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PROGRESS OF THE WAR

A widening breach in the German defences north of the Sommo bears witness to the sustained power of tho British offensive. Winning tho further important successes re-ported_to-day by Sir Douglas Haig, the British troops have driven their wedge still deeper into tho enemy line, and at the samo time havo strengthened the wedge by widening its base. The capture of the village of Ovillers, which tho Germans had defended with obstinate resolution for ten days, greatly reduccs an ugly dent in the British front, near to tho point at which tho existing lino strikes forward from that on which tho battlo opened. This, with the capture of 1500 yards of trenches a mile or moro further east, means that good headway is being uiado to tho north-east, on tho approaches to tho road and railway junction of Bapaume. Making continued progress east of Longueval, tho British are working round tho strong hill-position of Guillcmont, and so into tho base of tho enemy salient which as yet separates tho British advanced positions from thoso of the French south, and immediately north, of the Somme. Though it is anything but slow, the progress of tho Allies in this prcat battlo is not sensational, but it is continuous and unchecked, in spito of the enemy's desperate efforts to bring them to a halt. It remains as likely as ever that the Sommo ad-, vanco is only one of a series of battles in which the Allies will work up to the full powor of their offensive, but it is nevertheless becoming plainer every day that tho German Western armies are now in the grip of a power against which they aro Jncapablo of making effective head.

Many details in tho news deservo attention, but the reports largely speak for themselves. Thoro is increasing testimony to the offoct that the Allies. have planned their attack so well that the Germans aro threatened with tho collapse of their defensive organisation over a much moro extensive area than has yet been actually penetrated. In part, tho grounds upon which this, opinion is based are plainly visible. Some of tho strongest remaining elements in tho German defensive front are being attacked in flank as well as in front, and it is noteworthy also that on important sections of the front the Allies have been advancing over gradually rising ground, and aro now in close touch with positions dominating a wido extent of country.

One vitally important fact which has been repeatedly emphasised is that tho enemy's losses in men havo been very much heavier than those of tho Allies. Comprehensive particulars of tho respective losses have not yet been supplied, but very suggestive evidence is contained in a report which gives the substanco of some enemy documents captured in tho advance. The documents ire reports sent back from the fighting line while the enemy positions were under bombardment. They show that a specified German battalion .was reduced to a strength of three officers, two non-coms., and nineteen men. A company was ro,t!ucod to one officer and twelve men, and in still another case a company officer reported that his command had suffered so heavily that its fighting value had gone, and added that it would be exterminated if the heavy .artillery bombardment conthmc'. Tho noint to note is that these losses were suffered under bombardment, and not in the infantry fighting which followed. Even if it is supposed that the examples quoted are extreme, thev serve to eniphasiso the fact that during tho progress of tho Allied bombardment the enemy has suffered far heavier losses than he has been ablo to inflict simultaneously upon the Allies. No fact concerning the battle is better attested than that from first to last the German artillery has been completely outclassed, and with the detail evidence supplied in these enemy documents of the murderous effciency of the Allie:l gunfire, tho fact appears in its true importance. On portion? of tho attacking front tho Allies have suffered loss from hiachinc-guns which had been kept underground during the bombardment, and in some localities there has been a good deal of fighting hand-to-hand, or otherwise on even terms, but when allowance is made for, these factors, thero seems room for a very considerable margin _ to tho good in the master of casualties. It is only in places that machineguns survive ths bombardment, and tho enemy has not often beeu allowed to fight at a local advantage or on even"terms, but practically every yard of his front in the Sommo battle has been swept by the murderous hall which all but exterminated the units iwitioncd in the captured reports, t #

Big developments arc again astir in tho Eastern theatre, and it is possible that tho events now reported mark the opening of tho final and decisive stage of the battle in which the Russians are fighting for the possession of ICovel "junction, in Southern Russia. They arc now shown to be striking forward in the area immediately north of the Galician frontier, that is to say, on' the southern flank of the long battle line which extends from the Pripet marshes to tho Galician frontier, with ICovel twenty miles behind it about midway along its length. Though it is clear both from their own reports and those of the enemy that the llussians havo won a do-' finite success in their latest move, details of the operation arc meagre at time of writing. The position seems to lie, however, that tho Aus-tro-Gcrmaus under General ton Linsingen have lately been concentrating upon an attempt to drive through the .Russian line near tho Galician frontier, and have now been rolled back in defeat. A German report states that General von Linsingen advanced, but afterwards withdrew behind tho Ilivcr Lipa. It is claimed that the retreat was un-

molested by tho enemy. This is an unconvincing story, and tho Russians have a different one to toll. They sfcato that they arc advancing from the Lipa against stubborn enemy opposition, and have captured over 8000 prisoners and 2<l guns.

There seems to bs vorv little doubt that an Austro-Gomian offensive achieved some temporary success and forced the Russians back for adistanco in the vicinity of the Galician fronter, but that the Russians have now definitely rcoovoved tho upper hand and are taking toll of a beaten enemy. Tho terms of tho German report—particularly tho mention of a retirement behind the Ripa- Lipa, which runs east, parallel with the Galician frontier-ysuggest that in this region tho Russians aro striking not west, but north, and therefore against tho southern flank of the enemy armies defending Kovcl. Thin is a development which promises well for tho outeomo of the general battlo in Southern Russia, and should lead rapidly to results. Tho importance of Kovcl is succinctly stated in a Petrograd message to-day. It is undoubtedly truo that the loss of this junction would be a staggering blow to tho Central Powers, and would disrupt their plans. To the enemy Kovel is a vital stronghold, essential to tho stability of tho whole of their southern lino and to the efficient interlocking of the and German armies. To tho Russians Kovel is a gateway beybnd which lie. opportunities of advantage. to. which it is difficult at present to set any definite limit. While tho southern attack is in tho highest degree important, it is ovident that matters aro by no means at a standstill on other sections of the Kovel front. In a single day tho Russians captured over- 12,000 prisoners, and even if this includes the 8000 odd captured in the Lipa region thc;re must havo been heavy fighting Sast or north-east of Kovel to account for tho balance.

In expressing an opinion that tlie Allies will now endeavour to induco Greet® ancl Rumania- to participate in the war, tho Berliner Tageblatt simiply betrays a recognition of the fact that tlio countries named are faccd by a vanishing opportunity. Grcece already has become a factor of somewhat diminished importance, but Rumania is in' a different position, Her neutrality hitherto has been based oil prudential considerations which no longer operate. She no longer has cause to fear the wrath of the Central Empires, and is free to decide for or against war on the merits of the ea.se. As-events are moving, however, the time in which lier aid would be of no value to the Allies may be limited. Already the Russians arc in touch with several of the passes which run through the Carpathians from Bukowina into Transylvania, and Rumania cannot hope for any such easy and profitable triumph in this war as she gained in the seoond. Balkan war. She is called upon by chcumstances to decide quickly, and while her decision is awaited it is no bad sign that a German newspaper i< submitting in advance the explanation that- she is being dragooned by the Allies.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19160719.2.15

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2827, 19 July 1916, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,489

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2827, 19 July 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2827, 19 July 1916, Page 4

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