(c) crown copyright
Catalogue Reference:CAB/23/5
Image Reference:0070
Attack.
The Present
German
Position.
^/
The French Front.
y
C o n d i t i o n of t h e
Vth Army.
s i t u a t i o n on a m a p . I m m e d i a t e l y south of the Somme the enemy
h a d achieved a m a x i m u m advance in the last 24 hours of two to
three kilometres. F r e n c h divisions were coming u p to oppose this
advance.
I n t h e region of M o n t d i d i e r t h e F r e n c h h a d counter­
attacked, a n d heavy fighting was going on in the streets of t h a t
town.
The F r e n c h a t t a c k west of Noyon w a s still proceeding.
E i g h t y - t w o G e r m a n divisions h a d been identified, a n d the
total number of enemy divisions engaged probably numbered 90,
leaving from 5 to 8 entirely fresh divisions still to come in. A f t e r
t h i s the roulement would begin.
A t a later stage in the meeting the Director of M i l i t a r y
O p e r a t i o n s r e p o r t e d t h a t n o r t h of the Somme there h a d been no
f u r t h e r enemy attacks, a n d the situation a p p e a r e d to be well in
hand.
All the evidence tended to show t h a t the enemy h a d
received a severe defeat in his recent a t t a c k s on the A r r a s front.
H e was reported to be digging in on t h e line Thiepval—Aveluy.
Between the Somme a n d the A n c r e the A u s t r a l i a n s h a d the situa­
tion well in hand. South of the Somme we were holding a line of
trenches west of I g n a u c o u r t — w e s t e r n edge of Marcelcave—wes­
t e r n edge of L a m o t t e - e n - S a n t e r r e — w e s t of H a m e l , thence Sailly­
le-Sec. On t h i s portion of the. front the enemy was holding a line
of shell-holes, r u n n i n g roughly from Cerisy to east of Guillaucourt.
T h e s i t u a t i o n w a s generally quiet, w i t h the exception t h a t t h e
enemy was shelling Corbie.
O u r a r t i l l e r y w a s in action east of
Villers—Brettoneux. N o r t h of t h e Somme we now h a d six fresh
divisions in reserve, and three q u i t e fresh divisions in line.
We
b a d w i t h d r a w n 16 tired divisions, and it was estimated t h a t the
enemy ha,d w i t h d r a w n 40. The total number of field a n d heavy
guns lost hy us w a s 879. The enemy claimed 1,100. T h i s number,
therefore, probably included old 15-pounders used as a n t i - t a n k
guns, t a n k guns, a n t i - a i r c r a f t guns, a n d some F r e n c h guns, number
unknown.
2. T h e D i r e c t o r of M i l i t a r y O p e r a t i o n s reported t h a t the
F r e n c h General H e a d q u a r t e r s , telephoning a t 10 o'clock t h a t
morning, expressed themselves as well satisfied w i t h the result of
the fighting yesterday, which the)- regarded as a critical day.
H e a v y fighting took place along t h e R i v e r s Luce a n d Avre, the
result of which was t h a t p a r t of t h e ground lost yesterday was
regained.
D e m u i n w a s r e c a p t u r e d , and the enemy was driven
back to the western o u t s k i r t s of Mezieres. The F r e n c h h a d entered.
M o n t d i d i e r , and fighting w a s going on in t h a t place.
Between
M o n t d i d i e r a n d L a s s i g n y both sides were d i g g i n g in. T h e r e was
no change east of Lassigny.
T h e r e h a d been great enemy a i r
activity south of t h e Somme, p a r t i c u l a r l y on the p a r t of scout
machines.
3. W i t h reference to W a r Cabinet 374, M i n u t e 7, t h e P r i m e
Vlinister r e a d a message which he h a d received from Mr. Churchill
irg-ing t h e i m p o r t a n c e of r e c o n s t i t u t i n g t h e V t h A r m y .
T h e W a r Cabinet requested—
The Chief of t h e I m p e r i a l General Staff to send a special
officer to F r a n c e to ascertain w h a t assistance could be
rendered i n t h e direction of r e c o n s t i t u t i n g t h i s army.
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
I /
-A"
/V
Zip
4. The Chief of the I m p e r i a l General Staff r e p o r t e d t h a t a
i v e d from General M a r s h a l l , d a t e d t h e 29th
March showing t h a t the recent success a t K h a n B a g h d a d i y a , m
Mesopotamia ( W a r Cabinet 376, M i n u t e 2), h a d been even more
i m p o r t a n t t h a n w a s i n d i c a t e d by t h e enemy's casualties.
feleCTram
h
a
d
b
e
e
n
r e c e
WC 378
The W a r Cabinet requested—
The Secretary of S t a t e for W a r to send a telegram conveying
t h'e i r congivatulations to General M a r s h a l l a n d the troops
u n d e r his command on this success.
1 U
R e c r u i t i n g in t h e
Dominions :
M e s s a g e to
Australia.
5. The W a x Cabinet h a d some discussion on t h e qu&ou
stion of
f u r t h e r a p p e a l to the Dominions for increased effort in recruiting,
along the lines which would have to be adopted in t h i s country.
I n this connection L o r d Derby said t h a t he h a d seen Sir
E d w a r d K e m p on this subject, who h a d informed him t h a t every­
t h i n g possible was being done in C a n a d a , a n d t h a t it therefore did
not seem desirable to approach the C a n a d i a n Government officially,
but u r g e d t h a t a personal telegram should be sent by t h e P r i m e
Minister to Mr. H u g h e s on the subject.
The W a r Cabinet were of opinion t h a t some message should
be sent to A u s t r a l i a .
The P r i m e M i n i s t e r undertook to send a personal message to
Mr. H u g h e s on the subject.
G e n e r a l Foch's
Appointment:
Public
Announcement.
Z.
6. W i t h reference to W a r Cabinet 374, M i n u t e 9, the P r i m e
Minister informed the W a r Cabinet t h a t a message h a d been p u b ­
lished in W a s h i n g t o n from P r e s i d e n t Wilson c o n g r a t u l a t i n g
General Foch on his new a p p o i n t m e n t . The P r i m e M i n i s t e r added
t h a t the P r e s s Bureau wished to know whether such messages were
to be published in this country, or whether the British Government
were going to make any announcement on the subject.
The War Cabinet were of opinion t h a t an official announce­
ment should be made in t h i s country as soon as possible to the
following effect:—
" T h a t , with the cordial co-operation of the B r i t i s h a n d
F r e n c h Commanders-in-Chief, General Foch h a d been c h a r g e d
by the B r i t i s h , French, a n d American Governments to co­
o r d i n a t e the action of the Allied Armies on the W e s t e r n
front,"
The W a r Cabinet decided t h a t P r e s i d e n t Wilson's message should be kept back from publi­
cation, a n d t h a t the Foreign Office should inform the
F r e n c h Government t h a t we are going to make an
announcement immediately in our press:
M e s s a g e to t h e
Press.
7. I n a d d i t i o n to the announcement a u t h o r i s e d i n t h e pre­
vious M i n u t e , t h e W a r C a b i n e t decided—
T h a t a statement should be issued to t h e press in the sense
t h a t , since the commencement of the G e r m a n a t t a c k , the
W a r Cabinet h a s been in constant session. They have
t a k e n m a n y decisions dealing w i t h t h e i m m e d i a t e situa­
t i o n ; they have dealt w i t h the question of despatching
reinforcements a n d g u n s to replace losses; they also have
in course of p r e p a r a t i o n a series of measures for dealing
w i t h the s i t u a t i o n in t h e future for the supply of large
numbers of men a n d g u n s to m a i n t a i n our a r m y t h r o u g h ­
out the summer. These measures will necessarily t a k e a
few days to p r e p a r e , a n d they will be announced, so f a r
as is in the public interest, when P a r l i a m e n t meets.
T h e W a r Cabinet also decided t h a t —
T h e P r i m e M i n i s t e r should settle t h e w o r d i n g of
messages, a n d t h e n they should be issued.
these
Assistance by the
United States :
M e e t i n g of t h e
Supreme W a r
Council.
-
"5.
W i t h d r a w a l of
M e n from t h e
Admiralt)'.
8. W i t h reference to W a r Cabinet 377, M i n u t e 7 ( a ) , it was
suggested that, should there be any reluctance on t h e p a r t of t h e
A m e r i c a n Government to comply w i t h the proposal p u t forward,
it m i g h t be desirable to convene a Special Meeting of the S u p r e m e
W a r Council, either a t Versailles or some place more convenient
to General Foch, which should be attended by Generals P e r s h i n g
and Bliss, a n d M r . Baker, the American Secretary for W a r .
T h e Chief of the I m p e r i a l General Staff said he was i n
favour of such a plan, h a v i n g r e g a r d to the fact t h a t P r e s i d e n t
Wilson had all along been a supporter of the Versailles Council.
9. W i t h reference to W a r Cabinet 372, M i n u t e 22, t h e W a r
Cabinet had before them a n A d m i r a l t y memorandum in r e g a r d to
the contribution of a p p r o x i m a t e l y 12,500 men by t h e A d m i r a l t y
" A " firms ( P a p e r G-.T.-4067). In t h i s memorandum it was
pointed out t h a t , unless t h e Minister of National Service diverted
suitable substitutes to A d m i r a l t y firms quickly a n d in sufficient
numbers, output would suffer seriously. The A d m i r a l t y , however,
did not wish to oppose the contribution of 12,500 men, but merely
to w a r n the Government of w h a t would, in t h e i r opinion, be t h e
consequences. T h e Minister of National Service recognised t h a t
an adjustment to marine engineering will be necessary not only
as r e g a r d s the men to be taken a w a y under t h e scheme, but also
as r e g a r d s the a d d i t i o n a l men who will shortly be required. T h e
memorandum also pointed out t h a t there would undoubtedly be
an outcry from the employers who are primarily responsible' for
the o u t p u t of m a r i n e engines, which must be set off against any
beneficial effect on the A.S.E, The A d m i r a l t y considered t h a t
the method of levy should be to take a uniform percentage of the
total number of male employees of every engineering firm, and
t h a t before a pivotal m a n is called u p the employer shall have a
r i g h t to appeal.
The M i n i s t r y of M u n i t i o n s had stated t h a t
time would not p e r m i t of this protracted procedure.
T h e W a r Cabinet, in reaffirming their decision t h a t the
12,500 men should be contributed, took the responsibility
for whatever consequences m i g h t follow.
Eussia:
Japanese
Intervention.
10. W i t h reference to W a r Cabinet 369, M i n u t e 9, the W a r
Cabinet h a d u n d e r consideration Lord Curzon's M e m o r a n d u m on
the question of J a p a n e s e intervention in Siberia a n d our policy in
Russia ( P a p e r G.T.-4046).
Reference was made to t h e latest telegrams t h a t h a d been
exchanged between t h i s country a n d America on t h e subject, as
well as to telegram No. 291 from Tokio, a n d to M r . L o c k h a r f s
recent telegrams from Russia (e.g., No. 42) i n d i c a t i n g the possi­
bility t h a t the Bolsheviks m i g h t yet be persuaded themselves to
invite the assistance of J a p a n .
The view was expressed t h a t it would be f a t a l if, now t h a t
M. T r o t z k i a n d t h e A m e r i c a n Government were.coming r o u n d to
a view less hostile to J a p a n e s e intervention, t h e J a p a n e s e Govern­
ment should decide not to intervene.
The W a r Cabinet decided t h a t , if t h i s h a d not already been
clone—
T h e Foreign Office should inform H i s M a j e s t y ' s Ambassador
at Tokio of the latest telegrams received from Mr. Lock­
h a r t , i n d i c a t i n g t h a t the Bolsheviks were r e g a r d i n g
J a p a n e s e intervention in a more favourable light.
2 Whitehall Gardens,
March 30, 1918.
S.IF.,