According to the original scheme, the action should not have been continued for more than three days, but in spite of our original “Self-Denying Ordinance” as to ground, when desirable posts of vantage were actually in our hands, we had fallen a prey to “land hunger,” and had still fought on and continued to advance in order to consolidate these new and delightful possessions.
But now we held the extremely important tactical point formed by the heights of Bourlon Wood, and it was plain that to take Fontaine and Bourlon Village would cost us more than they were worth to us.
We had done all and more than all we set out to do. The troops urgently needed resting. They had had no proper rest before the battle, and now despite their sense of victory they were extraordinarily spent.
The Tanks’ crews, too, were almost fought to a standstill, and owing to the constant daily necessity there had been for hurrying composite companies into action, their units had become inconveniently disorganised.
So on November 27 we rested from our labours and counted the spoil.
[46]“Whatever may be the future historian’s dictum as to its value, the First Battle of Cambrai must always rank as one of the most remarkable battles ever fought. On November 20, from a base of some 13,000 yards in width, a penetration of no less than 10,000 yards was effected in twelve hours (at the Third Battle of Ypres a similar penetration took three months), 8000 prisoners and 100 guns were captured, and these prisoners alone were nearly double the casualties suffered by the 3rd and 4th Armies during the first day of the battle. It is an interesting point to remember that in this battle the attacking infantry were assisted by 690 officers and 3500 other ranks of the Tank Corps, a little over 4000 men, or the strength of a strong brigade, and that these men replaced artillery for wire-cutting, and rendered unnecessary the old preliminary bombardment. More than this, by keeping close to the infantry, they effected a much higher co-operation than had ever before been attainable with artillery. When on November 21 the bells of London pealed forth in celebration of the victory of Cambrai, consciously or unconsciously to their listeners they tolled out an old tactics and rang in a new—Cambrai had become the Valmy of a new epoch in war, the epoch of the mechanical engineer.”
It was a weary but satisfied body of men that General Elles inspected at Havrincourt on November 29 when the party broke up.
The 1st and 3rd Brigades were entraining immediately for Mult and Bray respectively, and the 2nd was to follow them in a few days’ time.
Good-byes were exchanged, and, as every one thought, the curtain rung down upon the First Battle of Cambrai.