The Boy Allies with Haig in Flanders Part 22

As the British tanks advanced across the open ground, smashing down barbed-wire entanglement and crawling in and out of sh.e.l.l craters as though they did not exist, defenders sprang to their positions.

Rapid-firers opened upon the British from every conceivable angle; but the sh.e.l.ls dropped harmlessly from the sides of the armored tanks. The tanks just seemed to shake their heads and pa.s.sed on.

Behind the tanks the infantry advanced slowly, flanked here and there by squadrons of cavalry, the horses of which could hardly be held back, so anxious did they seem to get at the foe.

The British tanks spat fire from the rapid-fire guns that formed their armament. Streams of bullets flew into the German lines, dealing death and destruction.

From the rear the great British guns dropped high explosive sh.e.l.ls in the German trenches.

The German first-line defenses, prepared with days of hard labor, and formed of deep ditches, of concrete and pure earth, offered no difficulties to the British tanks. Straight up to these emplacements they crawled, shoved their noses into the walls, and uprooted them; then crawled calmly over the debris.

Into the gaps thus opened, the British infantry poured, while cavalrymen jumped their horses across the gaps and fell upon the foe with sword and lance.

The Germans fought bravely, but they were so bewildered by this innovation in the art of warfare that their lines had lost their cohesion long before the tanks plowed into them, and they scattered as the British "Tommies" dashed forward, after one withering volley, with the cold steel of the bayonet.

Here and there small groups collected and offered desperate resistance, but their efforts to stem the tide of advancing British were in vain.

An hour after daylight first-line defenses of the entire Hindenburg line were in the hands of the British.

But General "Bingo" Byng was not content to rest on these laurels. He ordered his left wing--those of his troops who had advanced against the Wotan line--to advance farther, and also threw his center into the conflict again. Troops opposed to the Siegfried line he held in reserve, that he might strike a blow in that sector of the field should his main attack fail.

Again the British on left and center dashed to the attack. Again the tanks plowed over the uneven ground, and advanced against a second apparently impregnable barrier. Flushed with victory, the British "Tommies" cheered to the echo, as they moved forward gaily.

Many a man fell with a song on his lips, as he stumbled across the sh.e.l.l craters that made walking so difficult, for the Germans from their second-line defenses poured in a terrible fire, but the others pressed on as though nothing had happened. There was no time to pause and give succor to a wounded comrade, the command had been to advance.

Besides, the Red Cross nurses and the ambulance drivers would be along presently to take care of those who could no longer take care of themselves. It was hard, many a man told himself, but he realized that the first duty was to drive back the foe.

Sh.e.l.l after sh.e.l.l struck the British tanks as they waddled across the rough ground. One, suddenly, blew into a million pieces. An explosive had struck a vital spot. For the most part, however, the sh.e.l.ls fell from the armored sides like drops of water from a roof.

German troops lined the second-line defenses and poured a hail of bullets into the advancing British. It was no use. The British refused to be stopped.

Straight to the trenches the tanks led the way, and nosed into them.

Down went emplacements that the Germans had spent days in making secure. The tanks rooted them up like a steam shovel. Men fled to right and left, and there, at command from their officers, paused long enough to pour volleys of rifle fire into the Britons, as they swarmed into the trenches in the wake of the tanks.

From the second-line defenses the tanks led the way to the third line, where they met with the same success. This, however, took longer, and when the British found themselves in possession of these, with Cambrai, the immediate objective, less than four miles away. General Byng called a halt. He felt that his men had done enough for one day.

There would be a renewed attack on the morrow, but now he realized that the most important thing was to straighten out his lines, consolidate them against a possible counter-a.s.sault, and work out his plan of attack for the following day.

Therefore, the "Tommies" made themselves as comfortable as possible in their newly won positions. Prisoners were hurried to the rear, and captured guns were swiftly swung into position to be used against their erstwhile owners should they return to the fight.

In these positions the British third army spent the night.

CHAPTER XVII

THE ADVANCE CONTINUES

The British losses had been heavy, as was only natural in view of the nature of the work they had accomplished. But the German casualties had been tremendously greater. This, no doubt, was because of the fact that the German general staff had been taken by surprise and had had no time to prepare against the attack.

The British, according to the report of General Byng, on the first day's offensive, had captured in the neighborhood of 5,000 prisoners.

Of artillery and munitions, great stores had fallen into the hands of the victors.

It was a great day for Old England and all her Allies. The victory was the greatest achieved by the Allies since the Battle of the Marne.

Cambrai was almost in the hands of the British. The importance of the victory could not be estimated at that time, but every soldier knew that if the enemy could be driven from Cambrai it would necessitate a realignment of the whole German defensive system in Flanders and along the entire battle front. With the victory the British menaced the main German line of communications--Douai, Cambrai and St. Quentin.

Around Lavasquere, formidable defenses, known as Welsh Ridge and Coutilet Wood, had been, captured. Flesquires had been invested and the Grand Ravine crossed. Havrincourt was in British hands.

Trench systems north of Havrincourt and north of the west bank of the Ca.n.a.l du Nord also had been captured. The Masnieres Ca.n.a.l was crossed, and the British had stormed and captured Marcoing Neufwood. East of the Ca.n.a.l du Nord, the villages of Graincourt and Anneux were now in possession of General Byng's men; while west of the ca.n.a.l the whole line north to the Bapaume-Cambrai road was stormed. Bonaires hamlet and Lateau Wood had been captured after stiff fighting.

East of Epehy, between Bullecourt and Fontaine les Croisilles, important positions also had been captured by the gallant "Tommies."

"The enemy was completely surprised."

This was the laconic message sent to Field Marshal Haig by the man who had led the British to victory, as he rested until the morrow. Along the entire forty-mile line the attack had been successful.

There were no American troops in General Byng's drive. The forces were composed solely of English, Scots, Irish and Welsh--a combination that more than once before in this war had proved too much for the Germans to combat successfully.

It was a happy army that slept on reconquered territory on the night of November 20,1917. Men talked of nothing but the most glorious victory since the Marne. They knew that the offensive in all likelihood would be resumed the following morning, and most of the troops turned in early that they might be fit on the morrow to make the foe hunt a new "hole." There was no doubt in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the "Tommies" that the following day would take them nearer to Cambrai and, consequently, Berlin.

Hal and Chester had had no active part in the first day's fighting.

They had stuck close to headquarters of General Byng, and several times, while the fighting was at its height and the general was short of aides, each of the lads had carried messages for him. Both chaffed somewhat because of the fact that they were not in the midst of the fighting, but they bided their time, confident that they; at length, would get a chance for action.

They had followed the advance of the British troops with admiring eyes. It was, indeed, an imposing spectacle.

"Wonder if our Canadian friends are in this attack?" asked Chester.

"I don't believe so," declared Hal. "I suppose they are still at Vimy Ridge. They're still needed there, you know."

"That's so, but they would be good men to have around at a time like this."

"These fellows seem to be doing fairly well, if you ask me," said Hal dryly.

Then the conversation languished, as the lads looked toward the fighting front.

As it developed, Hal and Chester soon were to see their Canadian friends again. During the night several divisions of Canadians were hurried to General Byng's support that he might have fresh blood in his ranks when he renewed his attack against the Hindenburg defenses. And, as it chanced, the commander of one of these divisions was the lad's old friend, Colonel Adamson-general now, however.

Hal and Chester were standing close to General Byng when announcement of the arrival of the Canadians was brought to him. All of the general's aides were busy. He espied Hal and called to him.

"You will carry my compliments to General Adamson," he said, "and tell him to go into camp for the night. Instructions will be sent him before morning."

Hal saluted, mounted his horse, and dashed away.

General Byng summoned Chester to his side.

"Come with me," he said.

He led the way into a tent that had been erected hastily, and which served him as field headquarters. There the general scribbled hastily for some minutes, then pa.s.sed a piece of paper to Chester.