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The German offensive of 21st March, 1918

In the Spring and early summer of 1918, the Germans launched four major offensives against the Allied line in France and Belgium which came close to ending the war in their favour. This was made possible by the end of the fighting on the eastern front after the Russian revolution, which allowed the German Army to bring its troops from there to France, where it was hoped a decisive effort would win the war in their favour before the Americans arrived in force. The Germans very nearly succeeded with their attacks. Their new tactics of a intense artillery barrage followed by groups of specially trained storm troopers forging swiftly ahead, by-passing any strongpoints, caused chaos among the defenders and remarkable gains in territory were initially seen. The old system of trench warfare soon became a thing of the past.  But in each case the Germans over extended themselves and without adequate supplies keeping up with their rapid advances, they could go no further. By late summer, the Germans were exhausted, the Allies had regrouped and were then able to begin their own series of offensives which led to the collapse of the German Army and victory before the end of the year.

The first of these attacks, Operation Michael, began on 21st March, 1918, when the German Army launched a major offensive, also known as the Kaiserschlacht (Kaiser's Battle) on the British line, running south from Arras to Chauny, close to the junction with the French Army. It was made by 63 specially trained divisions, attacking along a 60 mile front held by 26 British divisions, many of them in a weakened state. Aided by early morning mist during the opening days of the battle, the Germans made spectacular gains and within two weeks the British had been pushed back to the gates of Amiens. It was touch and go for the British Army who were in danger of being separated from the French and forced back to the Channel ports, but they rallied and with the agreement that Field Marshall Foch should co-ordinate all Allied movements, this worst case scenario was averted.

The artillery of the British Army suffered heavily on 21st March. At 4.40am the German guns began a five hour bombardment of all British positions including all known artillery emplacements, stretching right back to the rear of the Battle Zone. It was a tremendous and devastating barrage the likes of which had never been seen before and many batteries were put out of action before they had chance to reply. When the enemy storm troopers began their rapid advance the thick fog blanketed their progress and a number of British guns found themselves surrounded before they had a chance to withdraw. Some did manage to get away and a number were able to put up a determined resistance before withdrawing, but overall it was a calamity with hundreds of guns captured or destroyed. For the next ten days all branches of the artillery fell back on a daily basis, stopping every now and then to fire a few rounds in support of the infantry, but desperately trying not to fall into enemy hands.

9th Trench Mortar Battery of the Royal Field Artillery was part of 9th Division of VII Corps of the Fifth Army which held the section of the line just south of the Flesquieres salient and at some stage during the day Thomas Hughes was killed.