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PROGRESS OF THE WAR

Correspondents describing' conditions on tha British front cleclaro that the enemy is reduced to a state of bewilderment and uncertainty. Over the greater part, of the area between Ypres and St. Qucntin his trenches and entanglements are being systematically destroyed under -a terrific bombardment, and he is quite uncertain where- the next offensive blow -will fall. There need be no _ hesitation about accepting this as an accurate indication of the existing state of affairs on the- battlefront. The conditions described are precisely those which the British are in a- position to create, and have every interest in intensifying. Tho description in. fact implies that they are making full and effectivo \iso of artillery superiority and of the decisive superiority in the air which has been made so strikingly apparent in recent weeks. The enemy has been dislodged from tho original line, embodying such features as the Vimy ridge, which he hoped he had made impregnable. Tho secondary positions in which he attempted to consolidate his defence have been heavily invaded, and he is much worso placed now to withstand attack than'at any previous stage of tho Western campaign. Failure to stem a sudden and powerful onslaught at any one of a number of points might involve disastrous consequences. Handicapped initially to this extent, tho enemy is called \ipon also to enduro the heaviest bombardment to which an army has over been subjected, and it is not tho least of his trials that owing' to the inferiority of his aerial service ho is fighting almost blindly against; an enemy who is able to closely and accurately survey his dispositions. An idea of tho nature of the British bombardment of the German lines is given by Mr. Philip Gibds ma message to-day. The rain , of shells extends to a.deptli of ten miles. It reaches tho German billets,, and, as Mb Giubs puts it, "manes a hell of their rail-heads, blows up ammunition dumps, and many Germans in their dug-outs/

Thekb is no escaping such a bombardment as this by holding advanced lines thinly and massing 'men further back. The British bombardment carries devastation deep into the organisation of the bermau Army. Thanks to predominance in the air it is continuously and accurately directed and checked and ib may readily be believed that its results are terrific, both as regards destruction ot Wo and malarial and the factor of moral effect. . The timo-has come when the British Army is able to make the freest possible use of'shells, and the enemy is incapable ot a reply in kind in anything hko . equal strength and volume. Much is to be hoped from these conditions as time goes on. t

Conditions on tTie French front no doubt closely resemble those described on the British section of the line. At all events, the French, liko the British,- have 'dislodged the enemy from some of the strongest elements in his original line, and French artillery superiority has been frequently in evidence most recently in connection with the defeat of the enemy's numerous attempts to recover lost positions in various important localities. It is, upon the whole, a fairly safe assumption that ruling- conditions in the Western theatre are not more satisfactory to the enemy than won d be the loss of miles of territory day by day or week by week under pressure ot Allied assaults. The Allies have not for weeks made any considerable iriin of ground, but in these ft lie 8 Allies have steadily continued the process of destruction which will eventually compel the enemy to ratreat, and which at the same time reduces his prospects of executing such a movement safely. Prominence has lately been given to the enemy s iosses in prisoners as an index of the atremclv heavy losses he must have Screcl undir all heads .since the British took tho ■ offensive on the Arras front in April. The total ot prisoners is in fact assuming impressive proportions. . Siuco April 9 the British and French between them have captured, over 05,000 Uormans. But in estimating the total reduction m the enemy's strength during the last two months it must bo considered that he has suffered very heavily, under bombardment and in abortive counter-attacks, in periods during which verv lew prisoners were tarfen bv the Allied armies.

•A very largo proportion of the 65 000 prisoners mentioned _ were taken in brief periods of intense battle For instance, the British had gsifclicrcd in over K!,000 within •i few days of tlic opening of Imoii , offensive on the Arms front on April !)• A»y computation of t-ho priemy's "total losses in the period since that date must bo to aa extent

speculative. But it is highly probable that a computation based on the number of prisoners taken would be much below tho mark. Assuming that only as many Germans were killed as have, been taken prisoner sinco April 9, and taking it that the ratio of wounded to killed was i to 1, tho enemy s total losses in the Western theatre during the last eight weeks would reach a total not far short ofl half a million. But since, most of tho prisoners were taken in a comparatively brief period, and he has been continuously suffering, heavy losses under other heads, it is likely that his actual losses in the Western theatre since April 0 greatly exceed half a million.

In view of tho vato at which tho enemy's effective strength is being cut down, and other facts touched upon, it is quite possible that the Allies may abstain for some time to come from any attempt at a, general advance. The German retreat in March, though' enforced, was carried out in good order, with slight losses of men or movable material. The enemy's prospects of executing another retreat on similar lines arc being steadily reduced under tho conditions described to-day, and at tho samo timo the margin of strength which meantime enables him to withstand the Allies is, of course, also being reduced.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19170605.2.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3102, 5 June 1917, Page 4

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,003

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3102, 5 June 1917, Page 4

PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3102, 5 June 1917, Page 4

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