The 4th Canadian Mounted Rifles - ElectricCanadian.com

92 4TH CANADIAN MOUNTED RIFLESdirectly engaged in this fighting.This attack in front ofArras, to widen the salient to include Vimy Ridge andthe Lorette Spur, was repulsed.On April 14th Marshal Foch was chosen Generalissimoand from that time the two Armies interchanged Divisions to help each other stem the tides which followed.On April 9th the Germans attacked the British on theLys, by the 14th Armentieres had fallen and the line wasalmost to St. Venant and Bailleul; this salient waswidened subsequently to include Bailleul, Mont Kemmeland Passchendaele. The Battalion while in reserve behindSt. Venant worked on the defences along La Bassee Canalbut was never involved in the fighting. The Corpsduring this time extended its line to relieve ImperialDivisions, and was holding from Lens south 35,000 yardsor approximately one-fifth of the total British Front.Its line was stretched almost to the breaking point,with huge salients on either flank and "although duringthis period it did not have to repulse any Germanattacks, it nevertheless played a part worthy of itsstrength" by incessantly harrassing the enemy who gave"many indications of nervous uncertainty".The attack in the north had only been checked whena third colossal drive took place on May 27th, this timeagainst the French IX Corps when the Germans captured Chemin-des-Dames and Soissons, and in a few daysreached the Marne. The British, who had been reinforced by French troops, reciprocated by placingfive divisions between Chemin-des-Dames and Rheims.On July 9th a fourth blow, also against the French, metwith little success, and by the time the next and laston July 15th, known as the Marne-Champagne drive,had been launched, the Allies had the situation in handand their brilliant and unexpected counter-offensivewhich started on July 18th on the Aisne and Marnedrove the Germans back. It was followed by the BritishFourth Army attack on August the 8th which was thebeginning of the triumphant march of the Last HundredDavs.vThe Italians preceded their Allies in turning defeat