NOTES ON THE WAR.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17860, 5 August 1918, Page 4

NOTES ON THE WAR.

The Germans south of the Aisno have retreated another stage towards the Vcslo. Apparently it was tho brilliant Allied attack immediately north of the Ourcq that convinced them of the insecurity of their advanced positions, for they immediately abandoned their lines, on a wide front, extending from tho Aisne west of Soissons to beyond tho Dormans-Rhcims road, retreating across the Criso and evacuating Soissons, on the left, giving; up possession of the woods north of the O'urcq in the centre, and evacuating Villc-en-Tarde-nois on the right. At some points the Allied advance has already reached a depth of nine miics, and it is improbablo that) tho enemy has halted. It was tho weakness of the western side of tho" enemy's salient, of course, that rendered the whole- position so unsafe, and as tho French were pounding hard west of the' Criso and north of tho Ourcq tho Germans made up their minds to a drastic rectification of their front, preferring the immediate sacrifice to the possibility of a disaster to their forces in the centre. Their troubles in the retreat have been duo to the inadequacy of the lines of communication within the salient, for the main roads have been continuously congested. They colild not venture to leave the withdrawal of tho guns to tho last moment', and their advanced positions have thus been held almost entirely by machine-gun posts. Their losses in men, when the French light tanks moved forward, must have been enormous.

There is no suro indication that the Germans intended to hold a line in advance of the Veslc, and possibly the heavy fighting that developed last week virtually along the whole front was due in part to the fact that the retreat was being gravely impeded by the congestion of heavy traffic on the roads. These roads and all the bridges over the small streams have been constantly attacked by the airmen, whoso work throughout the. July fighting has been of tho Highest order. Then the pursuit was pressed more hotiy than the enemy expected, with the rostilt that tho advanced German positions between Fore and Ville-en-Tardenois were under attack before they could be properly organised. In the centre, certainly, "the retreat was seriously behind tho schedule, and in consequence the enemy on tho flanks had to stand a much more prolonged . hammering than would have been the case if the conditions in the centre had been easier. It will be found, beyond doubt, that it. was the necessity for bitter fighting on the flanks that brought tho heaviest losses on the enemy, for he had to hold his ground without adequate help from his guns.

Tho gravity ii tho enemy's condition will bo understood if the dates of a few outstanding incidents are kept in mind. The enemy's offensive opened oft July 15, when he crossed tho Marne in considerable strength. For threo days he made every endeavour to develop his advance south of the river, and at the same time he threw fresh divisions into the battle in the effort to push up the valley of the Marne to Epcrnay. On July 18 the Allies delivered their counter-blow, and in two days had penetrated the Gorman western front to a depth of eight or nine miles. At tho same time a strong Allied attack south-west of Rheims further complicated the situation. The Germans knew by this time, of course, that their hold on the Marne was precarious, for they withdrew to the north bank, but the Crown Prince clung tenaciously to tho idea that his reserves might save tho position. As late as July 24 he was spending his reserves lavishly in counter-attacks, and ho seems to have had the desperate idea that Rheims might still be enveloped. At that time fresh divisions were still moving though the French were pressing steadily up the valley of the Ourcq. and the Germans retained the north bank of the Marno for eight or ten miles.

It was at this stage that tho enemv perpetrated his worst blunder, for instead of clearing all roads for the retreat ho was apparently blocking them by moving fresh forces into the salient. It was not until July 26 'that the Marne was abandoned, so that very nearly a week of invaluable time had been lost in fruitless counter-attacks and in pursuit of the mad endeavour to envelop Rheims. Tho result was that General Foch had ample time to relieve the divisions that had opened

tho counter-offensive, and fresh troops, British, Italian and American, took up the battle. One may give the Germans full credit for tho steadiness of their withdrawal, but it was an expensive business holding tho Allies back with men and machine-guns, while the field guns that ought to have been supporting the infantry wero being laboriously withdrawn. By July 29, when the Germans ought to have been close to the Vesle, they were compelled to accept something liko a general battle, for they were still deeply involved in the centre, and south of Soissons they still had a long flank exposed. Tho clanger was accentuated when, on August I, after a day of comparative quiet, tho Allies hotly attacked north of the Ourcq, flattening out a small enemy salient that had been strongly held, and penetrating the enemy's main position on the heights behind. This was the immediate cause of tho German retreat across tho Crise and of the evacuation of Soissons. The latest communique shows that the Allies have almost reached the Yesle

It is stated now that New Zealanders have been fighting south-west of liheims; their division lias been named with an Australian in an army order issued by the French general in command on tho sector. It had previously been announced that Australians were in the Marno battle, but this is tho first 'hint of tho participation of New Zealanders. Little more than a week ago the New Zealanders south of Helmterno were reported to havo repulsed a strong Gorman attack, so that the division was at that time on its old sector, and presumably it still i 3 there. But from discussions that have been going on in the Mother Country, in tho House of Commons as well as in tho newspapers, it is to be gathered that most of the British divisions aro now represented in divisions in the general reserve, and it is not surprising to find New Zealanders and Australians brigaded together, lighting beside Imperial troops, on what was formerly exclusively a French front. The inference, therefore, is that a British corps from the reserve is the ono mentioned in tho cable messages this morning, and that tho Now Zoaland division is still on the sector north of Albert.