THE WESTERN FRONT

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 157, 5 July 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT

GERMAN STRENGTH AND GUN

POWER

LESSONS OF 11ECENT FIGHTING ' ••••

-LONDON, May 4. ■ ."Writing,,froiit,Northern Fralice the military 'cdrrespohdent of The Times 'summarises the opinions which he, has formoid as- a result of visiting the Somme battlefields, and recognising the connection between the events of last year on that front and the fighting now in progress on the front of St. Quentin-Leris. It is necessary, he points out, that we should all realise the nature of the opposition which confronts us and our French and Belgian Allies. "The Germans are still very strong," he writes; "in fact, stronger than they have ever been. It is not open to us to reckon that they have less than 4,500,000 men in the field on both fronts, 500,000 on the lines ef communications, and 1,000,000 men in the depots of Germany. They have increased the number of their divisions in the West to 155, and of this number' there are 68 divisions between the sea and the Oise. The German strengths are also fairly well maintained, and , the companies average 200 rifles. To be still confronted by 6,000,000 German lighters makes the later stages of the war a serious matter for all the Allies, and we have besides to reckon with the 500,000 men of each successive German class as it is celled up. The 191.8 German ciass is already incorporated, and the 1919 class is in the depots. But.there is a reverse to this German medal. Combing-out of German industries is practically &fa,n end. The only drafts available are the young class and the recovered wounded, and these will not be enough, if the fighting continues on the old scale, to keep the ranks full." The Times's military correspondent describes the morale of the German armies m our front as "still respectable, and he says: "I could take but little exception to the quality of the prisoners whom I saw." GUN POWER. Continuing, he writes: "The Germans continue their practice of substituting .machine-power for manpower as much as they can, witness the large use now being made of the new 08.15 machine-gun; but on the whole we are. able to beat them in machine-power, and our artillery is now not only superior to the German numerically, but also more efficient in many ways. The enemy tries jontmual/y to outrange us, "as, for example, by increasing the percussion range of his field guns to 9,000 yards, ■and'by using pieces' like the' 24cm. naval gun, which lias a range of nearly 28.000 yards. He kno\ys the ranges oi" our guns to a yard, and places his own guns just outside these ranges whenever practicable. My impressions of the Somme were, confirmed by what j. saw of'the Arras figliiing. Ido not think 'that the Germans arc short of shells, but I think they are short oi: guns, and tor some reason or other are unable to make up. their leeway. We smothered their guns on April 9th. and later the Germnn artillery was distinctly inferior to '.mm. Our counter-battery work, not above criticism on the Somme, lias become deadly. In four months before Arras our aeroplanes reported 1589 direct hits on German guns, as well as some 200 important explosions, so that tlvi German administration which was already hard put to it to repair its guns, and to provide artillery for the new division, must have, had an anxious time.

'A large number of German guns must have been placed out of action durmg the fighting in. the Arras district, in addition to those' which we captured. The German report that the guns lost had been destroyed before they were abandoned is quite untrue I heard of no such destruction of the 150 guns captured by General Allenby's Third Army, while or the 61 or more guns captured by General Home's Fh:st Army only one was • reported bulged by a partially successful attempt to blow it up The proof, is that nearly all these captured guns were used against-the enemy. General Byvr formed •-« 'Ist, 2nd, and 3rd' Pan-Germanic Group out of his cant tired r«"« an« as.some of these hadJOOO rounds WJt.i them, and our own guns could not be brought up immediately, owm.g to the state of the.Ground, we tound the German guns quite useful 1 searched hard for the wire and the trenches of the main German line on tiie famous Bill 145, on the Vimy Ridge, and could not fix it with accuracy amidst a mass of shell craters and shattered fragments of barbed wire. Out of ten concreted machinegun emplacements on one .short sect ion of ground attacked by General iWlenby's divisions, nine were completely demolished, and the tcirHi had half its roofing knocked off. Ifc is the same story with the eoncreterl bomboroofs of the Gorman heavies. Our hearv howitzers play the vory deuce with them, and in short, when we j-rivo our . ry U j)npiv; nml fiirnien t!io Jiecessai-y time for preparation, and do not tr;: to march to the Mome in an aiYernoon, a German position is as good as taken before an assault

Huns must cxxr&e the nameWf their .chemists who added this new terror to war."

It was pointed out that b^^ the passing of this motion the committee would be enabled to pay in and pay out money for any otlier funds, as may be desirable, besides the Y.M.OA.

The Government Auditor's statement of the affairs of the committee up to Maircb 31st last was received «nd passed as correct.

With regard to the manner of forwarding future collections, correspondence was read with the Minister of Internal Affairs and the secretary of the Marlborough Patriotic Association.

It was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr V. H. Ruff ell, and. carried: "That collections for the futuro be passed through the Central! Executive.'' I

: Tho chairman reported that the money- raised at the Tira Ora function had been duly invested in 102 books of Marlborough Land Art Union tickets, which had been deposited .on trust with the Bank of New South Wales. It was considered that the original motion did not clearly enough define tho scope of the committee's district or what constituted a Sounds soldier, in the event of any prize being won. . It was moved by Mi- «T. C. M. Qreenpili, seconded by Mr C. Borck, and carried: "That the domicile and scope of the term 'Sounds District' be interpreted to include all bona fide settlors belonging to the Croixelles, French Pass, and U'Urville Island, Pelorus Sounds as far east as Jackson's Head, .Kenepuru and Mahakipawa, residing therein up to time of drawing."

The chairman eulogised the large amount of patriotic work that was donp. in the Sounds by Mr 11. A. McCormick, and niov-ed: " "Tliat Mr MfC'ormick be asked to become a member of the committee." . This was seconded iy Mr W. P. Henderson, and carried unanimously. The object of the next quarter's collection was discussed, and filially postponed till the annual meeting in. August. .Mr Anderson favored* the Patriotic Fund, but several members seemed to think that many settlers were anxious to do something for.oiir sailors Thp 'chairmaii was requested to gahher all :the information possible as to the best adniinistered fundj. in this difeefcion, in time for the next .-meetiugs'.V;-: .:.>■:■- . ' ' .."..■■■;■•-■■ - It was moved bv Mr J. H ;Saundeison, seconded by Mr J. Prouting, and carried: "That this meeting urgas the Government not to stop dependents' allowances when men on active service are sentenced to terms of imprisonment for breaches of military law, as it is unjust to penalise dependents when their menfolk have gone away to fight for the Empire":*' The meeting closed with- -votes", of thanks; to Mr and Mrs Saunderspn for their: hospitality, and to the chairmnn for the large" amount of detail .natter and information on various subjects with which ho had, suppled members. > ".