The Story of the Great War, Volume 7: American Food and Ships; Palestine; Italy invaded; Great German Offensive; Americans in Picardy; Americans on the Marne; Foch's Counteroffensive.
History
The Story of the Great War, Volume 7: American Food and Ships; Palestine; Italy invaded; Great German Offensive; Americans in Picardy; Americans on the Marne; Foch's Counteroffensive.
World War, 1914-1918
The net results of the German offensive showed that they had overrun
considerable territory and were some miles nearer Paris. But they had
not succeeded in crushing either the French or the British armies, and
the real question in the war was the destruction of forces. Territorial
gains were only of value as far as they contributed to that end. There
was not the least doubt that the Germans had lost a far greater number
of men than the Allies and that they could not continue for long a
campaign on such a costly scale. Unless they found some other way out
they were heading straight for defeat even if they should succeed in
overrunning the greater part of France.
[Illustration: A remarkable group of British and French leaders
photographed on the British front in 1918. King George is the center. At
the king's right (left of picture) are Marechal Foch, General Debeney,
and General Rawlinson. At the king's left (right of picture) are Field
Marshal Haig, General Pétain, and General Fayolle.]
In the last two days of March the Germans resumed heavy fighting in the
region between the Somme and the Avre and southward to Montdidier. Six
villages around Montdidier were wrested from the French--Ayencourt and
Le Monchel south of the town, Mesnil-St. Georges, Cantigny, Aubevillers
and Grivesnes. On the following evening the French recaptured Ayencourt
and Le Monchel, a hundred prisoners, and fourteen machine guns.
On the Oise front German detachments, consisting of a battalion of
storming troops, having succeeded in crossing the river at Chauny,
attempted to establish a bridgehead on the left bank. The French
launched a swift and vigorously pressed counterattack, with the result
that the German battalion was completely annihilated, or taken
prisoners.
Between Montdidier and Moreuil there was stiff fighting during the last
two days of March. The Germans repeatedly attacked almost without
ceasing. Moreuil, captured by them, was retaken by the French, again
taken by the Germans, and finally carried in a brilliant bayonet charge
by British and French troops. Between Moreuil and Lassigny the German
check was complete. The French also advanced as far as the vicinity of
Canny-sur-Matz. A division of picked French troops after a hot fight in
which they took over 700 prisoners captured Plemon and held it firmly
against repeated attempts made by the enemy to oust them.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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