WAR REVIEW.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12409, 29 August 1918, Page 5

WAR REVIEW.

GENERAL MAURICE’S SURVEY.

MISTAKES OF HUN GENERALSHIP.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

(Received August 29, 8.50 a.m.)

LONDON, August 28. Majcr-Gcncral Maurice, in a review f the military situation after a visit ° th § 1 1 ' 0nt v states: —Amiens must liavo faHon after the enemy’s attack on Villers-Bretonnoux on April 24 if the Germans had pushed on. Fortum tha/o?° neral lla ' vlinsun ’ who realised tnat the enemy must not bo given time to dig in, counter-attacked with a small toice, mainly Australians, and the Germans were driven east of Villers-Bre-tonneux. Equally fortunately the oS W a n i istabe in on the hj landers offensive, which diverted forces winch, if usod on tho Amiens front would almost certainly have re! forces I, Vo! e H 6P ? ra , tioU of tll ° Allied roieos. \on Hmdenburg and von Ln dendorff made exactly K the ndlt-U % von Moltke made in 1914—the anTwe 13 fnt,tercd W ™ side issues, qlicnces lho A t° ok too long to shane the Hheims offensive. Tim American tinm S f W<?r<3 great ’ and we were allowed t»no to recover. The turn of the tide da f, s * r ° m General Gouraud’s repulse of tho Crown. Prince’s Champagne at! vWchtnT lUeQa ° f V 1?, kestdivisions, r nml been caref ully nursed and t rtcT sma u hed ' Marshui took tho chance by one of the crest masterpieces of generalship. Timber! aia f n ,5 ollc .V of selecting storm iroons enfeebled the German defence, and ? a corps d elite w« 3 formed at the expenso of the whole army. Wo captured admffl ! rdcr f Slgne i d b - v Lu dendorff wca -c. incr p s . t , ron K l . Ia .'isuag e to tho uoakemng of the discipline oi the Tig s rni " sian diseiplinS B ‘ ot . standing tho strain. Prisoners aero taken more easily than ever. Ilut parts of the German army were MV* slnc tdy was shown by the state ot then- trench defences. ‘That they lad been content with a single front icnch without support lines and communication trenches, indicates great slackness or scarcity of labour, whilst the manner in which tremendous reserves wore moved about indicated nervousness.

General Maurice does not wish to convey the impression that the Gorman armies are within measurable distance of collapse. They are still well cd, equipped and formidable, and we hare not yet tho superiority of force necessary to crush the Hun. but if wo p!ay our cards properly the German decline will become a collapse.