CHAPTER XI

THE WAR IN 1917


THE WESTERN FRONT.--During the winter of 1916-1917 there was little
infantry warfare in France, although the heavy guns kept up their
cannonades. In the spring of 1917 the Allies planned a great drive on
the enemy positions in the valley of the Somme. But in March the Germans
began a general retirement to a more easily defended line--the so-called
Hindenburg line--on a front of one hundred miles, from Arras (ar-rahss´)
to Soissons (swah-sawn´)[3]. Completely destroying the villages,
churches, castles, vineyards, and orchards, they left a desolate waste
behind them. In this retreat the Germans gave up French territory to the
extent of thirteen hundred square miles.

The German retirement was closely followed by British and French troops.
Great courage was shown by Canadian troops in the taking of Vimy Ridge
on April 9. In the following month many attacks were made by the British
and French, which resulted in the taking of nearly 50,000 prisoners and
large quantities of munitions, and the breaking through the Hindenburg
line in one place. During the summer and fall the Allied attacks
continued to win small territorial gains. The artillery fire was very
heavy during all this time. During a period of three weeks the French
city of Rheims (reemz or rănss) alone, with its magnificent cathedral
almost in ruins, was bombarded with 65,000 large caliber German shells.