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Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1917, Page 5

HINDENBURG'S PLANS. RETIREMEXT PRELIMINARY TO ATTACK. » A POWERFUL STINKING FORCF„ HEADY TO LAUXCII AT ALLIES. Received April 13, 11.40 p.m. Lumlmii April 13. Professor Bidnn. tiie famous military critic of the .Journal Doa Debuts, in an article in tlm publication Land ami Water, discussing the 1017 campaign, say; it is obvious Himlenburg is preparing his offensive, retreats being a favorite preliminary to Ilindcnbnrg'.s offensives, lie hopes to resume the war movement and suspend the Western front. For 2'.;, years the Germans have been training troops .in the rear in exercises where trench warfare forms quite a subsidiary part. They are also greatly developing the medium of artillery, which is both powerful and mobilic, at the expense of artillery in position. The alarming pulverisation of the Orman positions on the Somme showed that no position was safe from the BritMi artillery. Troops in shelters had no time to come out to meet the assault. Whole units were thus captured. The Oermans now realise that the men must withdraw from dug-outs as the guns withdraw from the fortress.

The Germain intend to refuse battle and yield ground when the Allies' offensive is disclosed. Thus they will sain several weeks before a new attack is possible. The German medium artillery vyfll reach perfection in June. If the German? can avoid defeat until then Hindenberg intends an offensive with masses created by deducting the fourth regiments from divisions. The veorgan'sation. which will have produced 13 new divisions, will be armed with extremely powerful artillerv