LAND 5? WATER 
September 5, 1918 
. As we know, British forces are in Eterpigny, and their line 
along the falling slopes from this point to Plouvain is well 
established. Immediately in front of them the enemy has 
thfsstrong defence from.Biache on the Scarpe to Etaing ; 
just inifront of Eterpigny upon the Sensed there runs a per- 
fectly flat depression, and all the way along it there is water. 
The fields north of Etaing are a mass of small canals draining 
marshes : thence to Biache runs the little brook called Trin- 
guige, with similarly dyked marshes on its upper part at 
Hamblain and a point just before you come to Biache and the 
Scarpe. The whole of these three miles between the course 
of the Somme and that of the Scarpe is a most difficult 
obstacle for the new methods to tackle. And, unfortunately, 
is continued on eastward from the Sansde. There is a mass 
of marsh up to Lecluse, and beyond that eastward for five 
miles of the way to Aubigny there is a chain of shallow meres 
and marshes drained by innumerable ditches which form a" 
most formidable obstacle. Douai with its vital railway 
junction is thus covered by the best defensive position on 
of the Schelt, wherein Douai and Cambrai are the two capitals, 
has lesser heights in front of it, and is much further back.. 
But Dury Hill stands forward above the flat and rolling 
ground quite unmasked and dominating its water level by 
something like loo feet. From this rise of land you sweep 
a large horizon, clearly distinguish the towers of Douai, seven 
miles off to the left, and I think those of Cambrai ten miles 
off to the right. 
Great as has been the success, and, let us hope, the intro- 
duction to better things still,. we must not neglect the serious 
obstacle which still lies in front of any advance in this region. 
That obstacle is the line of water and marsh spoken of above. 
The tactical instrument which has secured this victor}' is 
the tank. Now, the obstacle to the tank is not so much the 
old type of organised trench defence as water and marsh. 
I have already shown how a line of water a-nd marsh covers 
Douai, and it is noteworthy that Monday's advance, where 
it was up against this line of water, made no progress. The 
troops apparently did Jiot cross the marshy depression 
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to, OOOjrarc/s /ram the 
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the whole of this front, and thalt at an average range of 
10,000 yards. 
If the enemy loses that water-line he will lose something 
of more defensive value to him than any trench system not 
so supported. He has prepared, of course, for the condi- 
tions of last year an artificial defensive line far in front of 
this, running from Droucourt to Queant. That line has 
been entered at Eterpigny, and may be fully passed. But 
I do not believe that under the present conditions — that is, 
with the use of tanks — he put his chief reliance upon the 
old prepared line in this sector. I think he puts his ultimate 
reliance upon the line of marsh which I have indicated, and 
which is continued for miles on before Cambrai by the Sensde 
Canal. 
The Queant-Drocourt Line 
Since writing the above, news has reached London of 
the breach in the Oudant-Drocourt line effected by English 
a.nd Canadian troops upon the front of Eterpigny. 
The breach of two thousand yards which appears in the 
defensive system through the attack of Monday is cpmplete. 
The first rupture was one of about two miles ; it was imme- 
diately enlarged to a width of six miles. Pending counter- 
attacks, we may say that the Qudant-Drocourt line has gone. 
There is a secondary point connected with this success which 
is the possession, as a result of it, of Dury Hill. The observa- 
tion from this point is of high value. It is more important, 
really, than the Hill of Monchy, though the Hill of Monchy 
is higher ; for Monchy, though it overlooks the great plain 
between Biache and Lecluse. All the progress was made 
further cast and south beyond Etaing, where there is' no 
water obstacle. But the obstacle of water and marsh still 
lies here a few thousand yards in front of the point reached 
by the English and Canadians last Monday. Further, this 
line of water is continued a long Way down to the south 
by the valley of the Agache River and its canal. This stream 
does not cover Cambrai, but at Marquion it crosses the main 
road between Arras and Cambrai, and unfortunately is 
further continued towards the south by the canal bed-which 
forms a serious water obstacle aU the way in front of Cambrai ; 
after a gap of five miles another canal goes all the way down 
to St. Ouentin. 
One must always allow the enemy the fullest possible 
knowledge of his opportunities and the fullest possible and 
most intelligent use of those opportunities. It is the 
Napoleonic maxim : always expect the worst. 
It is, of course, possible that the enemy has comfnitted the 
error of standing upon the artificial defences of the old 
Queant-Drocourt line, and has nothing prepared behind it 
to utilise the great opportunity given him bv this long line 
of water. JBut it is unlikely. It is far more probable that 
he has seized the novel value of the Agache line, and will 
use it to the utmost. 
I am unfortunately unable to illustrate my meaning by 
a map, as these lines are written on Tuesday morning, and 
there is no time for a block to be made before going to press. 
But if the reader will consult any good map of the district 
he will see what I mean. A year ago,- before the new type 
of tank and its tactics had appeared, the line of the Agache 
and its continuation by canal was not essential. To-day it 
is, and there is little hope of the enemv's failing to use it. 
