A WEEK OF THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 5, 1 October 1918, Page 6

A WEEK OF THE WAR

_« . . VICTORIES REVIEWED

LESSONS OF CORRELATED OPERATIONS

GREAT AIR WORK

The Acting-Prime Minister (Hon. Sir James Allen) has received the following telegraphic summary of official war news from the -Ministry of Information for the week ended September 28: — Utterances by German leaders show clearly tho grave impression made by reoent events. Extreme war aims tend to be abandoned. After overtures to Belgium now German criticism of German policy in the East increases, and it is murmured that Germany might revise the Brest-Litovsk treaties. Tho Germans cavil at the German plan of imposing German Princes upon the Russian frontier provinces. It is pointed out that it was easy enough for Napoleon to do this after Austerlitz, but not tho same thing for the present Kaiser to do so in the present conditions. Events' in Poland show the weakening of German influence, and tlie recognition dawns that the hopes of closer union with Austria-Hungary are. futile. Naturally Germany now turns her attention to tho idea of the League of Nations, and it seems possiblo, .that an attempt will bo made to use this as a cloak beneath, which to maintain that European predominance which niilifary and other events seem now to be remefing from German hands. But, nothing shows Germany any nearer an appreciation of the moral aspects of the war. The, German public still fail to realise what the Allies are fighting for, and how universal and dominant is the moral indignation aroused by the German conduct of the war and to political attitude during their brief ascendancy in tlie spring. No bettor food offered by tlie German Government to their depressed .peoples than tho silly parrot-cry about "defensive ivar," which, never had any truth and must now liave lost all conviction fven for the Germans. Regarding the German condition of warfare, "the "Temps" says that the French ChaiuBer will shortly request the Government, together with the Allies, to make a, solemn declaration that any fresh devastation wrought by Germany on towns or. territory will provoke immc/» diate and. implacable reprisals. Italy's declaration regarding tho Ji;go-Slavs is most important, in view of military developments in tlie remoter theatres of tlie war. "The Council (of Ministers) resolves to inform the Allied Governments that tlie Italian Government regards the movement of the Jugo-Slav people for the conquest of their independence and for their constitution into a free State, 'as corresponding to the principles for which- the Entente is fighting, and also to the aims of a just and lasting peace." This marks a significant advance of Italy's previous position. The War in the Air. During the past week tho British airmen were heavily engaged in tho four main theatres of tho war, froin the Belgian coast v right away to the defiles or Samaria and tlie Syrian desert. An unmistakable . ascendancy 'everywhere has been asserted. On the Western front tho heaviest fighting took placo north of the Arras-Cambrai road. Large enemy forces were employed, and tho fighting was. bitter, particularly between Cambrai and north-east of Douai. During the work forty-six British machines were- reported missing, but in addition an immense amount of other work was dbnq by bomb-dropping against ground targets. _ The British airmen destroyed sixty-nine machines and drove down twenty-four more. Our anti-aircraft guns also brought down five machines —the total bag being 96. On the Rhine front the R.A.F. Independent Force made twenty-two successful raids and dropped an exceptionally heavy weight of bombs on the enemy's railways and industrial centres. AH the usual enemy objectives suffered as usual.

Particular attention is deserved by Hie aerial operations in Palestine. For spme time post the Royal Air Force Australian Flying Corps have neeu carrying on the widest scale reconnaissances over tlio inaritimo plain, from Mouiit Carinol to the Shechem-Joppa 'Road, over Samaria and the Jordau Valley from the edge of the Judefc Plateau to the Sea! at Gallilee. ' Other contiugents flying over. the Eastern Hills bombed machine-gunned the enemy's centres at Amman arid Deraa, across the Hedjas; railway, which runs from Medina through Damascus to the Turco-German base at Aleppo. All this in preparation for the triumphant drama of the past week. Meanwhile the British airman co-opera,ted on tho night of September 18, huavily bombing the railway junction at El Afnleh, on the ancient Damascus Road, to hinder reinforcements, and aggravate the enemy's difficulties.' Throughout the next tla-y our 'planes perpetually bombed the enemy's headquarters, and worried his retreat by many thousands of rounds against troops Wid transport, with more than eleven tons of bombs on various objectives behind the linos. As the Turkish retreti/t became a rout —on September 21—our airmen inflicted enormous damage.' to the enemy in the congested mountain roads, especially on the road from Nablus to the Jis're ed Daniieh Fond, along which the enemy vainly tried :to escapo into the Jordan Valley. On the Balkan, front our airmen continued most active. On September 21 the British 'planes 'brought news of the enemy's impending; retirement, having observed big fires At Hudova station and other points behind the lines. All day they watclied the KosturinoStiirma Road, ppcAced with troops and transport hurrying back, and perpetually attacked tliPJse from close' above, causing wild confusion and much disaster; The enemy's retreat was perpetually harassed vigorously by tho British aircraft. On the Italian' front no British machines were lost, but six enemy machines were destroyed, and Ijiree driven down helpless. ( In Northern Russia. During tho wast wook General Poole mado nonsid'crablo progress up the Dwina River, severely defeating the Bolsheviki. Wwr enemy ships were certainly sunk, and guns and war material captured. In the Murmau district tho Bnlfihevik defeat provos most complete. Our Karelian force occupied Ukhtinskayn, which had been fortified under Gominn supervision. Considerable number!! of_ recruits are joining us. The Cswoh situation on the Volna front is stilf serious. A now Bolshp.vik army, constantly reinforced by Germans and under Gorman organisation, is now threatening them with an eventual army of five hundred thousand. The Hololiwik forces linve improved, but thiv majority nre worthless. Twothirds nre peasantry, half are i workmen. Tli<! wholo of thp bourgeoises inten.wly Imatlie thn Bolslioviki. Factory workers trying to join tho Czechs lmvc bnnii nn.'vcntpd liy {.lie Bolshcviki. Those liiitl been indulging in intlificriminntn .iniissacro. Thorp wns complotc anarchy nt Hlnj»ovpctclimisk until the town was nnptured hy the Japanese. In tho Balkans.

Wliilo French, Serbian, and Italians broke the Bulgarian resistance on tho Vardar-Monastir front, the British and Greek forces made an attack nn both sides of Lake Dnirnii. Tin's mirk is important as preventing tlie enemy from

transferring forces from the western front to meet the Vardar attack. Tho Bulgarians resisted firmly, but on September 21 the enemy was observed to. ho preparing for a retirement along the Doiran front. "We immediately pursued. Now other lines have completely broken the enemy's resistance on the Vardar-Monastir line. Doubly attacked, lihe Bulgarian retreat became the wildest confusion, with the abandonment of masses of material and stores. This occupation by the Allies of Gradsko and Prilep means the separating of _ a big portion' of the Bulgarian army at the- front from the rost of tho enemy forces in the Vardair Valley. The only possible retreat open to tho Bulgarian Army west of Pniep is along a circuitous "road via. Tiraclißvo to Uskuh. The. situation of the Bulgarian Army is already most dangcious, and jf the Allies reach Uskiib the effect will probably be decisive. Brilliant and tenncious attacks by the British army on the Doirnn front played a great part in the heavy defeat of tho Bulgarian army, which has now lost such numbers, and such a quantity of materials that it is most doubtful if it wfll be able to recover without German and Austrian help. The Palestine Victory. In Palestine a complete victory, due principally to the skilful employment of largo masses of cavalry has. been won. This battle was one of the most remarkable in tiie war, uiiparallellel in history fo'r the combination of all arms. It lays open. Syria to the Allied invasion and imperils the communications of the Turkish forces in Mesopotamia. They cannot afford to ignore those perils, which will probably paralyse their move in Persia. Combined with our Balkan victory, which must terrify them for their position in Europe, and now with the Palestine army freed for any use required, we have an initiative not held before in .Eastern theatres. Had not the Germans been too hard pressed in tho Wost to transfer troops to meet, the new attack, neither tho Palestine nor the Balkan victory could feave been gained. The attacks were nicely timed for the moment when Germany was ifully occupied on her o.vn •Itccount; thus showing the correlated importance of attacks at widely different points, and giving fine proof of tho skilful combination of operations ia all theatres of the war.