LESSONS OF PAST OFFENSIVES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2874, 12 September 1916, Page 5

LESSONS OF PAST OFFENSIVES

HOW EXPERIENCE PROFITS ON /THESOMME. '(From Mr. H. Warner Allen, Special Correspondent of the British Press with the French Armies.) WITH THE FRENCH ARMY ON THE SOMME, July 14. The Soinme offensive is the brilliant iresult of a careful study of all the previous offensives during the present war, in particular that of the French in Champagne in September last, and of tlie' Germans against Vordun. General Fayelle commands the, Army of the Somme, which is one 'of the group of armies commanded by General Foch. General Fayello had reached the ago before the outbreak of the war, and was actually on tho retired list. It is a curious coincidence that while General Petain, the hero of Verdun, has followed step by step General de Oasileiiau. in his commands and promotions, General Fayelle has in tho same manner followed in the steps of General Petain. Ho _ held a command in the French offensive in Artois in May last year, and again in the Battle of Champagne in September, and consfr quently has been able in the present 'operations to profit by his personal experience. Past offensives by their merely partial successes raised a number of probOu the one hand, there was the question of artillery preparation. In Champagne this preparation had given good results, but after Verdun it was clear that moro heavy' artillery was necessary. With heavy artillery the problem of giving eyes to the gunners who are mhos and miles in tho rear becomes increasingly difficult. The Germans first sought the solution in kite balloon, or sausage 1 , which was a valuable supplement to the aeroplane. !At first tho Germans had practically a I monopoly of the kite balloons, but now tho tables have been reversed.' The 'Allied aeroplanes wcro able to workhavoc among tho kite balloons, and tho result is that on the Sommo front yesterday one could sec twenty French kite balloons, and not a single German. Despite all their efforts tho enemy has been able to demolish only one French balloon, and that by an unsportsmanlike ' device which smacks of sailing under falso colours. A German aeroplane, disguised as a French machine, with tricolour discs painted under its wings, succeeded in slipping through' the French air patrols and destroying one captive balloon with explosive bullets. Another very serious problem was that of bringing up the Reserves. In Champagne they were brought up through tho communication trenches with inevitable delay. Regiments took Hiours and hours to cover a mile in these narrow ditches, crammed with prisoners and wounded men returning towards the rear. It was noticed that tho artillery which went forward in the open on tho first day of the Champagne battle suffered insignificant casualties. In the present battle the Reserves wore sent forward in the same formation as tho first wave of men outside tho trenches, with excellent results. Reinforcements arrived promptly, and tho losses wore mot serious. In Champagne tho men left the trenches in a series of waves many miles long. 'J.'h o idea was that the impetus of the cliargo would carry them across all obstacles which still remained after the guns had done their work. Tho result inevitably was that units lost thoir formation, and that a certain confusion entered into the advance. Moreover, when barbed wire or a. machine gun escaped losses were inevitably neavy. On the Sommo tho advance was mado as described, that is, in files opening out fan-shaped, with continual streams of reinforcements. Tho success-of the new method of attack was admirably proved by tho amount of ground gained with a minimum of loss.