NOTES ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17815, 13 June 1918, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR.

Convincing proof of tho undiminished valour of the French on tho sector west of tho Oiso is furnished by their persistent counter-attacks. Tho German communique claims that tho French wero thrown back on tho Bolloy-St Maur front as far as the Aronde, but tho counter-attack forced tho Germans from the Aronde and virtually restored tho old position. Nevertheless, in the fierce fighting recorded to-day the enemy unquestionably made some measure of progress. Mery was lost by the French and regained, and from Mery tho lino now runs to the south of Belloy and St Maur and then almost duo west to tho south of Marqueglise ana Vandclicourt to Antoval, which is within a mile of Ribeoourt, on tho Oibo. The Germans reached tho Gour-nay-Antheuil line, which would bo a mile south of tho front claimed by tho French, and tho assumption is that they were thrown back in tho counter-at-tack. If that is the case, tho maximum depth of the enemy's advance is stn. less than six miles, and. although tho present front is highly irregular, ana appears to lack stability, its readjustment would not be a very serious undertaking, provided, of course, tho enemy's progress is stayed.

The position on the Oiso is rather curious. The French claim still to be holding on in tho wooded hills north of Dreslincourt, which is north of Kibecourt, and tho assumption is that they aro maintaining their pronounced salient towards Noyon. .H seems scarcely possible that they can bo still in possession of their old positions on either side of the Oiso at Mont Renaxu. and Sempigny, and certainly, if they were forced back from Dreslincourt, they would bo likely to loso their holu on tho' right bank of the Oiso as far south as Ribecourt. Mont Rcnaud, by the way, was the rock upon which the German waves broko in the big March attack. It commands the road from Noyon to Ribecourt, which is four miles and' a half away, and it also protects the crossing of tho Oiso at P'ont l'Evcque. This rounded height, standing alone and rising over 250 ft, looks down on to the plain in which Noyon stands, P.nd while it was in French hands the passago or the Cise, and tho canal in front of it, could bo bought only at terribly high cost. In March the Germans launched ten heavy attacks upon it, all or which were repulsed. Temporary lodgments wero eiteclecl in the early attempts, inspiring the Germans to claim tho capture of ''Fort Rcnaud," although there was nothing in tho nature of permanent fortification upon tho eminence. The only building on it, in fact, was an old country house. Tho German effort against Mont Rcnaud extended over a fortnight. At that time, of course, tho Fiencfi, standing firmly along tho Divette, were able to protect the height on tho left, but now that they have been driven from that stream thexetention of so advanced a position as'the hill seems almost out of the question.

General Oskar von Hutier, who is in command of tho German army that is now attempting to fight its way through to Compeigne, is, like tho other army leaders entrusted with tho direction of tho details of, the great offensive, an importation from tho eastern front, where he was under Hill* deuburg and Ludendorff. Von Hutier at the outbreak of tho war was in command of the First Division of the Prussian Guard, but little is known of his exploits in the early part of the struggle, savo that ho was on tho eastern front with command of a corps. It is evident that his services did not escape tho notice of. tho. High Command becauso ho was entrusted with the Eighth German Army which routed tho Twelfth Russian Army, or what remained of it, last September, and took Riga. It was on that occasion that his army experimented with the new tactics which have since been used by him in the west. They depend on tho rapid movement of divisions in support, which havo to bo ready to enter any local breach made by the first blow. In tho March offensive somo of the troops, which von Hutier threw into action after the initial success at St Quentin, carried out eight forced marches in as many days, and were flung straight into tho conflict. Von Hutier is, said to be tho son of a Frenchman who entered tho Prussian service. It is known that his grandfather was a captain in tho French Army.

The three principal army commanders on the German sido are of about tho same ago, the three- being just over sixty years. They received their commissions in the sarno year, 1875, and prior to tho outbreak of war had all reached the rank of lieutenant-general. General Otto von Below at tho outbreak was in command of the Second Division at Jnsterburg, and after distinguishing himself in tho battle of Tannenberg, by which Hindenburg wrecked tho Russian advance in East Prussia, ho was given command of a corps. Ho was the hero of tho fighting at Lyck, and took Ossowico in the later fighting in tho north. After tho Russian retreat he was sent to Macedonia to organise the defence there, but last October ho was transferred to Italy, and there was in command of the forces which broke through General Cadorna's lines on tho Isonzo front. His work in Italy gained him a great reputation, and tho fact that ho was given command of the north part of tho March offensive between Arras and Cambrai, lead many to believe that this was regarded by the enemy as the most important part of tho line. Between von Below and von Hutier, General von dor Marwitz's army operated. He is a cavalry soldier, and in tho first invasion of Belgium and France ho had a cavalry corps, but after the battle of tho Marno he was transferred to Russia, and was one of the German generals wlio took over tho direction of tho Austrian operations in Volhynia in 191(5, when Urussilor "had launched his successful offensive.

It is interesting to notico, too, that tho majority of tha corps commanders were men who had been with iiindenburg in Russia or in Rumania. Lieu-tonant-General Ivuhno was in command of tho German Field Artillery School before tho war, and then was sent (to the. eastern front. Ho was employed in the invasion of Rumania. His corps was in von Below's army in March, and operated north of Bapaume. Von titaabs was south of Bapaume. For a lonji time he was employed in an administrative post at the Prussian Ministry of War. Afterwards ho was given a division and then a corps in tho invasion of Rumania. Von Grtienart, who started the war in command of a brigade of cavalry, also had experience

in tho east. Von Goutard, who with von Kathcn commanded tho troops of von der Marwite's army against which the Australians and Now Zcalanders fought,, was military governor to four of tho Kaiser's sons and aide-de-camp gonoral-to the Kaiser. Von Kathcn commanded a Silesian reserve corps in tho battle of the Somme, but later went to Russia, and was in command of tho expedition which took the island of Oesel in tho Gulf of Riga. Von Luttwitz and von Octingen wero also employed in Russia, but von Conta, whose corps operated on tho front south ot St Quontin, and ultimately was brought to a halt by tho defence of Lassigny, lias had oxperienco in both east and west, but last year, when General Kornilov launched his brief offensive, von Conta was in charge of a corps in the Carpathians. Prior to that, ho commanded the First Division at Konigsburg, and, like von Below, fought in tlie operations in East Prussia, first under General Francois and then under Hindenburg.