PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3048, 9 April 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Details now in hand show that the reverse suffered by the Russians in the middle of last week on the Stochod,, in Southern Russia, was more serious than at first appeared. The Russians have lost a strategically important bridgehead, and in the fight for its possession two of their regiments were practically annihilated, and a third lost half its effectives. Some men were lost also by two other regiments, but apparently only a small number. With these particulars as a guide it seems likely that the German report alleging the capture of 9800 prisoners, 15 guns, and 150 machine-guns, is either true or not very greatly exaggerated. Apart fkohl its immediate* importance tho affair carries' a, disquieting suggestion that the Russians are weaker, relatively to the enemy, on the battlofront east of Kovel than they were when active operations terminated last year, but the actual state of affairs is likely to be so soon disclosed by events that speculation on the subject would bo useless. i

The general situation in the Eastern theatre has been modified by the extension of the Russian main front south through the Carpathians into Moldavia. But there is no reason to suppose that Kovel and the railway to the south, connecting with, the Lemberg' system, will take a materially less important place in the campaign now opening than they, took in the big campaign of last year. Even if the Russians stake heavily upon an attempt to break through tho Carpathians to an invasion of North-, eastern Hungary, they cannot af--ford to neglect tho offensivo inovenienfc against Kovel which General Brusiloff's armies last year carried so near to success. Kovel and the railway conneoting it with the Lemberg system constitute a vital link between the enemy armies on the northern and southern seotions of tho East front.- At present the enemy can expeditiously transport reinforcements and supplies to Kovel by tho railways which approach it from the north-west and west, and then into Galioia by way of .Vladimir Volynski. With Kovel in Russian bands the Austro-Ger-man front, as it is at present located in Southern Russia, • south of tho Pripet marshes, and Galicia, could not stand. With Kovel, the enemy would lose all he holds east of that place and south of the Pripet marshes, and at the same time a considerable extent of the territory he occupies in Eastern Galioia would be so laid open to flank attack from the north "that retreat to a line west of Lemberg would probably become inevitable.' In its new alignment the enemy front, would be longer and more diffibult to maintain than at present, and communication between Galicia and the territories to the north would bo very ■seriously impeded.

The Stochotl owes its importance to tho fact that it is the last natural obstacle of any importan-co covering Kovel against an approach from, the east. East of the town tho Stochod turns east in a sharp elbow with its point about 35 miles east of Kovel. This olbow encloses an area of wooded and marshy ground in which the- Russians last year Sgainod an extended foothold, including the railway bridgehead south-east of Kovel, from, which they have now been dislodged. Though they have been driven across, tho river at this point the Russians presumably remain established on the west bank further north. Another railway from Kovel crosses tho Stochod north of tho elbow mentioned, but information at tho moment is lacking as to whether tho Russians occupy a ' bridgehead at this point. The enemy in α-ny case has increased the margin by which he holds Kovel by driving the Russians across tho Stochod on the railway appro<ach from the south-east. It should be noted, howover, that an important element in tho Russian offensive last year was an attaok towards Vladimir Volynski, which aimed at turning the Stoohod line on the south. When active operations terminated, the Russians wore in position immediately south of. the ,rjoinfc at .which tho Stochoc(

rises and twenty, miles cast of Vkjdimir Volynski. Successful as it was, tho blow struck by tho enemy last week is far from having eliminated the threat to his vital communications, but it suggests that he may contemplate wn attempt to that ond. The question now to bo determined is whether tho Russians have tho force at command which will enable them to defeat anyjsuch attempt and take up their offensive at the point ait which it was interrupted last year. Available reports disclose no important change in the position on the West front. Ten miles north and slightly west of St. Quentin, the British have captured the village of Lempire, and they have made some headway further north. The Frenoh have gained some ground on the southern flank of the strong enemy position running through the forest of St. Gobain, south of the Oise. "With these exceptions reports tell chiefly of stationary artillery fighting, and of pronounced aorial activity. Heavy bombardments are mentioned not only in the area south-east of St. Quentin, where the French are striking into the enemy's communications, but in the region of Berry-au-bac, on the Aisne, northwest of Reims. Sapigneul, mentioned in some of the messages, is on the south bank of the Aisne, southeast of Berry-au-bac. Aotivity in this area no doubt has a relation to the movement that is developing against the flank of the enemy's line further west, but the Allies, if they extend their offensive, are more likely to attack, in the Champagne considerably east of Reims than north or north-west of that city.

A Gekjian report alleging' that 44 Allied aeroplanes were accounted for in one day at a cost of five German machines may wisely be read with a good deal of scepticism. News from Allied sources, though it does not deal at the_ moment with the number of machines lost on either side, is of a nature to suggest that the inferiority under which the Germans have almost uninterrupt edly laboured is still markedly in evidence-. A report from Sib Douglas Haig mentions that the British aeroplanes are.ranging, far afield, bombing important railway junctions, munition works, and aerodromes, and- there is no word of similar activities ,by the German aviators. Now that the Germans are making another attempt to challenge Allied superiority in the air, it is interesting to turn to the report of the Committee on the administration and command of the Royal Flying Oorps,which was issued in Deeemberlast. The Committee reported, after an exhaustive inquiry. It made the following observations upon the oharge of loss of mastery of the air:—

This charge relates to the period of some six months beginning about October, 1915, when the German Fokker machine made its appearance. For more than a year after the beginning of the war there was practically no'fighting in the air. Our machines made their reconnaissanoes with regularity and without serious molestation. Then euddenly the German taotics changed. They produced the Fokker-fast, handy fighting machines whioh lay in wait for our maohines, and mobbed ■ them. We were slow in recognising this change of tactics and 6low in adopting means, to protect onr reconnaissance machines, with the result that we. suffered many casualties. Aβ an instance, there were twelve deaths in the first half of March last. The casualties, however, were not all on our side. The Gorman losses during' tho six months in question were heavier than ours arid equally heavy in anr given month, which is remarkable, as it is clear from the ovidenoe that British airmen carried out far more work over the enemy's lines than the Germans did over ours.

The B E 2C was our ohief reconnaissance'machine, and it was to fliers of tliat machine that most harm was done. The B J3 2C was not so fast or eo handy as tho Fokker, and ■ needed, after the appearance of the Fokker, to be escorted by fighting machines. This is now. being done. { ■ ' Reports from the front are singularly diverse as to the extent to which superiority was for a time lost. The battle front was a long one, and it is obvious that, as was to be expected, the state of affairs differed considerably at various parts of the line. In epme places the Gorman superiority for d time seemed marked; in others it was non-existent. Such jlocal inferiority as there was seems to have been chiefly due to our tardy re-, cognition of the change brought about by the Fokker, but wo think that although wo had at- the front at all times machines capable of dealing: with the Fokker on at least equal terms, these machines woro not at first available in sufficient numbers. Our temporary loss of superiority has been described :in language of such gross .exaggeration as to make us at first disposed to think there was nnthiag in It; but a oareful examination of al] the facts leads tie to the conclusion that the charge is true to a limited extent and in the sense indicated. Our newest aeroplanes, whioh are now ooming forward in greater numbers, are proving , individually superior to those of the Germans, and while there must be casualties where there is fighting, our early superiority has been moro than regained.

There can be no doubt that the American Government has abted wisely in deciding to immediately dispatch an expeditionary force of five thousand men to the West front. On etrictly military grounds the decision has been attacked by experts, and at an immediate view their strictures are unanswerable. But the action proposed is nevertheless amply justified. The presence of even a. small body of American troops in the Western theatre will exerciee a .far-reaching moral influence. It will bring home to both friend and foe as no mere words could do the fact that America has dedicated her resources to the task of bringing Germany to terms, and that she needs only time to throw lier weight into the scale.