SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S DISPATCH.

Otago Witness, Issue 3331, 16 January 1918, Page 47

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S DISPATCH.

REVIEW OF THE PAST YEAR

THE BRITISH HANDICAPS

LONDON, January 8

The latest issuo of the Gazette contains a despatch by Sir Douglas Haig covering his operations for 1917, except those round Cambrai late in. the year. The despatch explains that a conference of the military heads of the Allies in November, 1916, arranged a plan for last year, comprising offensives on all the fronts. The British offensive in April was to be preparatory for a more decisive subsequent French operation, in the later stages of which the British were to cooperate ; but events in Russia, and the fact that the French offensive in the Champagne met with obstinate resistance, necessarily modified this plan. Sir Douglas Haig emphasises

THE IMMENSE HANDICAP upon the British in the battle of Arras by rain and snow. He says that the effects of the weather in the matter of bringing up guns before the enemy were able to assemble their reserves was incalculable. Nevertheless, by May 9 23 German divisions had to be withdrawn.

The despatch explains that it was in order to assist the French that the operation around Arras were continued. This necessarily greatly interfered. with the British preparations for an attack on the Flanders front.

Speaking of the unprecedented magnitude of

THE SUBTERRANEAN WARFARE at Messines, Sir Douglas Haig mentions that it was known that the enemy were driving a gallery undeD' Hill 60, but by careful listening-it wa-3 judged that, if our offensive began on the date arranged, the enemy's gallery would just fail to reach us. This proved correct. He points out that the enemy did their utmost to prevent our advance in Flanders, using no fewer than 78 divisions for that purpose. Nevertheless, it was the immense natural difficulties, accentuated by abnormally wet -weather, rather than the magnitude of the enemy's resistance, which prevented our complete capture of the Passchendaele Ridge. Time after time rain enforced lulls, enabling a practically beaten enemy to reorganise and bring up reinforcements behind the sea of mud constituting the Germans' main protection. Sir Douglas Haig emphasises the fact that owing to the necessity for taking over additional lines from the French we were very definitely handicapped in the battle of Arras. This handicjip was subsequently increased by the difficulty of obtaining adequate drafts a sufficiently long time prior to each division's participation in the battles to enable the drafts to be assimilated into the divisions and the divisions to be trained.

In general the continuous struggle throughout 19 S 3 very different from the operation; aplated by the aforementioned allie. ~;.itary conference. The great general simultaneous offensive then agreed upon did not materialise, Events in Russia enabled the Germans to bring 10 fresh divisions to the western front. This and events in Italy imposed a- far heavier tax on the Anglo-French than was anticipated. However, the British armies maintained

VIGOROUS AND CONTINUOUS OFFENSIVES

from April to November, except for short intervals due to the weather or to incomplete preparations. It was the longest and most successfully sustained offensive of the war, yielding 59,000 prisoners, nearly 400 guns, and 3000 machine guns. Therefore, without reckoning the possibilities winch open up by the gains in Flanders, and -without considering their effects in other theatres, there is EVERY SEASON TO BE SATISFIED with the results achieved. The additional strength which the enemy have obtained, or may obtain, by reason of events in Russia have already been largely discounted, and the ultimate destruction of the enemy's forces is brought appreciably nearer. In the operations at Arras, Messines, Lens, and Ypres 130 German divisions were defeated by less than half that number of British divisions. Paying a

TRIBUTE TO THE ARTILLERY, Sir Douglas Haig points out that in the battle of Ypres our batteries operated practically unprotected for month after month until there was a continuous bom-

bardment of gas and high-explosive shells. Ho says instances could bo multiplied of cases when a signal from the infantry for urgent artillery support and a warning that gas -was coming were received simultaneously, and the gunners discarded their gas masks and obeyed the infantry's call, with full knowledge of the consequences. Recording the WORK OF THE FLYING CORPS, he mentions that long-distance raiding has become a recognised part of preparations for infantry attacks. The bombing of aerodromes at great distances behind the enemy lines has become intensified, and in several cases the enemy were by these means compelled to abandon particular aerodromes. Reprisal raids on German towns were carried out whenever the weather permitted. Sir Douglas Haig emphasises, however, that the_ enemy show no signs of relaxing their aerial efforts, hence he stresses the need for a liberal supply of machines.* He mentions that carrier pigeons have proved extremely, useful in conveying information from the different units to headquarters. His reports show that the British are making

INCREASING- USE OF GAS, which is almost nightly discharged along the entire front.

Sir Douglas Haig pays a tribute to the navy. He says: " The. debt which the army owes the navy grows ever greater, and is deeply realised by the British army in France. As a result of the navy's unceasing vigilance our enemies' hope .that unrestricted submarine activity would hamper our preparations in France and Flan-i ders has been signally disappointed. Immense quantities of ammunition and material required for the army and large numbers of men continue to reach us with unfailing regularity."