal
fury.
[Illustration: THE ENEMY'S FINAL EFFORT SOUTHWARDS.
_March 30-April 5._]
On its right, not an inch of ground was lost. All assaults on
Mesnil-Saint-Georges were repulsed. The 6th Corps maintained
practically all its positions intact, except before Hill 104, where a
slight withdrawal was necessary.
On the left wing, the 36th Corps (Nollet) was forced to give way, and
fell back on the Avre. Moreuil was lost in the evening of the 30th.
=March 31= was marked by extremely violent local actions, especially at
Mesnil-St-Georges and Grivesnes, without appreciable result for either
side.
[Illustration: MONTDIDIER IN GERMAN HANDS.
_The Palais de Justice (see p. 99). Across the street a German
Notice-Board._]
On the evening of the 31st, the French front, practically intact,
passed west of Moreuil, skirted the high ground on the left bank of
the Avre, running thence west of Cantigny, round Montdidier, along the
suburbs of Orvillers, through Roye-sur-Matz, Le Plémont and the hills
to the south of Noyon, where the Germans had been unable to gain a
footing.
=April 1st.= The enemy sounded the French lines at Rollot, south-east
of Montdidier, but were smartly checked by a vigorous counter-attack.
Three attacks in front of Grivesnes were likewise repulsed.
April 2 and 3 were fairly quiet, being the prelude to the final effort
against Debeney's Army.
=April 4th.= At daybreak, an intense artillery preparation began,
extending from the north of Hangard to the south of Grivesnes. At 7.30
a.m., the attack was launched with unheard-of violence.
Against this front, only nine miles wide, fifteen divisions--seven of
which were composed of fresh troops--attacked ten times in the course
of the day.
Before Grivesnes, four attacks were repulsed, whilst all the enemy's
efforts against Cantigny and Hill 104 broke down. Further north the
Germans captured Mailly-Raineval, Morisel and Castel.
The next day (=April 5th=), counter-attacks checked the Germans,
prevented them exploiting their success north of Montdidier, and drove
them back into Mailly-Raineval and Cantigny.
On the following days, fighting took place at different points, which
changed hands several times, but these actions were of a local nature
only.
The Results of the German Offensive of March 21.
The great German attack was over. The roads to the south-west were
barred, as those to the south, at Noyon, had been, and Gen. Debeney was
able to address the following order to his troops:
_Soldiers of the 1st Army_,
_You have carried out your arduous task well._
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