ENEMY’S EFFORTS TO GAIN TIME
REARGUARD FIGHTING
FROM PHILIP GIBBS. WAR CORRESPONDENTS’ HEADQUARTERS, FRANCE, THURSDAY.
The enemy is still falling back under the close pressure of our troops, fighting bitter rearguard actions at machine-gun range, but forced to give ground everywhere in advance of his programme of retirement. The vital part of his line is still in the country south of the Sensée River, below Douai, and west of Cambrai, and it is here that our men are following up their breach in the Drocourt line, and driving spearheads into his positions eastwards. The German troops were ordered to hold the line of the Tortille River and the crossing of the Canal du Nord, north of Péronne, at all costs, in order to delay our advance. But in spite of holding the banks with fierce machine-gun fire, they were unable to prevent the passage of the English and Welsh battalions, who attacked yesterday morning with the greatest gallantry, threw a bridge across under heavy fire, and gained the other side of the canal. They then advanced on the retiring enemy, and drove his rearguards out of the villages of Manancourt and Etricourt, and are making further progress towards our old lines round the Cambrai salient, which we took in the surprise attack last November. Further north this movement is linked up with the still more important progress of English troops round Moeuvres, which they entered yesterday, and north of the old Hindenburg line, beyond Quéant and Inchy. In all these villages, northwards from Péronne, and westward of Cambrai, the German garrisons are fighting desperately to gain time for the retreat of the main forces, who are burning their stores behind them, and their machine-gunners are skilful and courageous, and, as a rule, do not escape or surrender until our men are close.
SHATTERED DIVISIONS
The state of things behind the German lines is undoubtedly very distressing to them and full of grave weakness. One hesitates to emphasise the demoralisation of the German infantry, which may be only a passing phase due to the present disasters, but that it exists for the time being among the shattered divisions is certain. Those poor devils of German infantry who have been streaming into our lines as prisoners during our rapid succession of blows have been having a tragic time, and the comrades they have left behind are without hope. They are men who, owing to the dire need of reserves by the German High Command, are being left in the line day after day and week after week, until only thin remnants of them are left, without promise of relief. It is for that they all hope as the only hope – to be made prisoners of war and relieved from this fear and horror. They tell us these things frankly enough on our side of the lines, and in letters which we pick up on the battlefields we read their misery. A man, of the 190th Infantry Regiment, writes in a letter home: We are lying here in a hellish position, no dug-outs, but all in funk-holes, with losses and dead. So that we become almost mad. Since lying here I have been smoked out three times, and if this continues for long I shall cease to take part in it. The orders are to hold the position to the last man, and the companies go into line here with 20 mannikins. My God! If the Tommies only knew that ... Alas! poor Germany.
A GERMAN MUTINY
In a letter from Germany found on one soldier there was an account of a mutiny at the town of Neuss by men sent to our front: The troops in one train refused to go to the front and looted and destroyed the refreshment-room at the station. Even the Landsturm was called out, but the troops on their part took their rifles and showed they were quite prepared to shoot. Thereupon the Landsturm were withdrawn. The officers have no more control over their men. Civilians who came through our lines yesterday all say that the German army is profoundly depressed, and that the men talk as those who are doomed. The strain of war has been too long and too bitter, and they are broken in spirit after the failure, the enormous failure, of their last offensive. On our side there is all the difference between one world and another, all the difference between the spirit of hope and of despair. It is utterly true to say that our men are going forward with gladness and exultation.