THE PRICE OF VICTORY.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 21 June 1917, Page 3

THE PRICE OF VICTORY.

BRITISH CASUALTIES LIGHT. GERMANS SUFFER GREAT LOSS. Reuter's correspondent atj British headquarters dissects the German communiques on the Messines fighting, which, he says, contain an extraordinary number of mis-statements, calculated to belittle the brilliant .British results. Referring to the assertion that the British losses exceeded those of the Germans, the correspondent mentions that 10,000 BYitish had failed to respond to the roll-call up to Friday evening. Basing his computation on past experience, the correspondent says that 60 per cent, would be walking wounded, and a large proportion of the remainder would be able to rejoin later. The fact remains that owing to the over-

whelming effect of the artillery upon the enemy gunfire and the comparatively weak infantry resistance Messines Ridge was captured at an extraordinarily light cost. On the contrary ,the extent of the enemy losses is proved by the fact that there were only three survivors of half a battalion from one of the explosions. The most amazing feature of > the battle was the rapidity with which the decision was gained. The fighTing was little more than a minor feature. The men themselves admit that the fight was won by the gunners and the miners before they went forward. Whole companies reached their objectives without suffering a casualty. The enemy losses were appalling and were quite out of proportion to the average ratio based on ■<=■. number of prisoners. We know that four utterly exhausted Bavarian divisions had to be relieved on Thursday, the correspondent continued. "We know that whole terraces of dug-outs are smothered under perfect little avalanches of churned earth, and these are probably full of Germans who were sheltering from the shells, but were destroyed in a still more horrible manner. Many dead machine-gunners, chained or strapped to their machines were discovered among the debris, bearing out the previously discredited statement. Anzacs, Irishmen, Highlanders, and the backbone of the army, 'the good old English line regiments,' did magnificently at Messines, but the palm of victory goes to' the Royal Artillery. So perfectly to timetable was the attack carried out that there was not an interval of ten seconds between the time the infantry was scheduled to follow the barrage into the enemy trenches and the sending up of rockets denoting that the objective had been attained." The lesson has been re-emphasised at Messines that no defences can withstand a sufficient weight of artillery. We now -have that weight, and a bit to spare.