On the 2nd Brigade front another enemy Division was to have advanced simultaneously with the attack on the north, but was disorganised by the weight of our artillery response. It was not till the afternoon that the attack developed, and then it achieved nothing. A mere handful of German infantry worked up a communication trench, just over the boundary, of the British brigade to the south. They were seen and were at once attacked by the right post of 1st Canterbury under L/Cpl. W. White. The whole party was accounted for. 1 was killed and 9 taken prisoners. This was not to be end of the 2nd Brigade successes on 5th April, for their Lewis guns shot down an enemy aeroplane which descended east of Engelbelmer, both the pilot and observer being captured by the troops on the right.

On the 6th the 3rd Rifles again advanced their lines south of the Serre Road, when the enemy put up a S.O.S. and our support and reserve areas were heavily shelled.{181} In the evening 2 companies of enemy infantry were seen moving against the same spot in artillery formation, and another body, estimated at 2 companies, was observed to be massed in their communication trenches. A heavy artillery barrage was put down by us which annihilated the attempted counter-attack. During the day the 25th Divisional Artillery was withdrawn and replaced by 2 (Army) brigades. The batteries continued to bombard the enemy's positions, expending on an average 700 rounds per battery per day, and to harass his working parties now engaged in consolidation. Infantry activity, however, slackened, and conditions were rapidly reverting to trench warfare. During the afternoon rain had begun to fall heavily, and in dismal weather the battle for the moment stood still over the whole Somme front.

After colossal losses the first German offensive of 1918 had ended in a qualified success for the enemy. Immense and important territories had been won, and the strength of the Allied forces had been materially weakened. The German still possessed both initiative and numerical superiority. At the outset 32 British Divisions had been overwhelmed by 64 German, and by the end of March our 46 Divisions of infantry and 3 of cavalry were faced by more than 80. It was certain that the enemy had not abandoned his project. Extensive and successive lines of defence were constructed by us, and every possible precaution was taken to resist him. One further effort indeed was to be made on the Somme battlefront, but, temporarily checked, the enemy looked elsewhere. Undertaking enterprises as diversions to preserve the initiative, prevent a counter-stroke on his exposed southern flank, and dissipate Foch's reserves, he was tempted by unexpected successes into heavy commitments and an expenditure of forces on a scale antagonistic to his proper strategy and leading to his undoing. For the time the second Battle of the Somme was at an end, and the pointer of the German offensive had swung northwards to the Lys.

We may now briefly review the action of the Division. After 2 sleepless nights, a fatiguing train journey and forced marches, it had been in consequence of a changed situation diverted from its pre-arranged assembly areas and with marked skill concentrated at Hédauville. Without delay, unit by unit, it had marched into the battle and closed the gap on the Ancre. Not content with that, it had struck back and won an admirably strong position overlooking the German lines. It had constructed formidably-wired reserve trenches through which only a grand assault could hope to break. Artillery, machine guns and mortars had been handled with consummate boldness and efficiency, and despite exhaustion and exposure the men in the trenches were throughout cheerful and confident. It is not too much to say that they eagerly awaited an enemy attack, assured of their power to repel it with their machine and Lewis guns and rifles. When they attacked, here and there they had bitter fighting and were foiled, but generally they smote the enemy irresistibly.

General Birdwood signified his approbation of his old troops' performance in the following message to General Russell:—“My hearty congratulations to you and your Division on the magnificently fine work which you have been doing.” With proved success the feeling of superiority grew. Every diary notes the high spirits of the troops and their intense appreciation of the opportunities given of hitting the enemy hard and avenging Bellevue. In barring the German advance the Division had paid an inevitable price, but by no means an unduly heavy one, 30 officers and 500 men had given their lives, 100 officers and 1700 men had been wounded, and some 60 were missing; 127 machine guns, 5 trench mortars and much other booty had been taken, and 429 prisoners had been captured. The measured terms of General Harper's congratulatory message convey a soldier's appreciation of the work of both commanders and men:—

“The Corps Commander desires to congratulate the New Zealand Division on their fine record since coming into the line in the Corps. By a brilliantly-executed attack they captured a large number of prisoners and machine guns. They have held their ground successfully against numerous attacks and have caused the enemy very severe losses. The organisation of their troops for the defence of their line has been extremely well carried out.”

Not only had the British Divisions, which withstood the brunt of the storm, fought their unequal contest, as Germany herself testified, with the utmost gallantry, but the civil populations also of the Allied countries had shown almost universally commendable steadiness of nerves. America increased her recruiting and strained every sinew to expedite the despatch of her troops. France displayed the same quiet heroism with which she had withstood earlier perils. In Britain the troubled waves of industrial strife at once subsided, and the workers cheerfully gave up their holidays to replenish stores and munitions. The limit of military age was raised to 50. Within a month 350,000 of those home forces, for whom Haig had hitherto pleaded in vain, were sent overseas. In New Zealand and the other Dominions, where owing to distance the full gravity of the situation was not generally appreciated, there was no lack of spontaneous declarations of steadfast resolution. On 9th April the Governor-General of New Zealand sent to Sir Douglas Haig a message which breathed fervid loyalty and was worded with simple and fine solemnity:—

“At the present time, when the Armies of the Empire are engaged in the most deadly struggle in which British citizens have ever been called upon to take part, the Government and the people of New Zealand desire to express most intense admiration for the heroism of our soldiers and the utmost confidence in the officers and men of the British forces, as well as the forces of our Allies. Though the furthest of the Dominions from the scene of operations and one of the smallest, in this hour of the nation's trial New Zealand is heart and soul with Britain and the other dependencies of the Crown, and nothing will be left undone to support our fighting men and assist in bringing about the decisive victory and permanent peace which we all earnestly desire.”

The Commander-in-Chief replied on the following day:—

“The message from the Government and people of New Zealand has been duly appreciated by all ranks of the British Armies in France. The Empire is proud of the part which New Zealand is playing in this war, and no troops could have fought more gallantly than the New Zealand Division.”

In the new battle of the Lys where Ludendorff, frustrated on the Somme, sought a diversion by attacking the denuded Flanders front and attracting Foch's reserves as a preliminary to a fresh thrust past Amiens to the sea, New Zealand troops were also to be involved. The 2nd (Army) Brigade of the artillery, after enjoying a brief respite from the line in March, had left the XXII. Corps on 6th April, and on the following day had taken over Australian guns in positions on the Ploegsteert front covering the 25th Division. Two English field artillery batteries, the 84th and 85th, completed the group, which was commanded by Lt.-Col. Falla. On 9th April, when the German attack broke through at Fleurbaix, all was quiet on the Ploegsteert sector, but early next morning the Sixth German Army's blow was taken up by the Fourth German Army northwards. A very heavy bombardment with gas and high-explosive shell was followed by an assault in thickish fog and by a rapid advance. At 6 a.m. orders were received for the batteries to be withdrawn to Wulverghem. The 84th Battery was surrounded early in the morning, but the English gunners fired all their ammunition, blew up their guns and, covering the movement with their anti-aircraft Lewis guns, effected a most gallant withdrawal. The 85th Battery on Hill 63 saved all their guns and passed under the command of their own brigade. The New Zealand 18-pounder batteries similarly withdrew safely and were in action again by noon.

Teams coming for the howitzers of the 6th Battery (Major R. Miles, R.N.Z.A.,) about Hyde Park Corner missed their guide. In any case, however, the guns were sunk deep in winter mud and could not have been shifted from the pits. Orders were thereupon issued for the battery to fight to the last round but to refrain from destroying the guns till they found the enemy round them. Rallying the infantry in trenches in the vicinity and shortening ranges, Miles' battery had by 11 a.m. exhausted all the ammunition of 3 howitzers. A fourth with its crew had been put out of action by enemy shelling. The remaining 2 were nearly out of ammunition. By this time, though our lines still held northwards at St. Yves, the enemy on the south was through Ploegsteert village and in the little larch wood, which, well known to all New Zealanders, covered the flats from Ploegsteert village towards the Shrine on Hill 63. Machine guns were enfilading the road from Ploegsteert to Hyde Park Corner, and German artillery flares were going up from a house in the village.

By superhuman exertions and with the assistance of some Australian Pioneers 1 gun was brought out on to the Messines road above Hyde Park Corner and turned against Ploegsteert and the machine guns. With its second round it demolished the house from which the artillery flares were rising. Then, silencing the machine gun fire, it enabled the infantry to recapture part of the village. In a daring reconnaissance Miles himself was wounded by a sniper; 2nd Lt. S. J. Henrys held on till ammunition was exhausted. He then guarded the howitzers with his Lewis guns till all hope of a counter-attack was gone and there was imminent risk of capture. Only then did the gunners fall back after rendering their pieces useless. The New Zealander 18-pounder batteries did not leave their new Wulverghem positions till they fired every round, and then pulled back according to orders along the road to Dranoutre.

In the early hours of 14th April Neuve Eglise and its important ridge fell into German possession. The 2nd Brigade batteries, including the 6th Howitzer Battery, which had been re-equipped with new guns, engaged the enemy's position west of the village. On his advancing in the evening they continued their withdrawal behind Kemmel and fought an exemplary rearguard action, the 2nd and 9th Batteries covering the movement of the 5th, and then the 9th covering the movement of the 2nd. A forward section of howitzers remained firing at the slopes south-west of Neuve Eglise till 3 a.m.

On the 15th, in conformity again with the general movement, the brigade fell back south-west of Scherpenberg. When on the 19th the French took over the British front in this neighbourhood the artillery was left for the moment in the line, where it maintained its harassing fire and shelled the farms that sheltered German headquarters.

On 23rd April the brigade was advised that they would withdraw to the wagon lines that evening, and that responsibility for answering S.O.S. calls would cease at 7 p.m. The batteries set about getting rid of their ammunition at likely farms and approaches. In the early afternoon, however, the enemy started a heavy bombardment, which continued for 2 hours on all battery areas, roads and approaches. At 7 p.m. it was repeated on an even more violent scale. S.O.S. signals rose from our front line. Responsibility for answering these had now ceased, but all batteries that had any ammunition left responded vigorously. The 5th Battery, which had on several occasions been particularly heavily shelled during the battle, now again came under concentrated fire. 2 officers were killed and 5 men wounded. Teams were kept in a sunken road waiting for the bombardment to die down. The 2nd 6th and 9th Batteries “got clear” about 8 p.m., but the 5th not till 11 p.m.

On the following day the brigade moved to the Staple area behind Hazebrouck which the Division had left a month previously. There they came under the orders of the 1st Australian Division. Two days later (26th April) they went into the line on the 1st Australian front south-east of Hazebrouck, where Australian infantry and New Zealand gunners, working with great sympathy and mutual understanding, caused heavy casualties to the enemy. One notable achievement undertaken by the brigade was the salving of part of a large dump of 15,000 rounds of 18-pounder ammunition at Strazeele in the beginning of May. The dump was only some 500 yards from the German outposts. This dangerous enterprise was persevered in till stopped on orders from higher authority. On 16th May the brigade left the Hazebrouck area, and after 4 days' trek joined the New Zealand Division in Picardy.

In the Lys battle other New Zealand troops, too, were to play a humble share and lay down their lives. On 10th April, while the enemy's northern forces carried Ploegsteert and reached the crest of the Messines Ridge, his Sixth Army had taken Estaires. Crossing the Lys between that town and Armentières, they had immediately forced the evacuation of Armentières and pressed the British line back north of Steenwerck over country every hectare of which was familiar to the New Zealanders. On the following day (11th April) the German vanguards carried Neuf Berquin and Merville, and for tactical reasons our troops were withdrawn from Nieppe and Hill 63 to positions east of Neuve Eglise and Wulverghem. On the vital sector south of the Lys the approach of reinforcements checked the hostile advance.

Northwards, however, driving in on 12th April with strong forces between Neuf Berquin and Steenwerck, the enemy pressed very rapidly forward, created a gap on the IX. Corps front south-west of Bailleul and threatened not merely Meteren, but the important railway centre of Hazebrouck. Most fortunately his pressure at Neuve Eglise was this day held, but towards Hazebrouck and Meteren the situation speedily became critical.

No formed reserves were available beyond a brigade of the 33rd Division (Major-General R. J. Pinney). These were strengthened by a body of cyclists and a pioneer battalion. Schools also and reinforcement camps were drained of their personnel in order to fill the gap. In response to an urgent telephone message from the Second Army, General Godley made every effort to give the IX. Corps "as much support in as short a time as possible."

To replace troops sent to the Somme, the XXII. Corps Mounted Regiment and Cyclist Battalion had been formed towards the end of March into a composite battalion and put at the disposal of the 49th Division now holding the whole Corps front. Under that Division, when the Lys battle opened, they were occupying the Shrewsbury Forest sector before the famous Hill 60 south-east of Ypres. On 12th April the Otago Mounted Rifles Squadron and one of the cyclist companies had just been relieved from the trenches. These were increased by drafts from the Corps Reinforcement Wing and added to General Pinney's force. The rest of the composite unit was earmarked as further reserves on their relief.

Of the Entrenching Battalions the 1st and 3rd had already at the end of March been sent to the Somme, but the 2nd was still at Abeele. It too had been organised for offensive action and provided with 12 Lewis guns from labour units, and now in the afternoon of the 12th, augmented by details of the Corps Reinforcement Wing to a strength of 1100, it was rushed{182} partly by busses, partly by forced marches to Meteren to construct and garrison a line behind the village. These various reinforcements filled the gap that night. On the following morning 2 companies of the Entrenching Battalion were sent to strengthen weakened English units.

The resistance and self-sacrifice displayed on the following day all along the front allowed the 1st Australian Division to detrain undisturbed and march east of the Nieppe Forest and so save the Hazebrouck railway. About Bailleul, however, the German pressure continued. Neuve Eglise fell in the early hours of the 14th, Bailleul on the 15th, Meteren on the, 16th. In our withdrawal from the last place 2 companies of the 2nd Entrenching Battalion, now in the front line, were involved. Though 60% of the men were new drafts, they held their ground with tenacity till they found the enemy round both flanks. The left company fought its way back, Sergt. W. P. Morrin, M.M., inspiring his platoon which was surrounded on 3 sides by the enemy. The right company nearer Meteren held on too long and lost 100 prisoners, a number which by far exceeded the greatest aggregate total captured by the Germans in any one action from the Division. Ludendorff now, seemed within measurable distance of bending the British left on to a line from Arras along the Aa to the sea. Attacking north of Ypres, and at Béthune and Kemmel, his troops, exhausted or raw, failed to show the skill in infiltration that marked the March attack, and were repulsed. In the defeat of the attacks on the Meteren reserve line on 17th April the 2nd Entrenching Battalion played a small but useful role. Part of the battalion was relieved by French infantry that night, and the remainder later by the Australians.

This fighting at Meteren did not exhaust the services of the battalion. By 25th April our garrisons in the Ypres salient had been withdrawn in successive voluntary stages as far as Zillebeke, and the XXII. Corps front was now directly affected by the German offensive. The battalion had received orders and was making its final preparations for entraining at Poperinghe to rejoin its group in the south, when the great enemy attack developed on the 25th. They were sent up into support, again under General Pinney, behind Dickebusch. They came into action on 8th May, when they assisted in repelling an enemy assault launched by 2 Divisions and in preparing the way for a British counter-attack which recaptured a position lost beyond their flank. In this action conspicuously fine work was done by Lt. J. M. C. McLeod, M.C., who, when the line on his right was broken, swung up his left flank and drove back the enemy by enfilade machine gun fire. Relieved on 11th May by French troops, the 2nd Entrenching Battalion was thanked by General Godley, General Pinney and other officers for their services, and then entrained for the south.

We must now turn back to the remainder of the composite battalion of the Mounted Regiment and the Cyclists who were holding Shrewsbury Forest on 12th April. They were relieved that evening. Reorganised as mounted units and ordered to be in readiness to move at half an hour's notice, they were sent forward in the early hours of the 13th, in view of the pressure at Neuve Eglise, to establish a defensive line on Kemmel. The subsequent German advance rapidly exposed their position to severe shelling, in which several lives were lost before French cavalry relieved our men on 18th April. During the attack on the 25th they, like the 2nd Entrenching Battalion, were again called on and despatched to close a gap near Vierstraat north-west of Wytschaete. Here they took up a defensive position astride the Vierstraat road, and here, subjected for several days to heavy shelling, cyclists and mounted men stopped all attempts of the enemy to advance. They were relieved on 1st May. During the operations the Cyclist Battalion casualties amounted to 5 officers and 100 men.

It is convenient to allude here to the action of the XXII. Corps in the Battle of the Marne in July, when the early triumphs of the last German offensive, undertaken on the Aisne in May like the Lys attack in April with a view to dissipating the central reserves prior to a fresh attempt to separate the Allied Armies, were converted by enemy strategical blunders and by Foch's genius into the victory which marked the turning of the tide. For the Generalissimo's counter-thrust Sir Douglas Haig had not merely released the French troops in Flanders but had also sent 4 Divisions under General Godley's command.

The latter took with him his XXII. Corps Headquarters which with the 51st and 62nd Divisions arrived in the Ardre Valley on 19th July. By forced marches and passing through an Italian Corps on the Montague de Reims, the British Divisions at once engaged in the battle amid the standing crops and coppices overhung by steep thickly-wooded spurs on each side of the valley. The Mounted Troops rendered excellent service on patrols and advanced reconnaissances during the later phases of the operations. In the Cyclist Battalion preparations had been long in progress to celebrate in peaceful festivity the second anniversary of their formation as a battalion, (22nd July) but an opportunity was given them of commemorating and adding lustre to it by battle. Attached to a 62nd Division brigade, which was weakened after days of continuous fighting, they captured on 23rd July the village of Marfaux and a ridge 400 yards beyond, one of the 3 great points d'appui in the valley. “The Cyclist Battalion fought as infantry,” says the official narrative, “and proved both gallant and efficient.” During the operations the battalion captured 100 prisoners and 9 machine guns and recovered many French and English machine guns and a battery of 75s. They rescued also several famished Yorkshire prisoners who had reached the village during an unsuccessful attack made by the 62nd Division 3 days previously. General Berthelot of the Fifth French Army signalised his appreciation of the Corps' achievements in an eloquent Order of the Day, and of the Cyclists' performance by the reward of a richly-embroidered fanion, presented later to Lt.-Col. Evans at Epernay during the Peace Celebrations in 1919.

Note.—Ludendorff's Memoirs make it clear that the Somme attack was in April definitely abandoned in favour of the Flanders offensive. The latter was to have been resumed in August. Some of the remarks in this narrative on the German plans accordingly require modification.