WEATHER AND THE WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15886, 6 April 1915, Page 9

WEATHER AND THE WAR

CAMPAIGNING IN WINTER.

SIR J. FRENCH'S REPORT.

THE DAILY HEROISM

A despatch from Kit-Id Marshal Sir John French, dated February 2. has been issued bv the War Office. The despatch covers (lie operations from the last days of November—when the British fortes were to a great extent separated from their French allies up to the opening of this month, and sets out verv clearly the particular difficulties of winter campaigning under modern conditions of warfare. The operations calling for special comment are stated to he comparatively few, but the fierce lighting round (Jivenchy and on either side of tile Hethune -I.a Bassee Canal is described in full detail. On the other hand. Sir John French is unstinted in his praise for the skill, bravery, and endurance of all services and ranks under his command, the efficiency of the territorial force being especially highly eulogised, and he makes a special point of regretting that it lias proved impossible to bring regularly to the notice of the public the many nets of courage which have been performed amidst conditions of exceptional hardship.

Sir John French writes :- Since the ditto of my last report the operations of the army under my command have been subject almost entirely to the limitations of weather. History teaches us that the course of campaigns in Furope, which have been actively prosecuted during the months of December and January, luivo been largely influenced by weather conditions. It should, however, be thoroughly understood throughout the country that the most recent development of armaments and the latest methods of conducting warfare have added greatly to the ditlicullies and drawbacks of a vigorous winter campaign. To cause anything more than a waste of ammunition, long range artillery lire requires constant and accurate observation ; but this most necessary condition is rendered impossible of attainment in the midst of continual fog and mist. Again, armies have now grown accustomed to rely largely on aircraft reconnaissance for accurate information of the enemy: but the effective performance, of this service is materially influenced by wind and weather. Knee-deep in Mud.

The deadly accuracy, range, and quickfiring capabilities of the modern rifle and machine gun require that a fire-swept | zone be crossed in the shortest possible space of time by attacking troops. But it men are detained under the enemy's fire by the difficulty of emerging from a."waterlogged trench, and by the necessity of passing over ground knee-deep in holding mud and slush, such attacks become practically prohibitive owing to the losses they entail. During the exigencies of the heavy fighting which ended in the last week ov November, the French and British forces had become somewhat mixed up, entailing a certain amount of difficulty in matters of supply and in securing unity of command. By the end of November, 1 was able to concentrate the army under I my command in one area, and, by hold- ) ing a shorter line, to establish effective i I reserves. | Ny the beginning of December there I ; was a considerable falling off in the j volume of artillery fire directed against , our front by the enemy. Reconnaissance ; and reports showed that a certain amount! of artillery had been withdrawn. We ! judged that the cavalry in our front, I with the exception of one Division of the ' Guard, had disappeared. There did not, ] however, appear to have been any great i diminution in the numbers of infantry I holding the trenches. Feats of Airmen. During the period under report tinRoyal Flying Corps has again performed splendid service. Although the weather was almost uniformly bad and the machines suffered from constant exposure, there have I been only 13 days on which no actual re | connaissance has been effected. Approxi j mutelv. 100,000 miles have been flown. | lii addition to the daily and constant I work of reconnaissance and co-operation I with the artillery, a number of aerial com- , bats have been fought, raids carried out, detainments harassed, parks and petrol I depots bombed, etc. I Various successful bomb-dropping nids j have been carried out, usually against the I enemy's aircraft material. The principle of attacking hostile aircraft whenever and wherever seen—unless highly important j information is being delivered—has been | adhered to, and lias resulted in the moral j fact that enemy machines invariably heat j immediato retreat when chased. Five ; German aeroplanes are known to have been brought to the ground, and it would appear probable that others, though they have managed to reach their own lines, have done so in a considerably damaged condition. In my dispatch of November 20, 1914. I referred to the reinforcements of tern torial troops, which I had received, and I mentioned several units which had already been employed in the fighting line. In the positions which I held for some years before the outbreak of this war J was brought into close contact with the territorial force, and I found every reason to hope and believe that, when the hour ot trial arrived, they would justify every hope and trust which was placed in themTerritorials Praised.

| The Lords Lieutenant of Counties and i the associations which worked under them ! bestowed a vast amount of labour and energy on the organisation of the territorial force ; and I trust it may be some recompense to them to know that 1. and the principal commanders serving tinder me, consider that the territorial force has far more than justified the most sanguine hopes that any of us ventured to entertain of their value and use in the field. Commanders of cavalry divisions are. unstinted in their praise of the man nor in which the yeomanry regiments at tached to their brigades have done their duty, both in and out of action. The nervine of divisional cavalry is now almost entirely performed by yeomanry,and divisional commanders report that they are verv efficient. The troops composing the hi my in 'Frame have ben subjected to as severe ! a trial as it is possible to impose upon land bods/ of men. The deep-rate lighting described in my last dispatch had hardlybeen brought to ii conclusion when they were called upon to far ' the rigours and hardships of a winter campaign. Frost and snow have alternated with periods of continuous, rain. 'l"he men have been called upon to stand for many hours together almost up to their waists in bitterly cold water, only rated by 100 yds or 200 yds from a most vigilant enemy, Although every measure which science and medical knowledge could suggest to mitigate these hardships was employed, the sufferings of tho men have been very great. In spile of all this they presented, at the inspections a, most, soldier like, splendid, though somewhat war-worn appearsince. Their spirit remains high and confident: their general health is excellent, and their condition in-st satisfactory. I regard it as most unfortunate that circumstances have prevented any account of many splendid instances of courage and endurance, in the face of almost unparalleled hardship and fatigue in war, coming regularly to the knowledge of the public. I cannot speak too highly of the devoted manner in which all chaplains, whether with the troops in the trenches, or in attendance on the sick and wounded in casualty clearing stations and hospitals on the line of communications, have worked throughout the campaign.