THE ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14293, 23 December 1916, Page 5

THE ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

VERDUN AND THE SOMME.

RELATION OF THE OFFENSIVES.

NEW APPOINTMENT FOR GENERAL castelnau:

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter.)

Paris, Dec. 21. A communique says our aeroplanes bombed several railways and also hutments, bivouacs and com'oys on the march. • - ■ >

; General Castelnau has been appointed Chief of Staff of the armies in the north.

General Do la Roize, analysing the results of the Sonirae -offensive; upon ; V erdun, says that the v situation in June was serious. The Germans had twenty-two divisions and 600 batteries in action and twelve divisions in reeerve. The Franco-British offensive^ °7 .J. u*y 9tV compelled eleven reserve divisions to be engaged on the Somme, and finally the Germarijs were obliged to detach units from all the calmer sections of the front.

During July the Crown Prince was compelled to give up a hundred batteries1. During August he gave up part of his infantry and aeroplanes. Only 18£-divisions-were left in October, when another hundred batteries were taken.