WEEKLY WAR SUMMARY.

Taihape Daily Times, 31 July 1918, Page 6

WEEKLY WAR SUMMARY.

EFFECT OF FOCH’S STROKE POSITION OF CENTRAL EMPIRES REVIEWED. WELLINGTON, July 29. The following telegraphic review of the general war situation for the week ■ended the 26th July, has been received by the Governor-General from the Ministry of Information: —-

There has not yet been time to sec the full political reaction on Germany •and Austria in consequence of the failure of the most recent offensive, but it is confidently expected that the success of the Allied counter-attack will prove a severe shock and disappointment to the Germans, who believed the promises of the military party that a German victory and a German peace would be won by the present campaign. Apparently the En* peror appointed von Hintze by the advice of the military authorities, without consulting the political leaders. The Reichstag is seriously annoyed, and is not soothed by the adjournment, for this means a further victory to the military party over the civilan. Count Hertling’s theory of using Belgium as a “pawn” in the peace negotiations has been most clearly and emphatically exposed and -denied by Mr. Balfour, DISRUPTION IN AUSTRIA. Disruption continues in Austria Large numbers of Czech soldiers are reported to be deserting from the jinny, and have 1 - wandered into the mountains where they have organised themselves into bands, with the secret sympathy of the peasants, An official order of the officer commanding the Przemysl garrison abundantly shows the decay of discipline among the Austrian troops. From this it seems that all army regulations, uniform, Salutes, decorations, order and decency of every kind are now completely neglected. The commanding officer expatiates grievously on the complete and universal disregard for military cliscipline, and threatens to prohibit private soldiers using the streets in order to prevent the continuation of euch a scandalous state of squalor, neglect, and disorder. So bad are things that “when.l drive in an automobile I am pained to notice that I am seldom saluted. ” BULGAR-TURKISH DISCORD.

Bulgaria and Turkey begin to realise the dangers of an alliance with, the Central Powers. German promises to Bulgaria are irreconcilable with German promises to Turkey and now that Bulgaria and Turkey, are both claiming the fulfilment of their respective •promises, both are necessarily on the worst terms with each other and with

Germany. ALLIES’ REMARKABLE UNANIMITY, ,

But amongst the Allies, co-operation, co-ordination, and unanimity in the prosecution and purposes of the war are everywhere most remarkable. Great numbers of American troops have already arrived, and more are still constantly coming, while French, British, Americans and Italians all shared in the military successes of the past weeks, and on the 24th July the Food Controller of these four Powers held a meeting in London for further co-ordination in the production and distribution of food. President Wilson telegraphed: “The American people are gladly willing to make any sacrifice in the consumption and production of foodstuffs to maintain the health, comfort and courage of the Allied countries. We are, in fact, eating at a common table with them. AVIATION RECORD. During the past week British airmen in France made a very large number •of reconnaissance and photographic flights, and carried out many successful raids on vital enemy positions. Thousands of photographs were taken -and 154 tons of bombs dropped on important military objectives at Estaires, Merville, Armentieres, Mericourt and Bray railway stations, connections at Cambrai, Lille and Leclin etc. Enemy resistance in the air has considerably stiffened, so that fighting of considerable intensity has taken place. Seventy-six enemy machines %6re brought down, 18 driven dow-n helpless; 51 of our own machines were reported missing. The British vigorously maintained the aerial offensive against the enemy objectives on the Belgian seaboard. Upwards of 20 tons of bombs were dropped on Zeebruggo harbour and workshops, docks and canal, Ostend and Bruges docks, and other vital points. A successful attack was made on salvage works at Zeebrugge, and all the attacks gained excellent results. The independent Royal Air Forces have had a successful week making 25 raids on German territory. They four times attacked the station and sidings at Thionville, the notorious poison-gas factory at Mannheim, the powder factories at Eottewil and Oberdorf, blast-furnaces at Agondauge Burbaes and Wadgosen. an aerodrome -at B'oulay, the railway station at Heidleberg, and many other places, dropping a considerable w r cight of bombs at each. A large fire broke cutat Thionville station, followed by many heavy explosions at Benz works

and Badische. The chemical factory in Mannheim also broke out in flames and during the same raid the Gebruder Guilini munition factory was hit, and dense clouds of smoke burst out. Moreover R.A.F., contingents, in combination with the Navy, carried out successful raids on enemy Zeppelin sheds at Tondern Schlewig, 'where a large double shed was completely destroyed, and another seriously damaged. Four British machines failed to return, but three of them landed in Dutch territory. Much useful work was done in Italy, where decisive air fighting took place, 19 enemy machines being brought down, with no single British loss. In the Balkans, with one British machine reported missing, the British brought down four enemy planes and winged another two. Bombing squadrons attacked enemy organisations and dumps at Ycsnuk, Porna, Subashkein and Nouri. The Royal Air Force and the Australian Flying Corps were active on the Palestine front destroying six enemy machines, with two British reported missing. Cattaro was strongly attacked by a British squadron, all of which returned safely, having successfully dropped three-quarters of a ton of bombs.