In one weeles fighting the Germans lost 30,000 prisoners and probably suffered an equal loss in casualties, an actual shrinkage of their force by five divisions. Amiens was safe and the Germans were not within 15 miles of the Paris Railroad. It was estimated that Luden dorff was left .with but 16 fresh divisions in reserve on the Western Front With such re duced reserves he could not hope to resume the offensive. In these operations the German sol dier showed a notable lowering of his fighting spirit, especially the machine-gun units, who tnanifested less willingness to hold forlorn posi tions to the last In the ease with which the Allies penetrated his lines on 8 August, says Ludendorff, he saw the first indication that the German army was beaten.
By 15 August Foch was convinced that it would not be wise to press the enemy further in the Amiens sector and he turned to another area. East of the Oise was General Mangin, who had played such an important part in the fighting on the western side of the Mame sa lient. On 18 August Foch sent him forward for a mile on a 10-mile front. Von Boehm, who commanded the Germans in this fighting, in dire need of men, chose to consider Mangin's at tack a feint and drew back to his battle-line. On the 19th Mangin attacked on a larger front and ran forward for four miles on the eastern banlc of the Oise. On the 20th he advanced three niiles on a 16-mile front faci. • north east toward the Ailette and talcing 8,1• • prison ers and 200 guns. By this time von 13oehn had come to realize the seriousness of the attack and sent three of his precious reserve divisions, Foch, following his plan, ordered Mangin to stay his hand.
He was ready to spring au attack elsewhere. The place selected was the sector in front of Bapaume, where the British had fought the bat tle of the Somme in July 1916. Here stood the British 3d Army under the immediate com mand of General Byng, and they were ordered to attack on a nine-mile front on 21 August Heavy fogs again hung over the field of battle and shielded the assailants. Tanks were also present in large numbers. The result was that the German hnes were broken and a gain of from two to three miles was made. Next day an attack was made a few miles to the south, resulting in the capture of Albert By this time it was evident that the Ger mans were seelcing to withdraw to their Sim. fried line, which they had occupied before the 21 March drive. Foch quickly realized their in tention and ordered that the blows be redou bled. The Oise divided the great angle of the battle-line, and the contest now fell on each side of it, the French fighting to the south and a few miles to the north of the river and be yond them, in the north, die Britiih. Each clay
saw some advance. By 1 September the Brit ish had pressed on 14- miles east of Albert. They had also carried the fight into the Arras sector, where Bapaume was taken by New Zealanders with a great quantity of military supplies and by the end of the month they stood fairly against the Drocourt-Quiant switch-line. On 1 September Peronne was captured by Aus tralians. The French area saw but little fight ing during these last days in August, it being Foch's plan that tht region irinnethately on the Oise should advance slovvly. It was well that it was so, for the fighting of June and July had severely taxed the French soldiers whereas the British in the north, in general, had been unemployed since the spring. T'heir man ner of fighting showed their excellent condition. By 1 September they had only warmed to the contest, which 1A-as carried on in one blow after another, the Germans recoiling and rarely at tempting a counterstroke. In fact, Ludendorff at this time had no other thought than to get safely behind his Siegfried line. He was pressed so closely that lie found it very- hard to fall back at all, and the daily- reverses with large captures of prisoners showed him how perilous it was to stay at that place. In the campaign north of the Somme, ncar Bapaume and Arras, lasting 13 days, the British took 50,000 prisoners and 470 guns. Four German divisions were thus dral,vn into the British prison camps and as many more were accounted for in the casualty lists. On the last of the days counted, that is, on 2 September, Canadian troops broke through the Drocourt-Queant switch-line on a six-mile section and carried the Germans back three miles to the Canal du Nord, which was but seven miles from Cam brai. South of the switch, however, the Sieg fried, or Hindenburg, line still held and it was to stand for many days yet.
The reader will note that many of the critical positions taken in these operations were carried by Colonial troops, from Canada, Australia and New Zealand. That these men should have been so often in the posts of greatest hardship is witness to their hardy fighting quality. It does not mean, however, that there was any. weakening of the fighting capacity of the men from the United Kingdom. On every field they proved their courage and devotion.