A WEEK OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 284, 20 August 1918, Page 5

A WEEK OF THE WAR

OFFICIAL REVIEW

THE ALLIED ATTACK SOUTH

OF THE SOMME

NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN

RUSSIA

[The following official summary of the war situation for tho past week has been received from the Ministry of Information by the Acting-Prime Minister (Sir James Allen.]

Tho attack south of the Somme I was so 'successful that it exceeded ex- ' peetations. The enemy's whole fronttrench system was overrun at the greatest cost to the enemy and the slightest loss to our own troops. Tho German machine-gunners did not show the samo fighting qualities as during the attack on Viliers Bretonneux, but on this occasion left ..or surrendered their guns. Meanwhilo at first tho British attack between the. Somme and tho Ancre was temporarily hold up by a German attack which caused some confusion and upset our arrangements, but ,b}' August 9 all was veil, and the whole objcctivo was obtained. The Allies planned a converging attack on the Germans in the Montdidier salient from three directions. This plan was most successful, and tho town of Montdidier was surrounded and captured with a large number of prisoners. The enemy was completely surprised rtnd feebly resisted. Progress meanwhile continues all along the whole front, and the latest news states that, the French are masters of tho entire T.assigny ridge, tho most important point, as tho ground hero dominates a considerable extent of country to the iiortli. During (he past week tho advance mado was from ten to fifteen miles on a fortyfiye mile front, while over thirty thou- , sand prisoners and nearly seven hundred guns woro taken. Tho German losses wore disproportionately greater than those of the Allies. It is probable that tho complete Allied casualties do not equal the number of Germans captured. No previous offensive has shown anything ' like such a preponderance of German dead. ■ tt is now probable that tho cuemy intends to withdraw farther, though probably not behind the Sowme, in spito of his unfavourable position west of (he river. Our nearness to the important junction of Chanlnes hampers the enemy's usual lino of railwny running from Pcromie through Chaulnes to Roye, and his communications across tho river are farther made uncomfortable, by (lie fact that the Allied airmen are constantly bombing tho bridges. On the rest of the front tho Germans have begun a withdrawal in the Hcrro salient, probably lo obtain n bbtler lino and a shortened front. They also continue, withdrawing on tho L.vs salient. These withdrawals seem lo indicate that the enemy do not eonlemnlate a further offensive' on the British front, but definite conclusions are at present unsafe. However, last week's work greatlv diminishes the further offensive nower of tho Germans. They used thirty-five divisions between (.ho Ancre and the Dion, fifteen of which were fresh from their reserves. The ei-emv now lias only some ?'xb>en fresh divisions in reserve on tho whole !\V"steru front, of whie'' eleven helone to Prince Ruppreoht. The German shortage of man power and the irepondemnt rifle slreni»|h of the AWes ronkn it more and more doubtful whether' the Germans will rMr nnother big attack in Trance this year. Intense Air Fight.inn. Tho outstanding feature of tho week's air fighting has been tho severo magnitude of tho conflicts on the British Western front, particularly iu the first live days of the offensive. Tho battle raged at its greatest intensity on Thursday, August 8, between tho Albert and Amions-Roye Road, where the enemy's forces were considerably increased after the opening attack, so that fighting on an unparalleled scale continued throughout tho day. Fifty British machines aro reported missing, but forty-eight enemy machines are known to have been ''nstroyed, while seventeen were driven down helpless. After his initial reserves, tho enemy's air resistance noticeably''weakened, but during the. four following days, while there were ninety-eight British machines reported missing, one hundred and 'forty-two enemy machines wero destroyed, ahd scvonty-thrco wero driven down, making a total bag of 'two hundred and eighty enemy aircraft knocked out during tlie battle, without counting kito balIron-' During tho whole week in tho Siitisli Western front, one hundred arirl seen British machines have been reflrtiled missing, but two hundred and twentysix enemy machines havo been destroyed and one hundred and eight driven down. Meanwhile, British bombing squadrons throughout the week attacked tho enemy's aerodromes,- etc., dropping tho usual number of bombs and causing tho usual handsome amount of damage to tho enemy's military material aud porsonnel. Much valuable help was also given to (ho British infantry, cavalry, and tank units in attack, l>y low-flying British scouts which ceasingly hovered over the battlefield in considerable numbers, at- ' tacking tlio ononis resisting points and . raking tho i already congested roads of tho retreating armies with machine-gun fire. Moreover, the usual immense amount of contact patrol battery coun-tcr-work was successfully carried out, and thousands of negatives wero taken during tho battle by the British photo- i giapluc air squadrons. In the Belgium theatre the continuous British offensive i against the German naval bases was i pitilessly persisted in with tho usual ro- i suits. There w£to many direct hits and i a number of destructive fires on all tho ] usual iwints of attack. The Royal Air > Forco independent squadrons mado a ( number of tolling destructive raids on i German territory, 'attacking iho usual military objectives, while on August 12 a successful raid was carried out on tho aeroplane and chemical works at Frankfort. Several bursts wero observed in tho centre of the No British machines were reported missinj in tho Mediterranean and Eastern theatres,_ but in the coursc of British air activity eight enemy machirics wero destroyed and two wore brought down. On August II a Royal Aid Force contingent, in com- f binatiori with tho Navy, successfully at- , tacked a Zeppelin over the North Sea, ( and brought; it down blazing from a ] great height. (

The Situation in Russia, In Northern Russia there is increasing evidence to show that the Germans contemplate an early attack on tlio Murnuiu railway. Before long it is most Drobablo that Finland will declare war. The Bolshevik rearguard occupies positions about one hundred miles south of Archaimel, and is apparently largely officered by .Germans. In their retreat the Bolsheviki committed every form of anion? the inhabitants, .who are all enthusiastically oil the side of the Allies. Tho situation in tlio rest, of European Russia remains obscure. The reported defeat of tilt! Czechs in the Samara region is unconfirmed. though their peril iu Eastern Siberia still makes most urgent demands for relief.. The arrival of the first British battalion in Eastern Siberia unit Mm advanced guard of (ho Allied contingent at. Vladivostok was greeted onthustostiWilLf by tho Czocis, and oar prompt aid,

together with. tho public recognition of l heir national aspirations, should havo tho strongest appeal to their compatriots rfll over the world. In North-west Persia and tho Caucasus the British right flank in Mesopotamia has been extended to the Caspian Sea to assist tho Armenians and tho pro-Entente elements in-thn Caucasus, and to form a barrier across Persia ngaiii'iv Turko-Gorman penetration. A British contingent has arrived at Baku, and helping to defend the place. The olhw- forces are of smaller military value, thou;;'. 1 i", Russian general has now liawv appoKi::,.:, and it is hoped may pull them llltO Siir.iiv.

German Public Depressed. Recent military wonts havo had a markedly depressing effect upon German public opinion, in 'spite of ail attimpta to ra.ij;ouil,MTS the reai state Stings. Tho conviction obviously grows tfcat not only has tho Gevmau summer campaign 011 tha Western front failed, bat that Germany in the East has assumed an impossibly heavy political burden. Prom tho chaos in Russia e,nerges the fact that 6 the Bolshevik regime is falling, while any suracding Government, of whatever • form, is not likely to bo friendly to German Imperialism, which has supported i I tho Boisheviki. Germany took advantage N of. tho temporary revolutionary distrac- . | lion to sow the seeds of troubto in Kus- . sia, arid now will reap the whirlwind 011 1 ( her own acconnt. Meanwhile tho Cwciio- " j Slovaks, valiantly contending against ; superior ;t,rees and superior armament, havo mfiinfained their hojjl in an ex-; 5 tremely critical condition, whilo anxiousf ly awaiting adequate Allied help, on J .which their very existence depends—unE less we are to sacrifice this heroic Allied 5 nation which Britain has just recog- " nised. The Ukraine peasants, exasper--3 ated.by German military methods, aro • giving obstinato troublo to their opprca--1 sors, while Bulgaria and Turkey almost ' openly vovcal their dissatisfaction with " each other and Germany. In Austria '' conditions aro going from worse to worse. ! Evon harmless women and children, as- ! sembled beforo a shop for bread, ayo re- ! ported to havo been liral upon by the ■ troops, whilo disaffection corrupts, tho ', Army and open revolt among units is - now "riot uncommon. Nevertheless thesn • symptoms .must bo discounted," for Ger- ' mnny is still tho pillar of the Central • Alliance, and only understands such pli.Y- ---■ sicnl argtuuonf.s as a crushing military 1 defeat. i The Food Supply. The Allies' Food Controllers aro busily ' settling tho food programme for the en- ' lining year. It is evident that Britain will be greatly dependent throughout tho winter and sprin;; on her homo supply of '.ne:it. This emphasises the need for a winter supply of bacon and for i)n increased provision of feeding stuffs, without which it r will be difficult to get enough to meet the ration, even though this be reduced. The importance of feeding stuffs is also evident in connection with the grave question of the winter milk supply, the adequacy of which depends upon an increased distribution of fodder to tho farmers. The improved weather conditions should make the grain reserves reasonably safe and justify (ho estimated yield of the potato crop.