Aisne, to which the Germans had retreated after the battle of the
Marne. Ever since that epoch-making event in the history of the Great
War the Germans had held the line despite every effort of the Allies
to dislodge them. The Germans had ample warning that a great offensive
was in preparation, for the French had been bombarding their positions
for ten days before. On their part they had made every effort to repel
the threatened attack, and had massed a great number of men and guns
in that region. In justice to the Germans it must be said that they
fought with courage and desperation along the whole front. They
realized the importance of holding the line at all costs, for if the
French advance proved successful, it would mean the isolation of Laon,
upon which the Hindenburg line depended.

North of Berry-au-Bac, where the old line of battle swings to the
southeast toward Rheims, the French forces gained their greatest
advance. To the south of Juvincourt they succeeded in penetrating the
German second-line positions and held on. Every effort made by the
Germans during the day failed, the French artillery literally tearing
their ranks to pieces. Further advances were made by the French to the
banks of the Aisne Canal at the villages of Courcy and Loivre.

General Nivelle reported that over 10,000 prisoners were captured
during this offensive together with a vast amount of war material.

Meanwhile the British in the Lens area were constantly engaged with
the Germans, who again and again launched counterattacks to recover
lost positions, to impede the advance and to gain time to strengthen
their defenses on the line of retreat.

During the night of April 15, 1917, the British captured Villeret,
southeast of Hargicourt, which served to further widen the second gap
in the Hindenburg line north of St. Quentin. The British were
successful in all these minor struggles in making prisoners, and owing
to the Germans' hurried retreat vast quantities of military stores
fell into their hands. Since April 9, 1917, the British had captured
over 14,000 prisoners and 194 guns.

In the midst of a driving rain and flurries of snow that hampered
military operations the French struck another blow on the 17th, on a
new eleven-mile stretch of front east of Rheims from Prunay to
Auberive. They carried the entire front-line German positions. From
Mt. Carnillet to Vaudesincourt support positions seven miles in extent
also were captured. Durin