The Press Tuesday, September 28, 1915. The Western Offensive.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15395, 28 September 1915, Page 6

The Press Tuesday, September 28, 1915. The Western Offensive.

.* The Allies' successes in the Western ' theatro, reported in to-day's news, are • .the greatest in offensive operations since : the battlo of the Marne. In no subsequent series of battles has so much groiind been takon or so many pri- . suners captured. The results of the attacks arc that tho French havo gained ground on a sixteen-milo front between • v Rheims and tho Argonne, at places to 'the depth of two nnd a half miles; an advance has been made at Souches and other points in tho Arras region; while the British havo stormed five miles of trenches on their new front between Arras and. La Bassee, penetrating at •g,points to a depth of between two and three miles. Tho number of prisoners taken along tho wholo front exceeds 20,000. which is far greater than any previous total 'in this year's fighting, and probably exceeds that of any two days' fighting on our side in the wholo , campaign. One comments on such actions in tho dark, for of course the objects and hopes of the Allies' commanders are not known, and fighting is proceeding. One or all of several - factors besides tho primary desire to break tho enemy's front may havo caused General Joffro to striko —the need of an offen- , sivc to keep yp the moral of tho armies, tho desirability of helping Russia, or of taking pressuro off Serbia, or tho effect of a victory on opinion in the Balkans. Whether or not General .7off re hopes to break right through in the next few day/? or "weeks, ho has already,'achieved important successes in these two days' fighting. Tho Allies have struck in the two regions where a smashing blow would cause the greatest disaster to the enemy's communications. By taking Loos, tho British have approached to within two and a half miles of Lens, an important centre in the German lino of defence from Arras to I<a Bassee. Loos lies north-west of Lens, but Hullueh, the outskirts of which are also in tho hands of tho British, is almost duo north of Lens, and due south of La B&ssec. Sir John French thercforo threatens to drive in a wedge between Lens and La Has see, the possession of both of which is of the greatest importance to tho Germans on this line, While the British "were engaged here, the French ' were able to storm the village of Couches, south-west of Lens, on tho Outskirts of which they have lx>en fighting furiously for months, advance toWards Givenchy, and further south pusj;

on north of 'J'hclus, which lies between Lens and Arras. The British at La Dasfieo, in tho meantime were heavily engaged, but made no progress..Their roio probably was to hold as many of tho enemy as possible to this front, while tin) attack was driven home to tho south. The British also attacked at Tlooge, east of Ypres, tho net result bring *hc capture of o(X) yards of trendies. The number of prisoners taken by our troops, at latest advices, was "COO. our biggest haul of the campaign. These operations however, arc overshadowed in result by the French success between Auberive and "V' illo-sur-Toui'be, in tho Champagne, whero the French broke tho German lino on a wirier front, and captuied most of the 20,0 M) prisoners taken during the whole offensive. A thrust hero pushed far enough, would endanger the Germans' lino of retreat through Luxemburg. and in conjunction with successful attacks on the left, involve tho

enemy in disaster. One must not, however, expect a quick collapse of the Ger-

man resistance. Our own communiques show that they arc fighting with their accustomed skill and determination to save their line, and we know from experience that our casualties will have been heavy. General Jolfre, however, has probably made up his mind to conlinuo tho pressure, and has assembled tho means to do so. If we are not justified in expecting an immediate Gorman retreat, there is reason to hope that here, as well as elsewhere, we may be on the eve of great events. "With these blows in the West, tho Russians continuing to hit back effectively, tho Italians recording successes, and a feeling in the air, so to speak, that another big move is in preparation at the Dardanelles, the outlook is better than it has been for soma time.