BRITISH COMMAND IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2646, 17 December 1915, Page 7

BRITISH COMMAND IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG SUCCEEDS SIR JOHN FRENCH STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright mr-i lino' ti r ■>. • London, December 15. Offioial: At Sir John French's own instance, General .Sir Douglas Haic las succeeded to the command in Franco and Flanders." Replying to the question in tho House of Commons as to whether General Joffre s appointment as Generalissimo necessitated an important change in the higher British, command's, Mr. Asquifh said that some changes were being made, wkicli would be announced in diie course; but they were not connected with General Joftre s new function. CREATED VISCOUNT AND GIVEN HOME bOMMAND. (Rec. December 16, 8.60 p.m.) ' _ London, December 16. Wie War Office states that after sixteen months of severe and incessant strain, Sir John French, who has most nobly commanded the British armies in France and Flanders, has relinquished the command at his own instance. The Government accords its full appreciation and; gratitude for his conspicuous 'services, and has requested Sir John Frenoh to accept the appointment of Field Marshal commanding the troops in the United Kingdom. Sir John French has accepted. The King has conferred a Viscountcy on Sir John Frenoh. Sir John Frenc'h hail a long interview with Mr. Asquith to-night. THE NEW COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF. On the outbreak of war Sir Douglas Haig was given command of the First Army Corps, and figured prominently in Sir John French's dispatohes as a brilliant leader of brilliant operations. At the beginning of the year he was appointed to the command of a section of the new army, and was awarded the Cross of the French Legion of 'Honour. His work at Neuve Ohapelle was highly praised by the Commander-in-Chief. In May last ho was decorated with tiie Grand Cross of the Orde- of the Bath'. Sir Douglas Haig, like the retiring Commander-in-Chief, is primarily a cavalry officer. He joined the 17th Hussars in 1835, when he was 2-1 years old and in 1898 served in the Nile Expedition and took part in the cavalry reconnaissance of April 5. He was mentioned in dispatches for distinguished conduct at the battles of Atbara a,nd Khartoum, and was promoted to a brevet majority and received the British medal with two clasps. In the South African .war (1899-1902) he served at first as Deputy-Assistant Adjutant-General in Natal and later commanded columns. He was Chief Staff Officer to General French durnig the Colesberg operations and became Assistant-Adjutant-General to the Cavalry Division in 1000. From 1901-2 ho commanded a group of columns and was again mentioned in dispatches and was appointed A.D.C. to the King with the rank of Brevet Colonel. Ho was made a C.B. and received the Queen's medal with seven clasps aud the King's medal. In 1899 General Haig took part in the Natal campaign,, including the actions at Aleandslaagte, Reitfontein, and LombardSs Kop. He was a member of the column under Sir John French whioh relieved Kimberloy and took part in the operations in the Orange Free State in tho early part of 1900 Afterwards ho was present at many actions in the Transvaal ana elsewhere and served in tho field until the conclusion of tho war. Appointed Lieut.-Colonel commanding the 17th Lancers in 1901, he filled the office of Inspector-General of Cavalry in India from 1903 to 1906, and became Majoh-General in 1904, Director of Military Training (1906-7); Director of Staff Duties at Army Headquarters (1907-9); Chief of Staff, India (1909-12), and General Officer Commanding atAldershot in 1912. He was promoted to Lieu-tenant-General in 1910 and knighted in 1913. OPERATIONS ON THE WESTERN FRONT MOSTLY AEROPLANE FIGHTING. The High Commissioner reports:— London, December 15, 4.45 p.m. "Between the Oise and the Aisne a heavy shell from the Allies' batteries exploded a German munition depot north of Puis-a-leine, in the region of Tracey-el-val. "In the Artois region there was a French aeroplane attack on three German 'albatross' war-planes. One was forced to the ground. "A squadron of French aeroplanes, in co-operation with British aeroplanes, bombarded l the German, aerodrome at Hervilly, m the Somme region," London, December 16, 12.25 a.m. "Thirteen French' aeroplanes bombarded the enemy's aviation camp at Hibsheim. The hangars were hit. The enemy made a futile attempt to chase our squadron." London, December 16y 0.50 a.m. "General Headquarters reports that the enemy exploded a mine south-east of Ypres, but the crater was occupied .by our bombers, and the attack was driven off.. "To-day our artillery was active, and damage was done to hostile trenches. Ten air combats occurred, and an enemy battle-piano'was driven down." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. Amsterdam, Decomber 15. A German communique states: "During aerial attacks at Bapaume, Poronne, and Mulheim, the enemy lost four aeroplanes by our air-craft gunfiro." "THE POSITION IS SOUND" .VIGOUR AND DECISION CALLED FOR IN EGYPT. ("Times" and Sydn&y "Sun" Services.) London, December 15. Colonel Repington, "The Times" military correspondent, says that the temporary nils.f/.)rt.iti|i-'s wa (U'o siiltsHiig tira entirely of mir owh cuHtiivlllg- ."H ,v £5 ast $9 Gwetawi .who compiled us to send a espjsditioA -to

Dardanelles; to plunge into the deserts of Mesopotamia- in blissful ignorance of what awaited us there: and to immure ourselves in the Salonika trap. It was tho higher direction of tho war at London which involved us, and! wasted half a million men, tarnished the glory of our arms, and half ruined our prestige. Aovertholess, tho position is sound. Exasperation against England is the keynote of every German discourse, duo to the fact that we have brought the German plans to nought. Tlicre is strong probability of German endeavour in ' the west to recover the lost initiative. Appearances point to an attack oil Egypt in January, when the Belgrade-Sofia railway is repaired. Pour German army corps are joining up with 350,000 Turks. Vigour and decision are indispensable for the successful dtefence of Egypt, and the main line of communications in the East." A RUSSIAN OFFENSIVE IN THE SPRING BIG STROKE WITH FOUR MILLION MiEN.("Times" and Sydney "Sun" Services.) (Rec. December 16, 5.5 p;m.) ' London, December 15. General Martinovitch, of the Russian Headquarters Staff, says: "Russia in the spring will be in a- position to re-open her offensive witli four million fresh troops. We are most sanguine that we will regain Poland and re-invade Gorman territory. Our factories are incessantly turning oat supplies of tions."A MOVE FROM THE BALKANS, (Sec.-December 16, 6.20 p.m.) Paris, December 15. The "Matin's" Salonika correspondent states that General von Gallwitz's army of sixty thousand troops has quitted the Balkans, and is marching on the Russian front.