The Errors At Passchendaele To Generals Of World War II.

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 May 1949, Page 5

The Errors At Passchendaele To Generals Of World War II.

LONDON, Mgv 3 (Rce. 6 pm).-—The view that errors com- I mitteil in the conduct of the Baltic of Passehendaele in 1917 led ; to better tactical judgment, economy of life and greater eonsidera- ( tion for their troops on lhe part of the Second World War generals ; is expressed by the well-known military commentator, Captain Liddell 11 art, in a letter to the “ Daily Telegraph.”

Discussing the controversy I which is proceeding in the col-, unins of the ‘‘Telegraph” following publication of the British official war historian s account of the Battle of Passeberdaele, Captain Hart says the late Earl Haig does not. appear to have claimed that necessity for going to the rescue of the hard press d French was a justification for proceeding with the Passehendaele offensive until 10 years after the battle. There was nothing in Haig’s voluminous papers and diaries prepared

i at the time for the battle which sup- | ports this reason; nor. Hart claims, has ( the official historian been able to pro- 1 duce any contemporary documents to 1 support the belief that Haig thought it necessary to rescue -the French in 1917. On the contrary, he seemed to lie .obsessed with the idea that victory at that stage of the war would bring ■ about a German collapse and persisti ed in this idea, even in the face of two months of bitter experience—on , the part of his armies lighting in the I mud. | Hart quotes General Charterls, who ■ i was Haigs chief intelligence officer, I i as stating that the real reason for