PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2855, 21 August 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

For some clays there has been little news from the Eastern theatre, and the lifting of tho curtain has been awaited with expectancy, sharpened by knowlodge that tho Russian offensive has now been carried to a decidedly critical stage. The very tact that the oncmy is in sight of now disasters heightens tho-probabil-ity of a powerful and determined effort on his part to strike an. effective counter-blow with intent to reestablish the stability of his front in Southern Russia and Galicia. Lemberg and Kovcl, the two great centres supporting the enemy southern front as.it is now located, arc closely threatened. In addition to this, an invasion of Hungary is by no means impossible. It is. or has been, on all grounds reasonable- to expect a tremendous effort by the Ausfcro-Ger-mans to regain the upper hand in tho Ilussian campaign. Whether their powers ,in this direction have been fully and definitely tested, wo do not know, but to-day's news shows that the enemy opened a powerful counter-offensive _ in Central Galicia, and was heavily defeated; and at the same time that the Russians have made new, and in places important, headway on different sections of the front in Southern Russia and Galicia, and in the Jablonitza Pass, leading through the Carpathians into Hungary. The enemy may make further vigorous efforts to restore his falling fortunes, but the news as it stands is entirely good. Assuming the offensive in Central Galicia (on the lino of tho Zlota Lipa, west of Podhajce), tho Austro-Germans fought in close and convenient touch with a network of strategic railways, extending south-east from Lemberg. The significance of their defeat is on that account all the greater. A Petrograd communique describes the enemy attack as being developed in considerable strength, and it wears the appearance of a planned attempt to stem and break the Russian offensive. The outlook for the enemy .is not improved, even if it is assumed that his local offensive was chiefly intended to safeguard the southern flank of the forces retreating towards Lemberg. At all events, while defeating the attack on the Zlota Lipa, with heavy loss to the enemy, tie Russians have forged ahead on other sections of tho line. * * * « An interesting detail in the official reports is tho announcement that the Russians are advancing in the vicinity of Korosmezo. This place is on the Hungarian side of the Carpathians, a station on the railway which runs through the Jablonitz'a Pass. The terms of the message,' therefore, suggest that the Russians are either well advanced in an attack upon tho pass, or have already mastered it, and gained a footing in Hungary. This apart, they aro shown to be still pressing forward in Southern Galicia, and successful attacks arc reported also on the jower course of the'Stochod, where "that river runs through the Pripet marshes to its junction with the River Pripet. . Lake Nobel, west of which enemy positions have been' captured, lies immediately south of tho Pripet and a few miles east of tho Stochod. Chcrnische is on the east bank of the Stochod, - about thirty miles north of the latitude of Kovcl. In tho battles for Kovel, the Russians have forced the Stochod along a great part of its length. Along its lower (northern) course they arc still on the east bank, but tho activities in this region reported to-day possibly mean that the immediate struggle for Kovel, which is the grain! connecting link between the German and Austrian armies, is about to be resumed. Anticipations of this kind, however, can only ho tentative. Tho Russian operations on tho whole southern

front arc closely interdependent. Moving directly against Lemberg, then indirectly, but very definitely threaten Kovel, and an attack on Kovel similarly threatens Lemberg. The extent to which one section of the enemy's defence hinges upon another, and tho resultant scope for varying and distributing their attacks, is a factor the Russians have turned to profitable account in developing their offensive, and wi'Ji these conditions ruling it is necessarily difficult to estimate the significance of any detail movement in the campaign. The general outlook is certainly good. The enemy is suffering new defeats at a time when his local situation threatens to become desperate, and his general interests imperatively demand a reversal of the present trend in the Russian campaign. In its continued successful development the Russian offensivo not only threatens to rob the enemy of the two great railway centres of Lemberg and Kovel, upon which his front at present rests, but has an intimate and important bearing upon events in the Balkans-, where it, is now fully evident that tho Allies havo a great enterprise in train. Whether or not they intend to press an invasion of Hungary, tho Kussians are giving a demonstration of Ihcir power which should be not without effect upon Rumania. And oven if the latter country remains indifferent, Austro-Gcrman. forces which might in other circumstances bo drawn upon to assist Bulgaria aro being more than fully occupied upon' the Russian southern front. A terrific outburst of fighting is reported along practically tho whole extent of tho northern section of tho Sorttno battle-front, between Thiepval and tho river. Partly by night attacks, tho Allies have notably advanced their lines both on the north, whero they aro clearing the road to Bapaumc, and eastward, where Combles is tho immediate objective. Tho enemy front was penetrated to varying depths—in places as much as six hundred yards—and tho Allies as a result arc perceptibly nearer to cnoircling a number of tho strongholds in which the German dofenco is concentrated. Particular prominence is given to turning movements against the villages covering Combles, but marked progress has also been made by tho British troops towards Thiepval and Martinpuich, on tho plateau facing Bapaume. The Germans, it will be noticed, speak of an attack towards Martinpuich as pressing back their first lino on a narrow front, but this village is in fact an element in thoir third-lino defences, and lies four miles from the nearest point of tho lino on which tho battle opened. As appears from a descriptive_ report by Me. Philip Gibds, the high ridgo which overlooks Martinpuich was gallantly won by Anzac troops, and tho ways to and from tho village aro now bai> raged by British artillery fire. Tho attacking lines are at the same time closing, in rapidly upon Thiepval, on tho western part of tho plateau. Taking account also of the progress made further south, it is manifest that tho enemy's position has been terribly weakened as a result of the latest Allied attacks. Unmistakable evidence of the apprehension with which the Germans /egard the continued progress of tho Allied offensivo is'supplied in tho volume and fury of their counterattacks. These, as reports stand, resulted in almost unrelieved failure, and tho effect is to intensify and emphasiso tho Allied success. There is good reason for tho > delight with which French military experts aro said to regard the German counterattacks. In these ineffectual efforts to recover positions he cannot afford to lose tho enemy is, of course, piling up his losses. At the same time tho assertion, that the enemy is incurring losses infinitely he'avior than those of the Allies cannot bo accepted unreservedly until it is supported by definite evidence. The Germans are undoubtedly suffeiing very heavily, but tho Allies are not winning their way without loss. AH that can bo said meantime is that it is not impossible that the losses of tho enemy are in fact heavier. Their own superiority in artillery and the costly tactics of tho cnemy_ are certainly factors making heavily in favour of tho Allies, but the operation of these factors does not necessarily mean that tho balance turns as heavily against tho enemy as the statement quoted would indicate. « * * » Simultaneously with the violent development of tho Sommc battle, the French have actively resumed the offensive at Verdun, and_ made important headway in a conflict extending 6Ver several miles of front. The whole of tho village of Fleury, east of tho Meuse, is now in their hands, and they are striking .forward also in the region of Thiaumont work, north-west of Floury, and east of the latter place towards Vaux fort. Already much of the work the Germans did in drivings wedge into tho French defences in' this locality has been undone. The extent to which the Germans are now thrown back npon the defensive in the Western theatre is strikingly exemplified in the state of affairs reported to-day. Powerfully assailed, both on the Sommc and at Verdun, the Germans arc apparently in no condition even to attempt a counter-stroke. Attacks reported on French positions west of the Meuse hardly seem to deserve that designation. At all events they were unsuccessful. A Gorman communique, jnst received asserts; that tho Alliecr attacks on the Sommc front on the whole failed, and makes a similar attempt to minimise the French success at Verdun. "Fortunately, in addition to the specific details of the official reports, we have a definite statement from Sir Douglas Haig that the latest operations on the Sommc were most successful. Shown to be _ worthless in regard to the most - important matters of which it treats, the German report may safely be disregarded, or at tho least heavily discounted, in its further references to,events in east and west.