The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . endorff had had to accept a de-fensive battle under adverse conditions, or continue his re-treat. Should he accept battle he might be beaten com-pletely; should he retreat, after declining battle, his onlygain would be that the evil day had been put off, that adecisive engagement had been postponed. When Ludendorff arrived at the old Hindenburg positions,he had hardly settled down in them before he received notice 360 FOCHS GREAT VICTORIES to move on. I
The Literary digest history of the world war, compiled from original and contemporary sources: American, British, French, German, and others . endorff had had to accept a de-fensive battle under adverse conditions, or continue his re-treat. Should he accept battle he might be beaten com-pletely; should he retreat, after declining battle, his onlygain would be that the evil day had been put off, that adecisive engagement had been postponed. When Ludendorff arrived at the old Hindenburg positions,he had hardly settled down in them before he received notice 360 FOCHS GREAT VICTORIES to move on. In spite of all his efforts La Fere was about tobe encircled and so was St. Quentin, and in abandoningthem, he would have to retire beyond the Oise and fromLa Fere up toward Guise. Between St. Quentin and LaFere he was fighting with the Oise at his back—a dangeroussituation for a defense uncertain of itself. Despite badweather Foch was going forward with undiminished Hindenburg line had become little more than a form ofexpression, for something that had been held in awe, butwas no longer a thing to conjure with. It was now so. V. V. LAON CATHEDRAL ON THE HILLTOPNo harm had come to it during the war 301 ON THE WESTERN FRONT punctured, torn, and even overrun that it practically hadno military value. St. Quentin had been outflanked, andtwo German counter-attacks on the western slopes of theChemin-des-Dames had been frustrated by French Flanders, the British had swung forward on both sides ofArmentieres, pushing for the banks of the Lys north andwest and making new gains east of Neuve Chapelle. Onboth sides of the Oise the French pushed nearer La Fere,stormed dominating heights and forts on the north, anddrove their way into the Servais station, below the river, onthe outskirts of the Forest of St. Gobain. Under continuousblows the Hindenburg line was apparently crumbling cuts had been made in it below Arras^ at St. Quentinand west of Laon. Rain-storm
Size: 1486px × 1681px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectworldwar19141918
