We were within a mile of Le Quesnoy, which lay in a clearing in the Forest.
There was no chance of giving our machines an overhaul. It was therefore in a state of mechanical “efficiency,” which a little while before we should have said made any sort of fighting out of the question, that most of the remaining Tanks gaily tackled this difficult piece of the advance.
CHAPTER XXII
THE ROUT—MORMAL FOREST—THE BATTLE OF THE SAMBRE—THE ARMISTICE
I
“Some greater issue was at stake, some mightier cause, than ever before the sword had pleaded or the trumpet had proclaimed.”
De Quincey.
On November 4, the 1st, 3rd and 4th Armies were to deliver an attack on a combined front of about thirty miles, from the Sambre to the north of Oisy and Valenciennes. The country across which our advance was to be made was exceedingly difficult: in the south, the river Sambre had to be crossed almost at the outset. In the centre the great Forest of Mormal, though here and there thinned by German foresters, still presented a formidable obstacle. In the north lay the strongly fortified town of Le Quesnoy, which was defended naturally by several streams which ran parallel to the line of our advance, offering the enemy repeated opportunities for a successful defence.
On November 2, we fought a small action west of Landrecies. We were anxious to improve our position near Happegarbes before the big attack on the 4th.