In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 23, 27 May 1915, Page 5

In the West

THE BRITISH ARMY. A LESSON ON MUNITIONS. Times and Sydney Sun Sebviok. (Received 8 a.m.) Loudon, May 26. The Timos' correspondent at the British Headquarters says: What strikes the observer of the British Army in the field is its homogeneity. It is all one quality. The best known German ranks are of twenty grades, extending from the Veterans' Guard to the rawest cannon-fodder. Even in crack corps like the Seventh and Fifteenth, the Germans are filled with questionable material. Some of the British battalions and brigades are long famous, others are just winning their spurs;but it would be rash to say that in their actual fighting value one was higher than the other. Never in the history of Britain has there been such proofs of the metal of our pasture. We are manifestly man to man superior to our foes. Reports all tell the same tale. When the German infantry attack, it is haltingly and halfheartedly, liked dazed and drugged men. All their strategy and tactics were planned to defend. To-day one burning fact is evident, and that is that the enemy has got -an amazing and powerful machine, and unless we provide a machine of equal power he will nullify the superior fighting quality of our men. The machine consists of a great number of heavy guns and machine guns, and an apparently unlimited supply of high explosives. The French recently at Artois made a great artillery concentration, with the result that they advanced untroubled for four miles. High explosives in sufficient quantities will annihilate hostile high trenches, parapets and entanglements. An authority states that with sufficient artillery preparation one can take several miles of country with a walking stick. This is no time for scolding and criticism. We are all to blame except the soldiers in the field, and our business now is to redeem our miscalculations and get the counter-machine without delay.

GERMANS' VIOLENT ACTION

THE RESULT OF RECENT CHECKS SUCCESS OF FRENCH AVIATORS.

(Received 9.25 a.m.) Paris, May 26. A communique says: The recent checks have driven the Germans to extremely violent action on the 25th and 26th. They first counter-attacked the works captured by the French north-west of Angres, but the French, despite a bombardment of exceptional intensity, retained the whole of the new positions and gained ground on the crests north-east of Notre Dame de Lorelte.

Freeh aviators on the 25th were act.ve along the whole front and dropped 203 projectiles of which eighty-two were bombs weighing ten kilometres (kilo: 2}lbs) and fourteen were shells neighing forty-three kilometres. They fired a shed and aeroplane at the aviation depot at Hewilly, and hit the petrol depots in a reserve park for nircraft at Grandpriel. Four shells at Douai fired the goods station. ALLIES CONTINUE TO PROGRESS The High Commissioner reports: London, 26th May, (4.30 p.m. : North of Arras the Allies' attacks on Tuesday made important progress. Xorth-east of Artgres, opposite Fossecalonne, the Allies took salient .vhich was an enemy redoubt. In the ,ame region, they carried another very strongly fortified German work. Further south, and east of the road Aixsoneette-Sochez, the Allies took on a front of a kilometre a whole large trench, where the enemy had resisted for the last fortnight. West of the same road, the Allies are progressing considerably; also in the Fonddebuval Ravine, which enemy artillery from Angres hitherto prevented the Allies reaching, and where the defensive organisation was particularly strong.

BERESFORD'S NARROW ESCAPES

(Received 9.20 a.m.) Paris, May 26

Lord Charles Beresford had a narrow escape when visting the French linos, presumably in Aisace. A Taube dropped bombs near the house in which Beresford was staying and killed a man. The Taube returned next day and dropped three bombs, partially wrecking the house after Lord Beresford had gone out. A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. (Received 12.10 p.m.) Amsterdam, "May 20. A German communique states \\ o repulsed a night attack against our newly-conquered position west of Bellewarde. The number of machine guns captured from the British was increased to ten. North-east of Givenchy colored British troops succeeded in capturing the salient of our advanced trenches. North of Souchez, on the Bethune hue. the enemy, who yesterday penetrated our trenches, 'was ejected at night.