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20 STRIE MARCH REIREAT -

THE ENEMY IN ALBERT,

(42) During the night of March 26—27, the enemy
had gained possession of Albert after some fighting
with our rearguards in the town, and obtained a
footing in Aveluy Wood. His efforts to force our
positions on the high ground west of the Ancre,
however, met with no success, and several attempts
made by him on March 27 to debouch from Albert
were driven back with heavy loss to his troops.

About midday a series of strong attacks com-
menced all along our front from about Bucquoy to
the neighbourhood of Hamelincourt, in the course of
which the enemy gained possession of Ablainzevelle
and Ayette. Elsewhere all his assaults were heavily
repulsed by troops of the 62nd Division, under com-
mand of Major-General W. P. Braithwaite, C B
and of the 42nd and Guards Divisions. On the
remainder of our front north of the Somme, save for
minor readjustments of our line at certain points,
in the course of which we captured a number of

prisoners and machine-guns, our positions remained

unchanged.

THE FIGHT FOR THE ROSIERES LINE.

(43) South of the Somme, meanwhile, the enemy
had recommenced his attacks at about 8.30 a.m. on
the greater part of the Fifth Army front and against
the French. The line occupied by our troeps at this
time, had it been maintained, would have preserved
Amiens from serious bombardment, and orders
were issued that every effort was to be made to
hold our positions. In the fighting which followed
troops of all divisions, despite the weakness of the
numbers and the tremendous strain through which
they had already gone, displayed a courage and
determination in their defence for which no praise
can be too high.

At 10 a.m. the 8th Division at Rosieres had already

repulsed a heavy attack, and the enemy was pressing
hard against our positions in the neighborhood
of Proyart. The results of the unfortunate with-
drawal from Bray now became apparent. The enemy
was not slow to take advantage of the position held
by him along the north bank of the Somme in the
rear of our troops, and in spite of our efforts to
destroy or hold the river crossings, began to pass
strong parties of infantry to the south bank at
Cerisy.
. Being heavily attacked in front and with bodies
of the enemy established south of the river in their
immediate rear, our troops at Proyart and to the
north were compelled to fall back. The enemy gained
Framerville, Proyart and Morcourt, and endeavored
to advance southwards behind our line.

Ii view of the absence of reserves behind this
front other than the composite force already referred
to, the situation was serious. Troops of the i1st
Cavalry Division were hurried across the river and
occupied Bouzencourt, in which neighbourhood they
had sharp. fighting. A very gallant and successful
counter-attack carried out with great dash by the

\

ond Battalion Devon Regiment and the 22nd
(Pioneer) Battalion Durham Light Infantry, both
of the 8th Division (which was itself heavily en-
gaged at the time at Rosieres), supported by troops

- of the 50th Division, at this date under command of

Major-General H. C. Jackson, D.S.O., held up the
enemy a short distance south-west of Proyart. A .
counter-attack by the 66th Division restored the
situation about Framerville, and at nightfall our
troops were still east and north of Harbonnieres,
whence our line ran north-westwards to Bouzen-
court.

South of HarbBonnieres, the 8th Division held the
village of Rosieres against all attacks and killed great
numbers of the enemy. South of this point, as far as
Arvillers, troops of the 24th, 3oth, and 20th Di-
visions maintained their positions substantially un-
changed throughout the day, though beyond their
right flank the enemy passed Davenscourt and cap-
tured Montdidier.

THE AMIENS DEFENCES.

(44) During the night of March 27-28, parties of
the enemy worked their way southwards from Mor-
court and Cerisy and entered Bayonvillers and
Warfusee-Abancourt, astride the main Amiens road.
Our troops east of these places were seriously en-
dangered, and in the early morning of March 28
were directed to withdraw to the line Vrely-Marcel-
cave. Our line from Marcelcave to the Somme was
manned by Carey's Force, with the 1st.Cavalry
Division in close support. During the evening the
enemy concentrated heavy artillery fire on Marcel-
cave and forced these troops to withdraw a short dis-
tance to the west of the village.

The position of our troops at Arvillers and Vrely,
however, in the deep and narrow salient between the
Avre and Luce Rivefs, was rapidly becoming unten-
able. The enemy was pushing southwards from
Guillaucourt, and beyond our right flank had entered
Contoire and was pressing the French troops back
upon Hangest-en-Santerre. A gallant attempt by
troops of the 61st Division to regain Warfusee-Aban-
court and lighten the pressure from the north proved
unsuccessful, and the course of the afternoon and
evening our troops fell back through the 20th Di-
vision which during the evening was disposed on the
line Mezieres-Demuin. At nightfall we held approxi-
mately the Amiens defence line on the whole front
south of the Somme from Mezieres to [gnaucourt and
Hamel.

The nature of the fighting on the southern portion
of the battle front where our troops had been en-
gaged for a full week with an almost overwhelming
superiority of hostile forces had thrown an excep-
tional strain upon the Fifth Army Comander and
his Staff. In order to avoid the loss of efficiency
which a continuance of such a strain might have en-
tailed, I decided to avail myself of the services of the
Staff of the Fourth Army, which was at this time in
reserve. General Sir H. S. Rawlinson, Bt., G.C.V.O,,
K.CB., KCM.G,, who had but recently given up