Chapter I: Front Matter

THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN

IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS

JULY TO NOVEMBER
1918

BY

ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE

AUTHOR OF
'THE GREAT BOER WAR,' ETC.

HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LIMITED LONDON

SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE'S
HISTORY OF THE WAR

Uniform with this Volume.

THE BRITISH CAMPAIGN IN FRANCE
AND FLANDERS

VOL. I--1914

THE BREAKING OF THE PEACE.
THE OPENING OF THE WAR.
THE BATTLE OF MONS.
THE BATTLE OF LE GATEAU.
THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE.
THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE.
THE LA BASSÉE-ARMENTIÈRES OPERATIONS.
THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES.
A RETROSPECT AND GENERAL SUMMARY.
THE WINTER LULL OF 1914.

VOL II.--1915

THE OPENING MONTHS OF 1915.
NEUVE CHAPELLE AND HILL 60.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF YPRES.
THE BATTLE OF RICHEBOURG-FESTUBERT.
THE TRENCHES OF HOOGE.
THE BATTLE OF LOOS.

VOL III.--1916

JANUARY TO JULY 1916.
THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
THE BATTLE OF THE ANCRE.

VOL IV--1917

THE BATTLE OF ARRAS.
THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.
THE THIRD BATTLE OF YPRES.
THE BATTLE OF CAMBRAI.

VOL. V--1918

THE SECOND BATTLE OF THE SOMME.
THE SOMME FRONT FROM APRIL 1 ONWARDS.
THE BATTLE OF THE LYS.
THE BATTLES OF THE CHEMIN DES DAMES AND
OF THE ARDRES.

With Maps, Plans, and Diagrams

HODDER AND STOUGHTON
LONDON, NEW YORK, AND TORONTO

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

THE OPENING OPERATIONS

From July 1 to August 8, 1918

The general position--German attack of July 16--French counter-attack of July 18--Turn of the tide--Fifty-first and Sixty-second Divisions on the Ardres--Desperate fighting--The Fifteenth Scots Division at Buzancy--Le Glorieux Chardon d'Écosse--Nicholson's Thirty-fourth Division at Oulchy-le-Château--The campaigns on the periphery

CHAPTER II

ATTACK OF RAWLINSON'S FOURTH ARMY

The Battle of Amiens, August 8-22

Great British victory--Advance of the Canadians--Of the Australians--Of the Third Corps--Hard struggle at Chipilly--American assistance--Continuance of the operations--Great importance of the battle

CHAPTER III

CONTINUATION OF THE OPERATIONS OF RAWLINSON'S
FOURTH ARMY

From August 22 to the Battle of the Hindenburg Line, September 29

Further advance of the Australians--Of the Third Corps--Capture of Albert--Advance across the old Somme battlefield--Capture of Mont St. Quentin--Splendid Australian exploit--Fall of Peronne--Debut of the Yeomanry (Seventy-fourth) Division--Attack on the outliers of the Hindenburg Line--Appearance of the Ninth Corps--Eve of the Judgment

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CHAPTER IV

THE ATTACK OF BYNG'S THIRD ARMY

August 21, 1918, to September 29, 1918

Advance of Shute's Fifth Corps--Great feat in crossing the Ancre--Across the old battlefield--Final position of Fifth Corps opposite Hindenburg's Main Line--Advance of Haldane's Sixth Corps--Severe fighting--Arrival of the Fifty-second Division--Formation of Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps--Recapture of Havrincourt--Advance of Harper's Fourth Corps---Great tenacity of the troops--The New Zealanders and the Jaeger--Final position before the decisive battle

CHAPTER V

THE ADVANCE OF HORNE'S FIRST ARMY

From August 26 to September 27

The indefatigable Fifty-first Division--Capture of Greenland Hill--Fine advance of the Canadians--Breaking of the Drocourt-Quéant line--Fine work of the Sixty-third Naval Division--Great day for the Dominion--Demeanour of German prisoners

CHAPTER VI

THE OPERATIONS OF RAWLINSON'S FOURTH ARMY

From the Battle of the Hindenburg Line (September 29) to the
Battle of the Selle, October 17

The first American operations--The rupture of the Hindenburg Line--Predicament of Twenty-seventh American Division--Their gallant resistance--Great Australian attack--Remarkable feat by the Forty-sixth North Midland Territorial Division--Exeunt the Third Corps and the Australians--Entrance of the Thirteenth Corps--Rupture of the Beaurevoir line--Advance to the Selle River

CHAPTER VII

THE OPERATIONS OF RAWLINSON'S FOURTH ARMY

From the Battle of the Selle, October 17, to the end

Attack upon the line of the Selle River--Stubborn work by the Second American Corps--Success of the Ninth Corps--Hard fighting at Le Cateau--Great feat of the South Africans--Continued advance--Delay-action mines--Capture of Landrecies--Dramatic exit of the German machine-gunner--Splendid work of the First Division

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CHAPTER VIII

OPERATIONS OF BYNG'S THIRD ARMY

From the Battle of the Hindenburg Line (September 29) to the
Battle of the Selle (October 17)

Fighting at L'Escaut Canal--Dash of the New Zealanders--The Guards in a hot corner--Crossing of the Canal--Back on the old ground--Great work by all four Corps of the Third Army

CHAPTER IX

OPERATIONS OF BYNG'S THIRD ARMY

From the Battle of the Selle, October 12, to the end

The battle of the Selle River--Reversion to open warfare--The valour of Lancashire--Haig's incessant blows--Weakening of the German morale--The battle of Mormal Forest--New Zealanders and the mediaeval fortress--Capture of the great forest--The Sambre bridged--A grand Division--Advance of Fergusson's Seventeenth Corps--The last phase

CHAPTER X

THE ADVANCE OF HORNE'S FIRST ARMY

From September 27 to the end

The Canadians at the Canal du Nord--Hard fighting at Bourlon--Strong counter-attack at Abancourt--Canadian valour--Godley's Twenty-second Corps--The Ecaillon valley--Forcing of the Rhonelle--General Heneker's attack--Capture of Douai

CHAPTER XI

OPERATIONS OF THE SECOND AND FIFTH ARMIES

September 28-November 11

King Albert in the field--Great Belgo-Franco-British advance--The last act on the old stage--The prophet of 1915--Renewed advance--Germans desert the coast--Relief of Douai and Lille--The final stage in the subsidiary theatres of war

CHAPTER XII

THE END

APPENDIX

INDEX

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MAPS AND PLANS

Map to illustrate the British Campaign in France and Flanders

Advance of Fourth Army, August 8, showing Gains up to August 12, and Final Position after the Fall of Peronne

Position of British Corps, end of September 1918

Advance of First, Third, and Fourth British. Armies from August 21, 1918, to September 2, 1918. Arrows point to the Rupture of the Quéant-Drocourt Line

General Position of the Allies immediately before the Armistice of November 11, 1918

Allied Advance in the North

[Transcriber's note: Because of their size and fragility, it was impractical to scan the above five maps. They have been omitted from this etext.]

IN TEXT

The Attack on the Selle

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