PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2888, 28 September 1916, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

It is remarked by Sir Douglas Haig in an official message published to-day that the successes gained in tho Somrae offensive during the last two days are of very considerable importance. Ample justification for this statement appears in the reported details of tho latest 'fighting, though it is quite possible that tho actual position of tho Allies is even better than theso details would indicate. It is necessary at all events to take account not only of the positions won by the Allies, but of the oncmy's diminishing powers of resistance, evidenced in the augmented pace of the offensive, and tho increasing disadvantage, under, whioli he is fighting now that.

bis main defensive lines have been penetrated and his communications invaded. Capturing Thiepval and ; Combles, the Allies have added very notably to the great gains announced yesterday. With Thiepval the Germans have lost their last foothold on the western section of the ridge facing Bapaume. Comblos until recently was an important advanced depot and centre in the enemy's communications, and even when its usefulness in this capacity liad disappeared it remained, with its covering positions, a vital stronghold in his third-line system of defences. It is true in a sense lhat bofch_ Thiepval and Combles have diminished in importance as the .offensive has developed, but so, in similar circumstances, would any position that the Germans hold in any part of their line. Thiepval has not lately been a serious obstacle to British progress towards Bapaume, because for some time it has been outflanked and under dominating artillery fire, but it was originally an jobstacle of the most formidable kind. It has now fallen to indirect and the same fate has overtaken Combles, which yesterday's late reports showed to have been to all intents and purposes surrounded. Peom Thiepval to Combles, nine miles apart in a direct line, the British attacking front now lies athwart the flank of the German lines extending north. South of Oombles almost to the Somme tha French have pressed well forward beyond the enemy's third line and over most of the distance ,ihey have advanced beyond the main road from Bapaume to Peronne. South of _ the Somme, also, the German third line has been carried for several miles. North of the river ilone the Gorman main defences have been shattered over a front of something like seventeen or eighteen miles, and when Peronne falls the breach will, of course, be extended south_ of . that place. Beports indicating the tremendous and developing power of the offensive speak for themselves. Considered in conjunction with the visibly advantageous position the Allies now - aold, and the extent to whioh that if the enemy has been weakened. . they must be taken to mean that ac iny time now the Anglo-French ■ forces may drive through a wide ; ireach in the German line to force i i battle under conditions not wit-. < aessed in the Western theatre since i )he Battle of the Marne. i » ■ » * * I,

What is going to happen on the Somme front, it was remarked in a late message yesterday, cannot lie foretold or oxaotly foreseen, and probably even the highest authorities entertain a measure of uncertainty on the subject Tho German line'once forced, almost unlimited possibilities will be opened up, and it seems impossible that it can stand much longer against the assaults into which tho Allies are now throwing such mighty power. One thing tolerably certain is that the Allies are not exerting themselves in this fashion merely for tho, sake, of compelling the enemy to fall back' upon' a shorter lino, there to recuperate, as far as his resources will permit, and prepare for a renewal of the struggle in early spring. Diverse opinions have been expressed as to the possibility of an orderly retreat by the enemy, but whatever, his prospects iu this connection may have been originally it is clear that they have been much injured by tho events of the offensive. The fortified line from NiAlport to .the Vosgeß, in whioh ha hoped to stand firm against as(saults, has been tested* and found toanting, and he is fighting a hopeless battle in the breach which' is boing rapidly widened and exspite of his utmost-efforts, There is a distinct possibility that in continuing tho presontbattle tho Germans may so denude other portions, of their lino as to make the whole structure liable to collapse. Tho position must be viewed in light of the fact that winter, now near at hand, will impose some restrictions upon the development or the Allied offensive. The restric-

tions will be more severely felt in some other theatres than in " tie West. But the enemy is still under full pressure in practically all theatres, and it is likely that tie pressure will be heavily increased during the next few weeks. With winter so near at hand, it can hardly be said that the Germans are' likely to be finally and decisively defeated this year, but they aro manifestly in imminent peril of ,-i disaster in the Western theatre which would stop only, short of final defeat.

At time of writing there is nardly any news from *the' Russian front, which must be taken to mean that no decision has yet been reached in the tremendous struggle in Galicia of which some glimpses have recently been given. Here, nowever, as in tho Western, theatre, great events are working out. Even if the Russians are for the time being arrested, and that, of course, is not established, they are arrested at a cost in effort which tho enemy cannot afford to pay, and which weakens him fatally on tho Somme and elsewhere. On the Russian southern frout and in the southeastern theatre as well, the enemy is held in'an iron grip, while on the Somme his defences are being torn asunder by a power against which he is incapable of making head. Theso things, with the fact that there is time for much to happen before the glorious weather reported in France gives place to the storms and mud of winter, sum up the situation for the time being.

| It is now stated that the two German airships which were 'brought down in the course of a t raid on England at the end of laßt week were of the most recent construction,' and tho importance of one of them having been captured intact must bo rated accordingly. An expert writing in tho London Times somo months ago described the 1915 typo of Zeppolin, which would be if anything surpassed by the specimen now in British hands, as a ship with a capacity of 1,060,000 cubic feet (which might give a total lift of 33 tons), about 524 feet long, driven by five Maybach 180-200 horse-power motors. Buoh a ship has two gondola cars for motors and mechanics, communicating by a central cabin provided for pilots, gunnel's, and bomb and wireless operators. The gas is contained in twenty independent ballonncts, separated by partitions. There aro five propellers, ono placed behind the stern car for increased

horizontal and ascensional speed. The ship carries a crew of 23, and nearly one and a half tons of bombs. The foregoing particulars arc largely based upon an examination of the Zeppelin brought down by the French at Rovigny in Februjary, lasti bub tho export b% .whom

they aro supplied neither establishes nor refutes the claim that recent Zeppelins have- means of keeping, under compression, excess volume of gas duo to decreased atmospheric pressure. This point, witn others, should now be cleared up. It is of great importance,' because a Zeppelin equipped with appliances for compressing excess gas would have much greater powers of rapidly rising or descending to any desired altitude than if excess gas had to be released at high !_altitudes,.to relievo pressure on the ballonnets and framework. As was surmised 1 at the time, the captured ship owed her downfall to loss of gas, resulting from damage done by gunfire. Her consort which was sent down flaming received the coup-de-grace from an aeroplane, so that the heavier-than-air machine has once against triumphed over its gigantic competitor.