GERMAN GUNNERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 113, 5 February 1918, Page 6

GERMAN GUNNERS

FINE THEORIES AND POOR PRACTICE A FLANDERS FAILURE (By IL AVarner Allon.) The defensivo as well as the offensive in modem warfare calls for an enormous concentration of artillery, and German regulations, dated March 1, 1917, concerning the principles of defensive fighting contain the following details "as to the artillery strength required in a battlo sector in which tlio enemy is 011 the activo defensivo." Where the fighting is hardest, theso regulations state, the High Command should have at its disposal an average of between five and seven barrage batteries (several of them heavy gun batteries, if circumstances permit), and between four and six heavy batteries (one or two of which, at least, should bo long-rango gun batteries) for purposes other than that of tho barrage.for every thousand yards of front to be defended. Consequently, in a battle sector, tho Germans try to put in lino from nine to 13 batteries to tho tliousund yards, say, fifty guns, or one gun to every twenty yards. Thoy aim at a proportion of at least five to six between their heavy and their field artillery, while between a third and a quarter of their heavy guns will bo long-range pieces. The samo regulations give to the division in such a Rector a front of between 011 c and a half and two miles..

Supposing the ( Germans are in a state of "active defensive" —in other words, are being vigorously attacked on 125 miles (or 200 kilometres) of front —their regulations demand a strength of at least 2200 batteries, or some {1000 guns, for their defence. Of these 9000 guns no fewer than 4100 would be heavy pieces, of which over 1000 would be lone-range puns. A captured document throws some interesting ligbt on the system on which the Germans use their guns in resisting an attack. Tho document deals with the battle in Flanders, which the enemy had been anticipating since the beginning of July. The duty of tho German artillery was defined as follows :—

(a) Eneigetic counter-battery firing throughout the period of the artillery preparation.

(b) Harassing firo throughout tne night during the same period 'on roads, railways, camps, etc. (c) On the/last night but one betoia the supposed day of the attack, heavy fire of gas shells on certain groups of batteries. (d) Or. the morning of the attack very heavy counter-preparation fire for half an hour on the French departure trendies fa list is given of these departure trenches). In tho case of the battle of Flanders German desire far ortran performance. What happened was that the German counter-battery _ firing, though violent at times, especially during the night, was far less extensive and far less effective than was intended. The Germans 011 several nights fired gas shells 011 the French batteries, but were clearly in the dark as to the moment of tho attack. All they knew was that they were liablb to attack any time after the middle of July. Finally the counter-preparation lire directed on the departure trenches on the day of the attack was extremely feeble, although tho Germans had been quite correct in their list of departure trenches. Until noon the German artillery was far from active, and its inactivity was explained by an intercepted wireless message, which stated: "We cannot fire because we are ourselves under fire." In fact, the failure of the German artillery on'' this occasion was undoubtedly due to the remarkable efficiency of the French coun-ter-battflrv fire.

Other captured orders show that the German artillery is suffering severely from the strain to which it has been subjected in recent offensives. Every battery has been orderfd to ecoifomiso ammunition. Many guns and mortars which are no longer accurate are being used, with special tables to correct their deficiencies. Such inaccuracies are cot surprising when it is found that a large number of field guns have iired over 12,000 rounds. There are many complaints of the premature explosion of shells and the bursting of guns, which seem to show Jiat the quality of ammunition has deteriorated.