A WAR SURVEY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12410, 30 August 1918, Page 4

A WAR SURVEY.

AS SEEN BY CORRESPONDENTS.

CAUSE FOR GERMAN ANXIETY.

CONFUSION AMONG ENEMY TROOPS.

AxutrAlian and N.Z. Cable. JUmciatlcn. (Received August 30, U a.m.) LONDON, August 20.

Mr Porcival Phillips writes: — Though the Gorman High Command must ho anxious over the fall of Roye, tho Australian advance on Poronno and the peril of Bapaumo, tho position before Arras must claim attention before all else, because the bulge above and behind tho Hindenburg lino grows hourly deeper. General Horne’s army lias pushed through the greater part of tho defence, which the onemy believed to bo practically impregnableOur infantry and guns occupy territory untouched by tho British since tho enemy invaded Franco at, comparatively the cost of a few men. The Germans yielded with great readiness, and his counter-attacks wero'soon broken. Tho fate of Bapaumo and Poronne aro matters of little importance by comparison. _ Meanwhile our extreme right is passive, if Australians can bo passive in any The outstanding feature of tho First Army’s advance was symptoms of tho enemy's demoralisation. Undoubtedly confusion exists, and prisoners aro suffering badly from nerves. The infantry accuse their gunners of criminal inaccuracy. and officers blamo the Higher Command for ordering impossible counter-attacks. Cases are recorded of tho enemy bolting, for example, at Vis en Artois, from tho Canadians, and at Bullecourt from the Londoners, but tho enemy machine-gunners are lighting well.

Mr Philip Gibbs, giving an instance of confusion among German troops, says that odd battalions and companies nro mixed chaotically, but nro goaded forward and told that they must fight. In one stretch of three miles, near Montauban, there wore sixteen battalions. hopelessly mixed, and drawn from five _ shattered divisions. Two storm divisions at Mory and Cherisy wet'o reduced "to twenty-five per company. One battalion at St Lcgcr found itself abandoned by its neighbours and was surrounded and captured en masse. The commander cursed th o Higher Command, which had sent a decimated regiment into battle. Tho Higher Command, in order to encourage them, previously issued an order, declaring!— 'no defeated four British divisions, and they know it.”

The Higher Command sent four divisions against Moyennevillc and Ablamzovnlo, but despite tho encouraging order, many were non-starters, and those who started wore caught by artillcry and slaughtered. It was terribic. rew camp to close quarters. Iwo new divisions counter-attacked the Canadians at Moiichy, and again there were many non-starters, and only a few resolute groups persevered. They only covered 400 yards before they were wiped out. Another division wo ordered forward, a number of bravo men died, and the disorganised division drifted back. Apart from the gallant machine-gunners, tho Gorman infantry for a time at any rate, lost snirit; they had had enough of rearguard fighting. A rot has sot in which will lead to msasters unless th c German army can bo rallied and refreshed. Onr men will not give them rest. We ourselves were not m a good state to march, but we bad our- reserves. The Germans at present have no such reserves, but wo can expect a check at the Drocmirt Quoant line which is strong, and will be defended by every available man.