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ddiaen THE MARCH RETREAT

battle front, the enemy on April 4 and 5 made final
unsuccessful efforts to overcome the resistance of the
Allies. These attacks, however, though formidable,
lacked the weight that had made his earlier successes
possible, while the strength of the Allied positions
increased from day to day. <

During the night of March 28-29 our outpost line
between Arleux-en-Gohelle and ‘Avionn was with-
drawn to conform to our positions farther South.
Except at minor points no further ground was gained
by the enemy North of the Somme; while by suc-
cessful local operations on March 30 and the night of
April 2-3, the New Zealand Division advanced their
line at Hebuterne, capturing 250 prisoners and over
100 machine-guns, and the 32nd Division, under com-
mand of Major-General C. D. Shute, C.B., CM.G,,

retook Ayette with 192 prisoners. A number of

prisoners were taken by us also in local fighting at

other points.

THE FIGHTING IN THE AVRE AND
LUEE VALY S

(47) During these latter days the problem South
of the Somme was to disengage the divisions which
had been fighting since March 21, and give them
an opportunity to reorganize. Profiting by the

great weariness of our troops, the enemy was making

progress by local attacks rather than by general
attacks in force, and there is little doubt that, had it
been possible to put in fresh troops a few days earlier,
the enemy's advance could have been stopped and
even turned back without much difficulty.

The divisions of the I11. Corps, which had already
been heavily engaged, were on their way to reinforce
our line. These troops, however, had not yet ar-
rived, and on March 29 the greater part of the
British front south of the Somme was held by Carey's
Force assisted by the 1st Cavalry Division and such
troops of the divisions originally engaged as it had
not yet been found possible to withdraw. In rear of
these troops a few of the divisions of the Fifth Army
were given a brief opportunity to reassembile.

Hostile pressure recommenced during the morn-

ing of March 29 from Demuin southwards, and in
spite of vigorous counter-attacks our troops and the
French were forced back from Mezieres.

During the night the enemy established a footing

in Moreuil Wood, and on the following morning
attacked on both sides of the River Luce. Our line

in Moreuil Wood was restored by a brilliant counter-
attack carried out by the Canadian Cavalry Brigade
supported by the 3rd Cavalry Brigade, but the
enemy gained possession of Demuin. North of the
Luce also the enemy made some progress, but in
the afternoon was held up and finally driven back
into Aubercourt-by counter-attacks carried out by
troops of the 66th Division and the 3rd Australian
Division, Major-General Sir J. Monash, K.C.B,,
commanding the latter division. In this operation
a squadron of the 2nd Cavalry Division cooperated
very finely. In the evening a most successful coun-
ter-attack by troops of the 20th and soth Divisions

re-established our line south of the Luce and cap-
tured a number of prisoners. :

Other hostile attacks on both banks of the Somme
were repulsed withvheavy loss to the enemy by the
1st Cavalry Division and the 3rd Australian Division,
a battallion of United States Engineers rcndering
gallant service south of the river. ;

.

The fighting between the Ayre and the Luce con-
tinued during the evening of this day, and in the
afternoon of March 31 developed into strong attacks
between Moreuil and Demuin. Powerful assaults
were delivered also on the French front as far south
as Montdidier. In both cases the enemy made
progress after heavy fighting, at the close of which
troops of the 8th Division carried out a successful
counter-attack, thereby considerably improving
the situation west of Moreuil Wood. At the end of
the day our line ran from Moreuil Station to Han-
gard, and thence to our old line west of Warfusee-
Abancourt. ; :

On the following morning troops of the 2nd
Cavalry Division and of the 8th Division again at-
tacked, and as the result of a very gallant action
effected a further improvement in our positions in
this neighbourhood. On April 2, for the first time
since the opening of the enemy’s offensive, no attack
took place on the British front south of the Somme.

THE: EINAL EREORT,

(48) On April 4 and 5 the enemy made a final
effort to prevent the French and British line from
becoming stable. !

The principal attack on April 4 was made south
of the Somme, and involved the whole of the British
front between the river and Hangard, where we
joined the French, and also the French Army on our
right. The first assault, delivered at 7 am,, after a
comparatively short bombardment, was completely
repulsed on the right of.our line, but on the left
obliged our troops to fall back to the west of Hamel
and Vaire Wood. During the afternoon the enemy
again attacked heavily on the right, and caused our
line to be withdrawn a short distance in the neigh-
bourhood of Hangard Wood.

The enemy attacked in dense formation, and his
infantry afforded excellent targets for our artillery
and machine guns. Particularly heavy losses were
inflicted on the enemy by the artillery of the 3rd
Australian Division, on the north bank of the Somme,
which engaged his troops across the river over open
sights with excellent effect.

The attack on the French front succeeded in
making some progress on both sides of the Avre
River. : S

On April 5 the principal German effort was made
north of the Somme, the enemy- attacking heavily
on practically the whole front from Dernancourt to
beyond Bucquoy. Strong local attacks were made
also south of the Somme about Hangard, where the
French and British troops had severe fighting until
late in the day, and in the sector immediately south