WAR'S GREATEST FIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 April 1917, Page 3

WAR'S GREATEST FIGHT.

THE' VICTORY AT ARRAS. every unit triujipimst. London, jiprii i!. As llio details of the Arms bait!'.' are unfolded two significant facts emerge: Firstly, the supreme spirit and buliaviour of the men; secondly, the generalship of tlio loaders. As regards tlio first, tlio infantry talk with tlie utmost admiration of the artillery: the gunners speak almost adoringly of the airmen, who toll; in glowing terms, of the splendour of the infantry advance and the magnificent audacity of the tallies. There is no complaint and 110 criticism among the fighting troopsonly universal admiration and content. There has been no battle on this scale fought by the British Army hitherto in this war, in which very unit has triumphantly obtaine.' \> immediate objective. All this .peaks hard work and tireless self-im, rovement among all ranks of the army. The victory, indeed, is tlio result of a perfected tactical method as practised by the French at Verdlin and the British on the Ancre mid at Arras, namely, file method enabling the strongest field fortresses to be captured with loss loss to the attackers than to the defenders. It is held that it discredits the theory once favored that generalship nowadays is less important in war, and that there are no groat British generals. Renter's correspondent at British Headquarters emphasises the decisiveness of our supremacy ill heavy artillery, which he said was strikingly illustrated at Vimy Ridge. Aerial photographs prior to the hammering revealed a system of defences which might have been deemed well nigh impregnable. There was row after row of wire,'each line many yards deep, a perfect honey-comb of trench works, and countless dominating machine-gun positions. Yot when the assaulting forces went forward they, found many places where trendies and wire alike had been absolutely obliterated. A fow charred stumps and an occasional rusty tangle of barbed-wire alone marked what had been formidable barriers.

Mr. Beach Thomas, in his description, states that the enemy concentrated his chief fury in Arras. Many streets resemble shale pits. The cathedral is a chalk quarry. It is difficult to discover a row of habitable house 3, but somo French men and women continued to work and gossiped in the open throughout the battle. They slept serenely ai-. night- long in the old Spanish cellars and passages, feeling secure in the knowledge that British troop's were near them. The prisoners gladly surrendered. Many had been without food for two day?. Our artillery wrought terrible devastation, burying the enemy's guns, mortars, and machine-guns everywhere. The battlefield is lioncy-combed with Gerni.m tunnels.