"
"The enemy was completely surprised."
This was the laconic message sent to Field Marshal Haig by the man who
had led the British to victory, as he rested until the morrow. Along
the entire forty- mile line the attack had been successful.
There were no American troops in General Byng's drive. The forces were
composed solely of English, Scots, Irish and Welsh -- a combination
that more than once before in this war had proved too much for the
Germans to combat successfully.
It was a happy army that slept on reconquered territory on the night of
November 20,1917. Men talked of nothing but the most glorious victory
since the Marne. They knew that the offensive in all likelihood would
be resumed the following morning, and most of the troops turned in
early that they might be fit on the morrow to make the foe hunt a new
"hole." There was no doubt in the breasts of the "Tommies" that the
following day would take them nearer to Cambrai and, consequently,
Berlin.
Hal and Chester had had no active part in the first day's fighting.
They had stuck close to headquarters of General Byng, and several
times, while the fighting was at its height and the general was short
of aides, each of the lads had carried messages for him.
Pages:
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133