Note 13 — Chapter IX · OPENING OF THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE (March 21—April 9, 1918)

The following extract from an infantry officer’s letter home, giving his impressions of the enemy’s methods of advance, is worth quoting here: “The Boche came on in ones and twos and small groups, apparently disorganized, and yet with wonderful speed and method. In a few moments hundreds would filter down into a depression of the ground, and from there advance in small sections, running anyhow, one after another, and making an exceedingly difficult target. Our artillery cut him to pieces when they saw him massing, but it was very difficult to inflict heavy losses with the rifle—though at times we had good practice, and all we had to do then was to take a rifle and shoot at odd parties of Boche. The German army is a wonderful organization. The pace at which they came on, and how they managed to pile up line after line of men in successive attacks, was almost incredible. One minute you would be watching the crest of a ridge and see a few men sauntering over the top in twos and threes, and two minutes later you would find the face of the ridge swarming with men, and more and more pushing on behind. As fast as their lines were shot down, other lines took their place.”

Note.—This method of “infiltration,” to which the writer refers, had formed part of the Division’s training while in the La Bassée sector, was still more assiduously practised in May, June, and July, 1918, and was put into operation with signal success as soon as the British Offensive began.