MOVEMENTS OF THE MOEWE

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 79, 9 March 1916, Page 5

MOVEMENTS OF THE MOEWE

CURRENT WAR TOPICS.

' i . From what has been passed by the censor, it appears that the enemy is still striving hard to break through at Verdun. In the south-east, the Germans claim to have stormed and captured Fresnes, ten miles from Verdun. This is not denied by the French, who state that they are harassing tjie enemy and staying his progress at certain points. But it is evident that the French are retiring still, , as the announcement of the bombardment of Blanzee and Giimaucourt (which are within the circle of the French line of last week) clearly proves. The German attack on the Manheullcs Road also shows they are drawing gradually nearer to the fortress. The line of the French before the attack and its present position to-day is evidence sure of the German progress. One point in dhe circumference of the French circle eastward of Etain was twelve miles from Verdun a week ago: now it has been reduced to six miles, and as shown by the latest cables it is grooving perceptibly less. There is, however, a long way for the enemy to travel before he can enter Verdun.

In the Persian campaign the Russians are making great strides, and have advanced from Kermanshah to Cola, twenty-seven miles on the way to Bagdad. There is still 200 miles to travel to the famous city, but already the Turks must be considerably alarmed for its safety. Trebizond, on the Black Sea, is in a panic at the prospect of falling to the Russians, and a flight has set in to Karahissar-Sahib, or Afium-Kara-Hissar (in ancient times known as Synnada), which is an important commercial town 75 miles south-west of Trebizond and 150 miles northwest of Erzerum. The reason for the flight to Karahissar is given as the cutting off of means of escape by the sea route owing to the operations of the Russians cruisers, but Karahissar provides a means of rapid transit as here the Anatolian railway joins the Smyrna system. A striking feature of the landscape is a mined citadel, which stands on a hill 800 ft above the plain. The population is .stated to be over 20,000.

* The first despatch of Admiral Sir Reginald Bacon, who commands the only part of the British fleet that is regularly engaged with the enemy, shows quite a neat little record of successes. As against the loss of an armed yacht, a drifter, and a mine sweeper, and 58 casualties, he has inflicted damage on the enemy which is known to include !< the sinking of one torpedo boat two submarines and one large dredger, the total destruction of three military factories, and damage to a fourth, extensive damage to the locks at Zeebrugge, and the destruction of 13 guns of considerable calibre, in addition to the destruction oi two ammunition depots and seveial military storehouses, observation stations and signalling posts, damage m wharves, moles, and other secondary places, as well as the infliction upon the enemy of a considerable number oi casualties.’’ Admiral Bacon may be remembered by naval men, as the o ncer who conducted the first submarine trials in the British Navy, and as t 10 first captain of the Dreadnought. Incidentally, since he was for a time in command of a siege brigade of tic Royal Marines, he has been soldier and sailor too. He was chosen for Ids present position out of a number of officers of equal rank, “because of 1 is distinguished abilities and the )oquirements of tne service.

If the German navy comes out ir w naval devices will also come to ligl t, though they will not necessarily all be German. A navy which finds a gie. o er one wacahing its ports has tic strongest of reasons for trying to improve its position by means of invention. The “submarine monitor” that wo have all heard of may be only one item on the bill of faro, and it is fairly certain that ‘everybody except the British naval authorities will oe surprised at the number of Germany s

airships and submarines if they are ever gathered together. But it is not ncessary to assume that that German naval authorities are the only ones who are “studying to improve.” Newspaper men have been allowed to talk about British super-monitors whose bulging sides and stuffed double sk ns are safe against any torpedo. But there is no reason to suppose that these are the only new things chat are being got ready for Germany. Another is mentioned, though not described, in the first, but only now available, despatch from Admiral Bacon since he took over command of the Dover patrol—the remarkably various fleet that looks after the Be lgian coast and periodically demolishes Zeebrugge.

This fleet, which consists of as many as eighty vessels, besides a French contingent under Commander S< illard, and is manned largely by R..N..R. officers and fishermen, has been attacked by submarines, but these seem unable to do it any damage. The interesting point, however, is m a small paragraph in which Admiral Bacon speaks of the extreme accuracy obtained with long range gunfire. “This accuracy. * he says, “fully justifies the novel methods use d. ” In another place, speaking of Zeebrugge, “the results were markedly successful,” the Admiral says; “all the objectives selected were damaged or destroyed.” And later he alludes to “remarkably good” shooting against “heavy guns of calibre probably larger than our own. One wonders about those "novel methods,” for their nature-is not described. Perhaps they consisted in careening the ships, to get a higher angle of fire; but that 'has been done before. •