THE WEEK'S WAR

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16272, 24 July 1918, Page 8

THE WEEK'S WAR

THE GERMAN FAILURE

CROW PRINCE'S COSTLY

GAMBLE.

His Excellency the Governor-General has received the following telegraphic summary of war operations for the week ended July 19th from the Ministry of Information: — - The German offensive of July 15th was of the most ambitious intentions. Aiming at the greatest results, the Crown Prince threw in his armies under two generals, and later a third, and also drew on precious reserves from Prince Rupprecht, from where twy faced the British in the north. He planned two bold thrusts downwards towards Chalons, one east of Rheims, between Prunay and Massiges, and the other south-west of Rheims on a line between Coulommes and Fossoy, on tne Marne, where the river flows south, then east along the valley through Epernay to Chalons. The success aimed at would have struck a damaging blow against the French Army ana brought about the fall of Rheims, by pinching out Rheims. Though Rheims had no special military importance, its captnre would have - satisfied the tierman craving for a high-sounding name as an advertisement, and would also have given them important railwnv i unctions and the possession of usetui heights known as the Mountain or Rheims, besides crippling future action by the French Army or causing it to be heavily drawn on for reserves, weakening the other fronts. Otherwise this area had no great strategic importance, and from the outset the offensive was in difficulties. On a twenty-three-mile front from Purnay to Massiges the Germans were immediately held up in the French battle positions, and never succeeded in getting forward, except for local advances at three points. On July 16th von Einem's triops launched five attacks on the extreme eastern front; these were not only repulsed, but the French several times were able to gn forward and rcoccnpy trenches they had given up on the opening of the offensive. The French losses, were slight m men, and none at all in guns, while t'ie Gerruaus lost very heavily m men and numbers of tanks in their advance. Poor results followed the German crossing at !he Marne west of Rheims on a front of twenty miles. They got from two to three miles deep only. The Americans' extreme left countered brilliantly, recaptured the old positions, and drove back the enemy across the river. On July 18th the Germans pressed forwrrd to the line of St. Aprian, La Chappelle, and Monthodon, ! -t the French rested at midday on I four niiles of- front south of Dormans, advanced throe thousand yards, and recovered the heights south of the river, and by the evening were heavily shelling the German crossings. However, the enemy still obstinately bnt slowly crept on down the Marne, and by the night of July 17th had approached the Forest of Rheims. Here they were driven back by the Italians as far as the line of Clnnzet, which the Italians took. Anyhow, so far the Germans' progress has been trivial cclmpared with the magnitude of the operations, and the .opening movements must be a severe failure. They had hoped next morning, after the attack, to advance to a depth of twelve miles, but by the evening of the third day their greatest advance was only six miles. The great German drive had been stopped, and had dwindled into fluctuating local encounters, offering very little gain at very disproportionate cost. The attack, in fact, had been fnlly forseen, and prepared ifor, so that the element of surprise was eliminated, and the first impact, which means so much, lost all its value by the splendid resistance of the French and the Americans. Remember, though, that the enemy still has a considerable number of reserves, and can either strengthen his assault here with them or open a big attack elsewhere. Meanwhile the check must be grievously embarrassing. The time limit for active campaigning is now perilously shirt, and not only are his promises to the anxious German people still unfulfilled, but the American troops are now present in such numbers as to threaten his numerical superiority, besides giving a disturbing proof of quality.

THE COUNTER-OFFENSIVE. . Now, in the midst of \ this failure, the French have brilliantly struck on the West, and in six hours on the morning of July 18tli had advanced farther than the Germans had been able to go iu three days. On the whole of the twentyseven miles of front between Fonteno and Belleau the French have made a deep, advance, by tanks, without gunfire. Already their success is well marked. The greatest depth attained is eight miles, ti a ravrne_ on the northern front of the Crise River, and also to the Monte de Paris, one mile from Soissons, and from the former point they will soon directly command the junction of the two railways running to Chateau Thierry and Rheims. These are the only lines by which the German fronts here can be supplied, and if the French maintain their hold the German positions in the salient will . become extraordinarily difficult. On their other fronts, the • British and French pursue their policy of constantly keeping the enemy lively, and capturing successive local and important points. On July 14th the English did excellent work on the ridee east of Dickebusch* Lake, recanturijng ground of most importance in this flat country, on a front of two thousand yards, with three hundred prisoners. ENEMY ATTACK IN PALESTINE On July 14th Turkish and German troops cpened an attack on the British positions west of the Jordan, while enemy troops also made a demonstration east of the Jordan,' between the Ghoraniyeh bridgehead and the Dead Sea. But the British defence proved too much, and the enemy, particularly the Germans, were badly handled by the Australian Light Horse ; while the English Yeomanry and Indian cavalry completely smashed the enemy east of the Jordan in a dashing charge. The episode has only a local significance, but it cost the enemy a large number of lives and five hundred, prisoners, of -whom more than half were German. THE WAR IN THE AIR. There has been steady and persistent air k in all the theatres of the war, with marked increase on the Italian, Balkan, and Palestine fronts. In the course of intense air fighting in Italy, the British brought down eighteen enemy machines, and drove down one winaed, with only three of their own machines reported missing. 0% the Balkan front many successful bombing raids on enemy positions and munitions supulv dumps were made. Among others, various railway stations in the Struma Valley were profitably attacked. In Palestine the attacks on the enemy's transports and encampments did considerable damage, including one train directly hit aAd one enemy aeroplane. In conjunction with the Navy, 'continuous anti-submarine and offensive patrols by sea were maintained by British airships,, seaplanes, and aeroE lanes. Unfortunately storms and eavy rains hampered the air operations on the Western front. Nevertheless. the British airmen seized every ■ possible moment for observation and delivered blows at vital points all over the battle area, including many successful raios, involving eighty-five towns. Bombs were dropped, including twenty-nine tons on the railway junctions at L'lle and .Ronlers. and the ammunition dumps at Warneton and Bapaume. Poor visibility did not prevent a large number of valuable photographs being secured, and there were various i Fifty enemy aircraft were

brought down and fifteen driven down helpless, with only twenty-one of onr own machines recorded missing. Numerous effective raids were also made on the German naval organisations in Belgium. The Bruges Harbour and docks were heavily bombed, and a considerable fire was started at the La Brugeoise works. The naval works at Ostcnd and Zeebrngge have also been often attended to by the British airmen, numbers of bombs being dropped on the mole and lock gates and the dredging parties working near the ship canal entrance. The R.F.C. Independent Force also made eleven raids into German territory, successful attacking an aerodro me at Boulay three.' times, sheds and sidings at Offenbach twice, Freibnrcr aerodrome twice, and Saarburg sidings and other important points. Several fires were started, and_ twice points on the ground were heavily attacked with machine-gun fire. VON KUHL.MAXN. The political situation is in a state of suspense during the present military cr'sis. In Germany, von Kuhlmann's resignation indicates a further assump- ' tion of complete control by the German military 'party. Hintze's appointment is strongly criticised by the moderate parties in Germany, who do not welcome the ascendancy .of the military party in non-military affairs. Nevertheless tbey have voted the war credits. This is a definite defeat for the German Foreign Office, which good authorities say has been at loggerheads with the military pnrty for some time past. The Chancellor in his latest | speech attempted to allny the irritation. but ineffectually, owing to the irreconcilable cleavage between _ the wind-blown insanity of German military aims and the cooler perceptions lurking in the few undemented German official heads. The main point of von Kuhlmann's resignation is in showine that no German peace proposals need be tclcen seriorslv until signed by the Pnn-Gennnn militarist party. Meanwhile Germany's grip over Austria crows increasingly complete, and pauses cnrrespond'ns increased resentment alike in Hungary and Austria. The endurance and long-suffering of the Austrian and Hungarian neo'ple are almost at the lact pasp. The snrmlanting of +h/» Anstrian General v<*»n Heotrendorff by the German General von B"low indicates supreme humiliation of Austria and the sunreme German control over the Austrian Army. IN RUSSIA. In Russia the situation has quietened at Moscow, but the Bolshevik regime is now desperate. Their unpopularity is increasing throughout the provinces, and is particularly vivid among the peasant population which dislikes their methods of sending armed Red Guards to violently despoil the people of their food supnlies> In the* meantime the Czecho-Slovak victories are steadily undermining the waning Bolshevik authority in Siberia. The long drought which has checked the cereals and retarded the crops has now broken; though despite plentiful rain it is still too early to entertain particularly ontimistic views of the crops in the Ijnited Kincrdom, especially considering the difficulties of har-vest-gathering owing to th 4 shortage of labour, recruited as it now is from women and children, city holidaymakers, and German prisoners. Generally speaking, the food situation is better, but the anxiety has not yet ended.