NOTES ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17077, 28 January 1916, Page 6

NOTES ON THE WAR.

A few details of the action in the desert west of. Alexandria on Sunday are now, cabled. It is stated that British, Indian, and Dominion troops were engaged, and it is reasonable to suppose that the New Zealanders who were in tho. brush at Mersa Matruh were concerned in this latest fight. The engagement must have, been a. smart one, for the British troops were advancing a"ainst a superior force of the enemy, estimated to number 4000. The Sennusists attempted to surround the British columns, but were driven off with severe losses and compelled to retreat, abandoning their camp. The casualties are a sufficient indication that the tribesmen offered a stiff resistance, hut the deaths on the British side were happily few, only ten British and eighteen Indians being reported killed. It rather looks as if a strong force will have to be maintained permanently on this frontier of Egypt, because it is impossible to carry out suoh a series of operations as would definitely remove the

menace. The tribesmen can organise their raids in the hinterland and descend on the Egyptian oase's when opportunity offers. Possibly General Wallace may contemplate advancing along the coastal caravan route, to, link up with an Italian patrol on the Tripoli border, but the clearing of the region would involve a long and rather expensive campaign. The Italians attempted to deal with the turbulent elements with inadequate forces and suffered in consequence, and the kind of campaign that is really required scarcely appears to be practicable under'existing conditions.

A correction issued by the Press Bureau puts a different complexion on the Tigris campaign. It was assumed that General Aylmer had reached' Es Sinn, within six or seven miles of Kut-el-Amara, and that the recent heavy fighting had occurred on the terrain of the British victory at the end of September. It now appears, however, that owing to a blunder in the interpretation of a message General Aylmer's position was wrongly stated, and instead of being within easy' striking distance of Kut-el-Amara he is still over twenty miles away. That fact explains why the relieving column was not able to junction with Townshend's forces and it also explains why so little has been heard of the position at Kut. The problem of relieving General Townshend is thus still far from solved. Heavy weather and flood have been holding up the relieving column, and even if the conditions improved sufficiently to permit the army to get in motion the advance would still be stoutly resisted. The strong Es Sinn position would, of course, be profoundly modified by the floods, for the dry canal which in September formed the principal element of the Turkish defences must now be full of water. On the other hand it is reasonable to suppose that the swamp which figured in the September battle, and which prevented the envelopment of tho Turks on the British right, is now a very wide marsh, possibly barring the direct route along the river. -There is another difficulty arising from the season, in that at certain places the flood waters overflow the banks and render the location of the channel of the Tigris almost impossible, so that navigation is painfully slow. As the period of maximum flood lias not yet arrived, howevur, that trouble may not have been added to Aylmer's other hindrances.

The Isonzo front has been comparatively quiet since the cessation of the great Italian offensive, but there has now been a recrudescence of activity, the Austrians opening a local offensive with minor success. The scene of the reported fighting was the Osiavia front. Oslavia is a position on the western bank of the river, opposite Gorizia. It will bo remembered that Gorizia is defended by a series of fortifications on the hills north, west and south. To tho north tho approach is guarded by Monte Santo and Mont© Gabriele on the left bank, and Monte Sabotino on the right bank of the Isonzo. To the west the bridgehead is defended by the enormously powerful forts on Podgora height, and Oslavia is between Monte Sabotino and Podgora. To tho south the forts of S. Andrea and S. Pictro protect Gorizia, but the great battles have been waged for the possession of Monte San Michele, immediately south of the Vippaco, which is the key at once to the Gorizia position, and to tho Doberdo linos, which, in turn, guard the ascent to the Carso plateau. Against Sabotino. Oslavia and' Podgora General Cadorna hurled attack after attack. At one time, it is stated, he had concentrated no fewer than 1500 guns along tho lower Isonzo, including many big howitzers, and it is evidence of the strength of tho Austrian fortifications that they withstood the persistent pounding by these batteries.

The alleged 17-inch German naval gun is again making its appearance in the newspapers. Various points behind the Allied lines have been bombarded from time to time at long range by guns of largo calibre, and it has been confidently asserted that the weapons used wore now naval guns. The first example was that of Dunkirk, on April 30. A French communique issued that evening stated that the town had been bombarded by German warships, but a correction was subsequently issued to tho effect that the bombardment was from tho land. Later still it was announced that the guns used by the enemy had been locatied by airmen and silenced by the judicious use of bombs. i ,

A day or two afterwards the French authorities issued the following explanation: —"A deserter has given tho information that for nearly two months, in the neighbourhood of Dixmude, in the section where there has been no fipkting for'several months, engineers of the firm of Krupp have been superintending works for mounting a naval gun able to firo at very long range. This is the gun which is said to have bombarded Dunkirk, firing at 38 kilometres (23£ miles). Nino shells only having been fired in the second and third bombardments, there is reason to believe either that the gun has been damaged by tho nature of its fire, which the more powerful guns cannot stand for long, or that tho continued flight of the French airmen in that region has put a stop to tho firing."

There is n conflict of authority as to the size of the shells used, but it. appears that loin shells, presumahly fired from naval guns, have heon measured. The only shells of larger size known to have been used by the Germans were those fired by the hip; Austrian howitzers. The present discussion is concerned not with the land operations, however, but with the possibility that the Germans may be mounting guns bigger than the British loin weapons on their latest battleships. The general view seems to be that it would be possible, but extremely hazardous, to mount, saw 17in guns on a ship designed for Win weapons, and that there is no probability of the enemy launching a warship this side of next year capable of carrying a 17in gun. Indeed, there is a difference of opinion whether the enemy is even attempting to construct battleships during the war period, and it is contended that construction work on the larger ships was long ago suspended so that all the yards might concentrate their energies on submarines. However, it is possible that Krnpp s are turning out great guns and that some of these are bejing specially mounted for land SUtrfara.