GAINS IN FLANDERS

Taihape Daily Times, 18 December 1917, Page 5

GAINS IN FLANDERS

Reviewing the results of the offensive in Flanders, the correspondent of of the London Times recently wrote: —We know that the Germans had planned to spend their winter in the Zenneheke-Staden line, which —so far as its southern part is concerned—they certainly will not. Roughly, apart from all the Arras and Vimy Ridge fighting, in the Ypres area this year General Plumer and General Gough have driven the enemy out of about 50 square miles of territory. So much of Belgium they have reclaimed from Germany. From north to south, in a bee line, the front has been about 16 miles, "But following the curve of the salient, from the inside of which we started, the line was 21 miles. The gain in extreme depth is about five miles, but the depth varies according to the character of the ground —for we sought only the commanding positions. It is true that each yards of this advance has unsuual importance as being the enemy's chosen positions for the defence of all the Belgian plains beyond. He must know as well as we what it will mean if we start next year’s campaign with these positions in our hands. But what we have been striking at is not positions, but men. The real measure of our gains is the wastage of German morale. From prisoners, especially intelligent prisoners, we are now getting much intering information on the subject of the depression and rebelliousness in Germany, wihich are reflected in the behaviour the Reichstag and the mutiny in the German navy. The officers captured are well aware of the naval mutiny, and talk freely of knowing how widespread the mutinous spirit is which has brought it about, and they do not conceal how much the same spirit has spread in the army. Referring to the operations the correspondent says that the mud, however hampering to the infantry, does not interfere with the flight of shells, and continuous punishment ©by ouf artillery goes on. Our new positions have brought a wide circle of new objectives within range of our guns, and many military points of great importance, heretofore inaccessible except from the air, such as Eoulers railway, station and its adjacent sidings and stores, can now be kept'under regular fire. The observation which w T e now have and the command of his communications for long distances behind his lines must make the enemy singularly uncomfortable.