THE COMING GERMAN ATTACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 15

THE COMING GERMAN ATTACK.

A high, military authority, reviewing the military position, says: "Although the Germans were never so strong on the west front, they are not yet numerically equal to the Anglo-French. The situation need not cause great anxiety. We must be prepared, not alarmed. The enemy is trying to create the belief among the Allies that England is full of troops. This is ingenious. There are over a million men in khaki in England; but England is the main base of the Empire for the war. That million includes all the casualties, and also those who are working in all the organisations connected with the army, 100,000 on leave. But by far the biggest total is the men "• in training. The total British casualties in 1917 exceeded a million." Reuter's correspondent at the British Headquarters reports that enemy reinforcements continue to arrive on the west front, but the Allies' forces on the west also continue "to increase. There is an ever-flowing current, and the clash, when it does come, will be the most stupendous thing in point of numbers ever known. Military experts in France and Britain opine that Germany's big effort is imminent. LudendorfFs concentration of troops from Russia is now- completed. Experts are fully confident that the Allies will not only repulse the attacks, but are ready for the strongest counter-measures. British and French officers are in the highest spirits at the -prospect of the coming end of the winter slackness. The Kaiser presided over the Berlin, conference, which included the generals and Premiers of all the Central Kingdom. "J he Crown Prince was also present. Von Hindenburg and von Ludendorff. have amoved their headquarters to Belgium from the Rhine region. The Dutch press reports that the Belgian frontier has been closed for a month. The Germans are building barracks at ■Aix-la-Chapelle capable of housing 100,000 men. The Berlin Lokal Anzeiger asserts that decisions of the greatest importance are impending, together with a big military demonstration, this being deemed advisable owing to the bad effect of the strikes in Austria and Germany upon the military situation and upon foreign policy. Mr Phillip Gibbs writes:—"Opinions differ among British officers regarding the enemy plans, which is a great topic of discussion in the dugouts. Some officers find Bound arguments for the belief that a German "offensive on < a great scale is improbable. Others opine that the enemy will attack us in several places.. The Boche is not massing all these divisions on the west front for mere bluff, and is possessed of enough troops for several attacks,, which will be subsidiary to his main thrust, with crowds of guns behind them. The fact thatthe winter training of the German reserves included open warfare tactics leads speculators to declare that the Germans "rely on a surprise to roll up our -line quicky, and make a stern bid for open warfare on a big scale." Tho Germans are reported still to be bringing up divisions for their expected attack, but not faster than our High Command anticipated. The French and British armies, excluding the Americans, Belgians, and Portuguese, retain a slight superiority in numbers. Despite the recent artillery flutter on the r Aisne, well-informed quarters do not expect the Germans to attack within the next fortnight. They describe the present situation as not giving cause for grave anxiety. The Telegraaf states that a Germna order has been issued on the Flemish coast calling up all males .from 13 to 60 years of age fir military labour.

BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORTS. Sir Douglas Haig's reports for the- week "are to the following effect:—There was hostile artillery fire near Lens and northeastward of Gavrellc. A strong party of the enemy attempted to raid a post north of Havrincourt, but were driven off with heavy loss. Another party rushed a post south of Armentieres, and a few of our men are missing. Hostile artillery is active east of Hargicourt, northward of Lens, in the neighbourhood of Armentieres, and east of Ypres. The enemy raided a post in the neighbourhood of the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Thero is great hostile artillery aotivity southward of Marcoing and northWard of the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Thero Js also increased enemy activity northward 6f Lens and north-eastward of Ypres. There Js hostile artillery activity in the neighbourhood of Havrincourt Wood, southward and northward of Lens, and in the neighbourhood of the Menin road. We gucoessfully raided east of Armentieres, taking prisoners. There is hostile artillery activity at Cambrai and Lens. We raided a post south-east of Queant, killing and taking prisoner several of the garrison. Wo tepulsed, raiders west of La Bassee. Tho enemy's artillery is active north-west of St. Quentin and east of Monchy-le-Preux. We drove off raiders who were .attempting to approaoh our lino south-east of Arrafl. Another party raided a post in the

neighbourhood of Oppy, and left a large number of dead. There are hostile artillery operations between Bullecourt and the Scarpe River, north of Ypres. Enemy patrols are more activo north of Lens. The enemy raided a post north-west of St. Quentin. The enemy, under cover of a trench mortar bombardment, carried out a raid westward of Gonneliu (south-west of Cambrai). Hostile artillery fire is in progress in the neighbourhood of Houthulst Forest (north of Ypres). Hostile raiders were repulsed with loss on the night of the 9th south of Houthulst Forest. There was hostile artillery activity south-west of Cambrai. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORTS. French communiques for the past week state: — After violent artillery preparation, the Germans attempted an attack on a sector west of Fresnes, but it was easily repulsed. There is an intense artillery *duel north of the Aisne," in the Cbrnillet region, in Ar: gonne, and in Upper Alsace, also at Bois-le-Fones. There is extremely lively reciprocal artillery work in the Chavigny, Porgny, and Filain region, north of the Aisne, in the sectors of Samognejix and Hill 344, on the right bank of the Meuee, and at Hartmannsweilerkopf (Alsace). After a violent artillery preparation the Germans made an unsuccessful attempt to penetrate our lines at Banholzt (Alsace) in two places. An enemy attack at daybreak on a small post north of. Craonne was repulsed. The Germans followed up the bombardment in the morning on the right bank of the Meuse and in Alsace with three surprise attacks east of Samogneux, on the northern side of Fosses W6*od and south of Hartmannsweilerkopf, but all . were repulsed. North of. Chemin "des Dames and Flirey, in the region of the Woevre, we repelled attempted attacks on small posts. There were lively reciprocal artillery operations on the right of the Meuse and in the Vosges. There is considerable artillery activity in the Champagne, on the right bank of the Meuse. There are violent artillery actions on both banks of the Meuse and in the Vosges. An enemy coup de main on small poets in the Coureiulles sector, in the region of the Argonne, collapsed. FIERCE GERMAN ATTACKS. French Headquarters reports that the Germans are multiplying their attacks in tho Verdun region with a fury and persistence recalling the onslaughts of 1916. The right bank of tho Meuse has been practically an active battle sector for the past week. Daily German assaults wftre beaten off, resulting only in heavy enemy losses without a semblance of advantage. Bavarian shock troops (Hanoverians) were conspicuous in these attacks, some of which did not reach our line. The Poilus leaping from the trenches met the enemy in the open; others gained a momentary footing, but were ejected by immediate counterattacks.