LUDENDORFF'S BLUNDER.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 July 1918, Page 6

LUDENDORFF'S BLUNDER.

TRENCH EPERTS ’ VIEWS.

THAT WENT WRONG

French critics the view that Gorman, offensive in March,apparent territorial gains, completely failed to achieve the objectives;‘ The tremendous force of enemy's attack recoiled upon itself. §THe’ Gerftan masses, by their very

GnUrhber- which enabled them to drive in

front, now find themselves literally bottled up in a narrow stretch y.of country in such a manner that they ■ can i for the time being .ifpirward nor properly provision theft.-; *•; selves where they are.: The Germans, v 3n,.'fact> .have learnt by bitter oxperi,ence that although it is all very well -to .knock down a wall in front of them men the, effort is. practically useless; if , behind. this wall there is:no free space JLjk ji wi w* vi * _ . to enable the million of men to spread out and if behind the-fallen there is ,another, which- hadyppt vt |>ien J ,.at all affected by the driving, in ? ‘of The first. The only chance for, the ' 'stacking' million. in such circumstances D is TO smash forward again immediately ''before' the defenders can recover t t do this, the “’ieSistaftce- of the adversary is re-eS- * AahMsh ed, and the att-a ekin g million G mavd 1 all their work to begin over again

this time under much'less promis-

ing circumstances. •si This : is exactly : what happened to ■’tlitidendorff at the end of the first week Vof the battle. It was at this jtmc--5 iajfei:-that Ludendorff committed his r cardinal . blunder, in '•■'the view c of C.'(French 'experts, of not throwing in ? the whole of his reserves at Monfdijldierjl" which might have enabled him •to exploit totthe full by a war of n movement the initial success gained by surprise? General Cherfils states in the . Gaulois that Ludendorff had(the adx vantage of‘.four great lines '[of comcommunication running to. La Fore, St. . Quentin, Cambrai, and Lille respecttively, all connected up-by- two : great .transverse lines.... General . Cherfils that the. reason, why Luden- ' dorff did not take advantage of the siuation was that lie could not bring in his accumulated strategic reserves ' owing to the excellent work, done . .by the 80 aeroplanes sent by General, Pet? 'f r ' ■ - • f - 1 • • : 1 ■ D - tain to spread disorder among the OH* ''iemy reserve formations and to attack * £ th c e : ’;|)olnts whence these formations /necessarily come im P Thb second week of the battle found Br the Germans bottled up in the harrow s -hbnfihcxncnt of the' restricted ' area s - which they had reached by thhir treH mbidous effort, and it becarti’e neiehs-,

. sary at any 'cost to smash opfiri.' a window, here and there to let in' 'some •' am The Crown Princb attempted to 5-"4o this' by : am : attack "towards' 1 Coney .won the deft; and if the Germans had really possessed the' strength to carry, itjthrouarh their , pfforoin thm "direction should liavt( been! successful. This attempt, however, was stopped by the 3?reheh : ■ before'- 1 ' anjr 3 ‘ sefiduh progress had been made. Ludendorff then turned a much-easier "road on his right, :s whieh r resulted in" the breiach by Ar-

mentieres. Here ■again'the dacle of shffir} eient strategic reserves brought : about 5 -a similar;'result as'-the'main attack

during] .the first week- and here again

- the Germans found themselves .'massed .- in a narrow stretch of country. Tor the;, second time the enemy was more or less bottled up. .doeo 00 i; ll io It is henceforth, impossible, M. Marcel. Hutin states in ,the;Echo. dei Paris, for he Germans they may attempt another .smashing blow, to obtain.;thc. benefit,of a strategic sur-

prise such as they effected on March *''2l by" attack' oh; a front of, 50 ' 'ifh'o' Allied commanders are cont6°bide their time. 'When the Ger- • ' exhausted themselves_ down "' ■■iro ‘the’‘desired' p6ini K, th’e ; ! tiiih of tho ” o! J t fetich' ahcP British #ill r b'ave come.

E OF HOM E TRAI NING. -limbi o.rfT uv. ; YtiQi Tu t o'jr: m ci ■■ <i• *• ■ *'• '* r'Af-i ' i'-\\ 'if/ .:T - The vital importance of home train■7yihg‘aa*a measure to combat the evil of. 9ll jmm'draifty was emphasised on Mon'. JJ }a'U ‘VS ; • !.'>■• day by Sir James Allen, Minister for Defence, - in- addressing a deputation of xepreMatatfves' of MhtiMi’si Ifeading organisations in Auckland. “It is too ■late' tbHSng'a&oitt re'fbtihl tvb£if your, boys and 'iiris 'ard t he said?r **UhlesS. the' ; home/tilfluenbe';,be ‘good? i ; Aiid V.otif yoling folk trained from ..the*' Very start to understand' : the perils "And dangers; of‘ temptatipn, ( and, to M liyea,-TW-. :r^ <So ', ~«way wtih social evils. There is urg- !i en for 'your' %Wri^4ocietieS ; " to do. Get down to' the bottom of ate your children in the home and in Ifie'&Mobl/'arid create a healthy pub-' lie opinion on' these matters, which

are of such tremendous importance to' * ‘ r ’Bi# Welfare' hi 1 tile' hommutiity;” 1 There ~ 1 -particular nebd, i g£liS‘ Sir James,' girfe mmiv^ihstMon on tStW 1 kiiielines'’ as that "giVen" to'; * y tn6n in eamp, li 'as , 't6 c 'ttte coh^eWences brga'nisalioffs hu6& as those represented by the deputation could •<Io se’rvice. is 79 r D /iffoT ‘ ::