German Infantry and Artillery at St Quentin preparing for the Offensive they called "Michael".
[Picture from - "Das Archiv zum 1. Weltkrieg ".]

The East Yorks reported that these orders were received four hours late, by which time they were being outflanked by the enemy.
Diary - The retirement of the 4th East Yorks and the 5th Yorks Btn was covered by the 4th Yorks, who fought rear-guard action all the way back to Le Mesnil-Bruntel.
The enemy pressed forward with machine guns, artillery and aeroplanes and kept up a gruelling fire from all these weapons.
It was a summer like morning with hot sun and as the battle went on hour after hour unceasingly, with the enemy artillery becoming ever more pressing the fatigue of marching and fighting was more and more felt.
At Brie enormous fires were burning and ammunition dumps which could not be removed were blown up. Huts, camps and aerodromes were all burning on the East of the River Somme.
From the Green Line the Battalions of the 50th Division fought and retired a distance of ten and a half miles in eight hours, the greater part of the distance being covered in extended line over open country with rear guard actions being taken.
Diary - On reaching the River Somme, the Brigade Commander ordered one Company to hold the high ground East of Brie until all British troops were through Brie.
Afterwards this Company covered the retirement of the other troops across the River Somme and held the enemy in check until all the bridges except had been destroyed.
They then withdrew across this bridge which was immediately destroyed."
The Brigade narrative states that the 4th Yorks Btn had had to fall back almost immediately the 4th East Yorks and 5th Yorks Btn had retired, as the enemy came on so rapidly after the last Btn had passed through.
The Btn less the Company which had covered the retirement joined the rest of the Brigade at Villers-Carbonnel.
The other Company went to the Transport Lines at Belloy en Santerre, where they rested for the night. Casualties Major H. Brown, D.S.O. M.C. was killed. A/Capt A.R. Powys missing. 2nd Lts Benyon and Stein wounded.