A History of the Great War Author:John Buchan Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: Hurtebise. Both sides had narrow standing room, both had a river behind them, and both operated from the same kind of base — a series of spurs splayed like the f... more »ingers of a hand, running on the German side to the vale of the Ailette, and on the French side to the Aisne. The villages behind the German lines were on the reverse slopes or on the flat. P6tain's aim was to clear the enemy wholly off the heights and to advance to the Ailette bank. He chose the triangle between the Aisne-Oise Canal and Soissons for his attempt, arguing rightly that if he could press back the enemy to the flats in this area he would compel a general retirement. The French forces were the Sixth Army, formerly under Mangin, and now under Maistre, who had once commanded the 21st Corps at Verdun. There were four corps in the army — the nth, 14th, 3gth, and Maistre's old 21st, now under that Degoutte whom we saw in command of the Moroccan Division at Moronvillers. Seven French divisions were allotted to the assault — the 13th, 27th, 28th, 38th, 43rd, 66th, and 67th. Opposed to Maistre was Boehn's German VII. Army. In the battle area the 2nd and 5th Divisions of the Prussian Guard were disposed around Fort Mal- maison; on the right the 13th, on the left the 47th Reserve, and in support the 14th and the 2nth. Like Nivelle at Verdun and Plumer at Messines, Maistre staged his battle cunningly and with the minutest care. His initial front was four miles long — from Laffaux Mill to La Royere farm. The preliminary bombardment began on Wednesday, 17th October, and was directed mainly to breaking up the roofs and sealing up the entrances of the underground caverns which constituted one of the main German defences. Mont Parnasse, behind Mal- maison, one of the biggest quarries, had been shattered by 16-inch shells se...« less