In the West.
THE ATTACK AT V1T.51 HUN. [United Phksk Amooiatson. | London, May 15. Tlie critical period of military opera iions is arri • i ce German phinc or the year are slid obscure. J'i.eii renewed great attacks at Verdun surprised most critics, who are unable to divine the object, and two distinct schools of opinion have been formed. Britain and Prance first consider tiiat Germany, finding the Verdun offensive was fruitful because tbo bleeding ol France, was preventing the Allies to take the offensive and concealing the plans for a German offensive elsewhere.. Those point out that Germany had been economical of life at Verdun, having co-ordinated her artillery preparation and infantry advances with extreme cleverness. The French admit heavy losses, and that Germany’s have not been excessive. If the Germans shortly take the offensive at Riga or in Sopth Russia it Will indicate that they have not yet reached the limit of their strength.
The other school claims that the Verdun offensive was political, and all political are costly mistakes. M. Marcel Hutin, in the Echo de Paris, says that at the beginning of February the Germans prepared four iig offensives. They surprised us at Verdun, where the preliminary successes wore easy, and the entry to Douanmont Fort convinced the enemy that the fortress was within their grasp. The Crown Prince brought up •II his reserves and material from other sectors where the offensives had been prepared for, but the restoration of our front by Generals Castlenau and Retain upset the enemy’s colossal plan. We continue to take a heavy toll of Germany’s finest legions. Au eminent Russian critic, Colonel Chonmsky, writing to the Paris Journal, expressing the Russian view, states that Germany did not hope to break through the West front, but expected to throttle the Allies’ Western offensive while General Hindenbuig lunged against Russia, the result being exactly the opposite. Germany is ,o entangled on the-West front that she is unable to despatch a reinforcement for the realisation of her grand projects’ against Russia and the Balkans. The Verdun failure has dislocated German strategy, and has been equally important as the fighting at the Marne. * v: ______ 1;, OFFICIAL REPORTS. i . ■ ,; i £ The High Commissioner reports:— London, May 16 (10 p.m.) On the left bank of the Meuse, there was a rather lively bombardment of our positions at Avocourt Wood and
Hill 304. ’ o n the right hank, a small German grenade-attack north-west of Thianrnont farm was completely checked. In the region of the Wocvre, there is much artillery fighting in sectors of Fix and Moulainville. j GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT. ' ■,: i ■* { ■ London May 15. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was considerable activity during the night between Loos and La Bassee Canal. Raiders entered our trenches but were speedily expelled. They also exploded a mine and seized the crater ; but after a short bombardment by trench mortars we attacked and secured the lip of the crater. A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. Amsterdam, May 15. A German communique says: The enemy’s attempt to recapture their trenches at Hulluch collapsed under artillery fire.
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Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 36, 17 May 1916, Page 5
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511In the West. Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 36, 17 May 1916, Page 5
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