BATTLE OF 100 DAYS.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 December 1917, Page 7

BATTLE OF 100 DAYS.

GREATEST STRUGGLE SINCE THE MARNE.

With the French Armi>s, September 1. — The battle of the Chemin des Fames —the o i t l 3 of , L ulies’ Road—has at last come into its imn, Alcrg with the battl'3 of the Marne mid ,>f Verdun, it h J now been given place by competent French military authorities among France’s three greatest battles of the war, and for its relative importance it has been placed above Verdun. It ranks only after that of the Marne itself. The battle dates from May 5, wdTcn the French camplcting the conquest of the narrow Chemiu des Dames, plateau, imposed on the Germans the necessity of retaking it if possible regardless of cost. The battle then continued in all It® fury down to August 15, when the French preparations for their attack at Verdun became so alarming as to cause the Crown Prince, to abandon his effort to retake Ladies’ Road and rush to the rescue of what little was left of his disastrous conquests of last year at Verdun, The battle therefore, lasted 100 days, and well merits the title in history of the Battle of 100 Days, for during that time the Germans launched no less than 15 great organised attacks for the recapture of the road, and the French 16 equally as groat attacks for retaining its possession. This was an average of one attack for every three days, and every attack was a monster battle in itself. The hundreds of local combats that look place at all hours of the day and night, at various points along the road do not count in these figures. The length of the front was approximately, the same as that at Verdun, but the average width of the plateau, along -which the Chemin des'Dames rims is only 200 yards. On this 13 miles stretch of ribbon the Germans concentrated the fire of 200 batteries, or some 800 guns. During the 100-day battle from May 5 to August 15 the Germans engaged on the Chemin des Dames 49 divisions that wore so badly cut up that they had to bo withdrawn. „ The .Chemin des Dames was the southern pivot of the whole Hindenburg line, which is now compromised and threatened. Just as at one time it was sufficient for a man to say, }“I was at Ausi/erlStz, ” in order to have everyone look upon him as a hero, now it suffices to say "I was at the Chemin des Dames.” Exchange.