PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2388, 18 February 1915, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR.

British aircraft havo again attacked the German fortifications and harbour depots on tlio Belgian coast, in even greater force than in the successful; raid of Sunday last, and with still better results. On this occasion no fewer than forty aeroplanes and seaplanes were ongaged in the main attack, and the German fortifications and depots along a twenty-miie stretch of coast from Zeebruggc to Middlekcrke were subjected to a methodical bombardment. Evidently the attack was admirably organised, for while the British aircraft were pursuing their work of destruction eight French machines were bombarding an aerodrome at Ghistelles (four miles south of Osteud), and so preventing the German aircraft coming out to engage the British force.

The experience of these raids opens up an extended scope for aeroplanes in war, for it has shown that they can openly attack and damage strongly fortified positions held by an enemy fully prepared for their onslaught. Details of the damage done show that it was considerable. At Zcebrugge a_ breach made in the harbour mole in Sunday's attack was widened, and in addition canal locks were damaged and_ trawlers and barges were sunk. At Ostend and Miadlekerke strong fortifications were attacked, but with what result is not stated. No mention is made of any casualties in the raiding force, so that it seems to have escaped as lightly as that which made a similar onslaught on Sunday. The lesson of the raids seems to be that aeroplanes skilfully handled can attack such positions as exist on the Belgian coast practically with impunity, so-that the naval correspondent of the Times probably did not over-state the facts when he said that the British airraiders had rendered futile ' the efforts of the Germans to establish submarine bases on tho Belgian ooast. If Zcebrugge and the other ports in this region are not already untenable by submarines they are in a fair way to be made so, for the aerial bombardment will doubtless be repeated at every convenient opportunity. This has a very important bearing upon the prospective submarine campaign, for the German craft, instead of being able to sally out from ports adjacent to the Channel, will be restricted to less convenient, depots at Heligoland, or behind the islands fringing • the German toast. * * * * According _ to German announcements, this is the day upon which a submarine blockade of Great Britain will begin. From to-day, if these announcements are borne out, both British and neutral ships in a blockadc zone round the British coasts will be exposed to piratical attack by lurking submarines, appointed, as the First Lord of the Admiralty puts it, to sink merchantmen on sight, without search or parIcy. Whether or not Germany will seek to achieve a sudden • coup in this new and criminal form of warfare only the event can show. The statement of the German Admiralty that no such coup is to be expected to-day certainly does not settle the matter one way or tho other, for it is not unlikely that the statement was made with intent to deoeive.

In' Great Britain no attempt is made to deny that the German submarines arc likely to reap a harvest of victims. With such a target as is presented by the British and neutral shipping which throngs the narrow seas and the North Sea, the under-water raiders can hardly fail to do some damage. The confidence with which the prospect is faced iu Britain does not rest upon an assumption that the Germans are only bluffing, but upon a belief that this piratical raiding is not likely to accomplish its intended purpose of crippling British trade and that the raiders are not likely to pursue tftbir piratical career unscathed. * * * #

The magnitude of the task facing the German submarines may be -gauged from the fact, mentioned by Mr. that there were 4465 British arrivals at Home ports and 3600 sailings during the last three months. The inclusion of neutral shipping would, of course, considerably amplify these figures. To cripple British trade the Germans would have to sink not dozens, but hundreds, of ships. The sinking of i few British and neutral snips would be a poor success to set dgainst tho antagonising of a circle of neutral nations and resort to methods on account of which Germany will eventually have to face a heavy reckoning. * * * * Naturally the, Admiralty is keeping its counsel concerning that good deience which Mr. Churchill is confident can bo made against the raiding submarines. It has been indicated, however, _ that the arming of merchantmen will be one prominent feature in the scheme of defence. It is a feature recalling the days when many merchant ships were armed to resist privateers, and small vessels of war did so successfully on numberless ocoasions. The general arming of merchantmen in the present emergency is likely to serve an equally valuable _ purpose. It will very greatly limit the scope of the enemy submarines, since they will be unable to chase their quarry on the surface and will have to be content with under-water travelling, or take tho risk of being blown out of the water. Some of tho newer submarines are credited with a speed of twelve knots when' submerged, but these are the very latest boats and Germany probably has very few in 'this class. The under-water speed of many even of her bigger boafe is set down as eight or ten knots. This means that a large proportion of merchantmen, _ especially the bigger ships, are easily able to outpace the average submarine when it is travelling under the surface.

. Mines furnish another means of defence against submarines. Measures will no doubt be taken to close the English Channel at night and block its narrow eastern end with mine-fields through which friendly ships can be piloted in the daytime. The North Sea cannot be closed in this way, but it affords a much less attractive cruising ground for submarine raiders than the Channel and its approaches. _ Many of the British ships traversing the North Sea are of siiiall size, and although it affords an outlet and an approach to tho western coasts of England and Ireland, the passage involved is a long one. Submarines using this route would have to operate at a distance of move than a thousand miles from their base, ,ind in these circumstances most of the Gorman boats would be wholly dependent _u])on the assistance oI supply-shipe

which, of course, would bo exposed to much greater risks than tho submarines themselves. * * * *

- Formidable as they are, submarines have to reckon with a growing list of enemies, amongst which must bo reckoned tho hydroaeroplanes, which have so splendidly proved their efficiency both in reconnaissance and in attacking naval and military depots and fortifications. It has been demonstrated that a- submarine can bo sighted from an aeroplane even when it is submerged to a considerable depth, and naval aircraft are likely to play a very important part in the campaign against the German submarines. With the means of speedy communication that exist nowadays it should bo possible to do a great deal in theway of warning shipping and diverting it from danger areas, and no doubt the comparatively slow-moving submarines will often be checkmated in this way. The campaign as a whole will be facilitated by the steady lengthening of the days in northern latitudes at this season, which will make it all the harder for the mother ships of the submarines, at anyratc, to evade observation and pursuit.

Heavy fighting and an absence of far-reaching movement are still the rule in Flanders and France. The British forccs have lately been very heavily engaged in the neighbourhood of Ypres, in Belgium, and a few days ago temporarily lost some trenches, but only to regain them in a counter-attack. Some slight progress has been made towards the eastern end of the Aisne front, and the French have made a further advance in the wood of Le Pretre, on the Lorraine border. Sir John French, in his official dispatch, emphasises the marked superiority of the Allied artillery in the duel which is developing increased intensity on the Western front. This superiority in artillery is bound to be a factor of the utmost _ importance in the supremely decisive phase of the Western campaign, which may be entered at any time now.

The Russian retirement from tho East Prussian frontier is proceeding apaoe, and the. Germans appear to be pushing their offensive with vigour. - Heavy fighting is reported to-day in that part of Poland which lies round ° the south-eastern corner of East Prussia. Near Augustowo, in ' this region, the Russians seem to have repelled with some difficulty a German effort to surround one section of_ their force. A German' column is also reported to be marching on Osowiec, a Eussian fortress, twenty miles from the East Prus-* sian frontier at its south-eastern'ex-tremity. Eussian forces which lately were advancing on ' East Prussia on a line extending north from the Vistula are retiring rapidly. They ire-re recently within twenty miles of the German frontier, but have now fallen back about_ thirty miles, the Germans occupying a twenty-five mile front from Plock to Racaiz, fifty miles' in advance of their own frontier, and running roughly paroflel with it.

■** # * ■ Retirement seems to be the order of the day also in the Bukowina region, for the enemy have captured Nadworna, north of the Carpathians, and twelve miles west of the north-west border of Bukowina. This development, however, probably has little bearing upon the main issues of the campaign. The essential work of the Russian forces along the Carpathians is to protect the flank and communications of the army advancing towards Cracow, and so far as Eastern Galicia is concerned, the Russians can quite well attain their object by. holding a line along the northern border of Bukowina. Nadworna is fifty miles sotiTli of the main line of railway which runs by way of Lemberg to Cracow, and so long as they maintain the security.of this line the Eussian position in Galicia is not endangered.