The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . out. The op-eration was tactical in character, but in the preparation forit something like strategic genius was shown. Great prin-ciples of war were applied. The British fought on their ownchosen ground and at their own time; fhey struck the enemyunawares; they had gathered before the attack an over-whelming preponderance of striking power; they employed 228 FLANDERS, MAL^FAISON, VERDUX, AND CAMBRAI iKu elty, both as to plan and means, to such an extent
The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . out. The op-eration was tactical in character, but in the preparation forit something like strategic genius was shown. Great prin-ciples of war were applied. The British fought on their ownchosen ground and at their own time; fhey struck the enemyunawares; they had gathered before the attack an over-whelming preponderance of striking power; they employed 228 FLANDERS, MAL^FAISON, VERDUX, AND CAMBRAI iKu elty, both as to plan and means, to such an extent as tobewikler the enemy and render all his plans and means ofdefense futile. Whether the credit was due to Haig orByng, or was to be shared between them, the muster-roll offame was enriched by the exploit and by the military in-spiration which it exhibited. In its bearing on the Allies plans, the gain of ground atCambrai counted heavily. Lens, north of Cambrai, wasalready so closely beset that it seemed to await the finish-ing blow. St. Quentin, south of Cambrai, seemed withinreiich of the Briti-h on one side and the French on (S:) AMERICAN HRt5S A GERMAN USING A F1JKLU-TJ!;L,EPH0NB The enfeeblement of the enemy at Cambrai increased thestrain on the two cities. The interdependence of Cambrai,Lens, and St. Quentin was plain. The- Cambrai gains werenot merely gains; they were demonstrations of a new methodfor puncturing the German line. They threatened to over-turn the tactics of the Western Front; they promised tosupply the one indispensable element without which a vic-tory had been impossible. Tanks, in short, had revealed theirworth when employed wholesale. A year ago they hadroused the laughter of Germans and it seemed as if theybad been driven by ridicule into the background. Now they 229 ON THE WESTERN FRONT were used on a new scale, and they at naught all theroutine defensive means of the German trench-system. With-out the aid of tanks it wo
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
