NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17327, 29 May 1918, Page 5

NOTES ON THE WAR CABLES.

Bt SeULAFHXL. j PRELUDE TO GERMAN OFFENSIVE. ■* Strong German attacks have been begun '; on the northern arm of the Lye aaJjent Uom Loore to Voormezeele. south Ypres, and on tho Aisno Heights, from to ■■ liheims. Hostile artillery is auso very active ■ ; ott the French sector, south of the Avre, in v the Moutdidicr region. On Sunday night tho wlioJo of the British front was shelled by tho enemy's artillery. On the Bel- ; gian front, also along the Ysex, after a ! i violent bombardment, the Germans attacked ; tho advanced lines. The Belgian report says that though tho German shook troops gained some elements of the trenches tney were afterwards thrown out, and that another attack in tho Boesinghe region, also near the Yscr, failed alter being caught by tho Belgian gunners. In none of\the cabled messages aro the objectives of the Germans duhnitely outlined. The opinion has been liazarded, however, that the Germans are driving towards Paris, and ■ that tho object of tne attack south-west of Ypres is to neutralise the recent French, gains at Locre. Tho Germans, under the cover of a ground haze early in the'morning gained some valuable ground on the htignta towards Seherpenberg. It is' to be gathered that the Allies were pressed back towards Scherpenberg by weight of numbers, but tliat tne Germans were made to pay sweetly for their gains. It is still doubtful as to where the "r>'i blow of the Germans is going to be ,delivered, or whether the offensive will grow,' in dimensions along the whole front. The , attack on tho Soissons-Rheims front was of great length and strongly made. As the . Germans hold tho interior lines, as thej have good communications everywhere eatcept perhaps in the. recently captured ground in tho basin of the Lys and the old iSomme battle ground, and ae they have sufficient numbers to divide up their reserves and place largo attacking forces where they are least expected to place them, it cannot be surprising that they should have initially gamed ground. General Foch, however, can afford to wait, as ha has sufficient reserves assuredly in the right place to meet and counter the main blow of the Germans when their chief plan of battle is clearly materialised. At present the attacks have the appearance of attempt* to improve tho enemy's positions on the extreme-flanks as preliminary operations to guard those flanks when they launch their main effort. In the north, Ypres and Hazebrouok, both rail and road nodal points, are necessary objectives to be gained. Hazebrouck is a valuable objective because not only is it an important communication base, but it is also a source of coal euj>ply in Northern France. Before the German northern flank can .be looked upon as safe the Germans must clear the British from Ypres, hold Hazebrouck, and threaten Calais and Boulogne, tie most convenient ports of supply for tho British and Belgian*. Along the Aisnc front, on the north bank of the river, the German right flank and rear would be open to an immediate attack by the French should the Germane become involved in the major attempt to drive the British against the coast between La Bassee and Albert, or as far south as tho Avre Tho soundness of the opening tactics of' tho Germans suggest that a great battle of probably deoisive importance is being • begun. It seems that their reserves of manoeuvre are massed at one or two points ' between the Aisne and the Lys, and that,' while they can food in reinforcements to local attacks north and south' they -hold the' mass of 'their reserves ready, either as ono body or as two, to be suddenly thrown forward in the centre against the Arras or the Albert sectors on both aides of those towns. Tho minor tactics of the enemy appear to take the direction of smothering, the Allies' trenches with machine guns, trench mortars, and artillery, and to put up a heavy barrage behind the Allied line* so as to' prevent reinforcements and supplies of ammunition from being sent forward while their own infantry attacks in masses. It is a deadly and effective method and will call for great endurance, individual initiative, and" personal sacrifice from the machine gun sections which are entrusted with tho defence of front-'lines.' The Allies' troops may be trussed, h'pwever, to hold the lines to the last, and make the advanco of the Germans as costly as possible.