NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17089, 22 August 1917, Page 6

NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

By SmuupHEt. IMPORTANT BATTLE AT VERDUN. Operations have been began by tho . French north and north-west of Verdun. Tho nature of the country on both sides of the Mouse being considered, a battle along the front that is indicated is an extensive engagement. it is of . greater strategical importance. An official message from Germany a few days ago showed that the enemy possessed information about the Frenoh concentration of men and guns in the neighbourhood of Verdun. No doubt the Germans reinforced their lines and strengthened their 'rcsorves north and north-west of tho town, but with their hands so full on tho British front and on tho Aisne, they will find it difficult to reinforce their troops greatly on the Verdun sectors. The importance of the French offensive on both sides of , the Meuse lies in the fact that if they aro successful in'carrying the German positions for to the northward, they will closo the gap between Metz and Longwy, and turn the- positions of the enemy in the Champagne. It is by moans of this gap that tho Germans can quickly supply the Cham;pagne and Aisne fronts with men, guns, and munitions through northern Lorraine and Luxemburg. ' In the French report there is a noto of , confidence which suggests that careful measure has been taken of the enemy's ' ; power and _ means of resistance, and that ample provision has been made for carrying the attacks to the intended objective points. A German message admits that in the initial infantry movement the French carried Talon Hill and that fighting is in full swing on a 14i-mile front. A more recent message from the French says that tho battle has now extended along a front of 16 miles, thus indicating that tho offensive is the opening out of a great battle. As artillery preparation for the advance ,had 'been going on for a fortnight, thero should not, on the front lines, bo many German positions left undestroyed, or not badly mauled by high explosive shells. Talou Ridge, which has been captured, is about six miles north of Verdun, and two miles west of Louvemont, and occupies a bend of the Mouse north of Vocherauvillc. Its capture, and an advance beyond it will considerably affect the positions west of the Meuse, because the Germans are using the road and bridge across the Meuse at Samogneux to supply their forces west of the river from the dumps at Azannes, Ornes, and Spincourt. A supplementary message supports the presumption that the French are attacking • with_ very large forces, as they aro advancing on a front nine or ten miles long on the west bank of the Meuse. Bois d'Avocourt has been taken, together with both crest 3 of Morthommo and a part of Crow's Wood. Probably this advance will be continued until the valley and road of Forges Brook aro either dominated by the French guns or in the possession of tho French troops. The advance east of the Meuse. has kept in touch with that yrest of the river, and the capture of Champneuville, under a mile from Samogneux, should bar the use to the Germans of tho bridge and viaduct across tho Meuse Valley, connecting Samogneux with Regneville, on the river slope of Crow's Wood. Bmce the Germans havo withdrawn great numbers of guns from the Verdun front, 1 east of the Meuse, and since the French have greatly increased their guns of both large and small calibre, this advance, as ( it has opened, out so well, gives promise of being considerably extended.

;; : ;;;'",• GREAT THRUST BY ITALY. "'• On the laonzo front the Italians have com-v-rnenced a tremendous battle which, for an ■uninterrupted offensive on a very long front ; of 44 miles and for tho number" of men engaged, is one of the greatest struggles in . .the war since the Battle of the Marne. A /million men are said to be on the fighting •filine and another million are in reserve be?;:bind tho lines. Tho battle extends from r Mount Hormada, close to the coast, to ;,sqme point north of Tolmino, probably to '-the north of Monte Nero, of which much Vwas heard in_l9ls. It is not unlikely, in';deed, that it extends as far north as yFlitsch or the Predil Pass, which leads to f' the important railway junction at Tarvis, on ..the line to Villach. ■'.One of the points at which tho greatest (stress exists ra tho height with tho strange . pnpronouncablo name, Mrzlivr. That J' point is north of Tolminc and south ol ;, Monto Nero. Two other points are Plava. .iailfway between Tolmino and Gorizia, and country between Hermada and Gorizia. j(The> success of tho Italians may bo gauged ,by the announcement that they have already j taken over 8000 prisoners and that the Austrian supports are being hurried to the /> front, and the magnitude of tho Italian threat, together with initial successes they . /have achieved, should give some relief to s'the Russo-Rumanian forces which are fightHing such stubborn battles to hold up Mari'shal von Mackensen's advance. ;: Further reports of the great battles that have now been begun will be awaited with • keen interest, especially in view of what :]i3' known of the diminishing war power of v ;tho Germans and Austrians. > v.'; ON THE BRITISH FRONT. 'General activity is reported on the British ' 'front ■ from Lens to the sea, while at' Epehy, on the St. Quentin line, the British : repelled aeveral counter-attacks which the : Germans made in the hope of regaining /trenches recently lost by them. By tho use of specially improved "tanks" the ..British have pushed their lines 500 yards (forward along the Ypres-Poel Capelle road, ;to the north of St. Julien. Tho 'tanks" made short work of so-called farm houses ••which were really concrete machine-gun emplacements, and enabled the infantry to ..advance at a very light cost to their assigned objectives. This attack is apparently the engagement mentioned in the reports as having taken place Southwards of Langemarck. At a loss to ;,oover their re verse, the Germans assert that after initial penetration tho enemy j were everywhere repulsed, the fact being /according to our own reports, that tho .Germans bolted far beyond the points Svjhioh the British were sent forward to capture, so alarmed were they at the presence of the "tanks." The object of this operation was to crush in a small but powerfully fortified German salient, which was obstructing the British progress. :' It is evident that, while tho weather is favourable, General Phuner intends to work ■round the north of the strong German positions at Polygon Wood .-\nd in the other woods between Zonnebeke, east of Ypres Vand the Lys, his object've being Roulcre : and Thourout on the Menin-Bruges main trunk railway. In his operations in that .direction he is being ably assisted by the French, who are still pushing northwards ■towards the high ground at Horilthulst.