Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-30
FIGHT ALONG AISNE
PROBABLY GREATEST
IN HISTORY OF WARS
Expert Declares Passage of
River by Frontal Attacks
Would Be Most Notable
Military Feat.
J,ONDON Sent N

In an interesting dTllCle III tiie bOnuOi
Daily Express, Lieutenant Colonel
Alsager Pollock, of the British army
gives a minute description of the theatre
of the worlds greatest battle on this
hanks of the Aisne 1t is only necessary
IN possess reasonable intelligence and
fairly large map of the country
through which the Aisne flows in order
40 understand how 1t is that the Allied
army, after successfully effecting q
crossing, has not only been prevented
from prosecuting its advance beyond the
river, but has even been temporarily
driven back to the left bank, at some
noints, by counter-attacks, and thus COM
nelled to brave again and again the perils
of forcing the passage.
Colonel Pollock describes the Aisne as
n very sluggish river Frim Villeneuve,
one mile east of Scissors, to Lamotte,
eight miles east of Compiegne, a dis
tance of nearly seventeen miles, the fall
Ia only twenty-one feet. The flats be-
tween the hills forming the valley are
seldom less than one mile In breadth,
and the hills themselves rise thence,
rather abruptly as a rule, to heights of
from 300 to 800 feet above the river. The
conflguration of the hills is very in
dented, SO that on either side, but more
especially on the right bank, the guns
and also the rihemen of a force dis
puting the passage can readily be dis
posed SO as to be perfectly sheltered
from artillery fire from the opposite
bank, while at the same time command
ing long reaches of the valley both up
and down tho stream
RANGE FINDING DIFFICULT.
According to Colonel Pollock. climatic
conditions render the finding Of an ua-
ourate range for heavy guns almost inl-
possible. In the clear atmosphere Of
South Africa, where he served during
the Boer War, the fire OF artillery at 5000
yards, or even more, could be quite use
fully observed, particularly when the sun
shone on the target, but it is not so
on the banks Of the Aisne, and this fact
is one of much disadvantage to the AL
lies Here, then, we have an explana-
tton sufficient in itself to account for
the difficulty experienced by the British
and French troops in making good their
hold on the right bank of the Aisne, in
spite of all the valor displayed by them
in successfully effecting the crossing Of
the river
"a single example," says Colonel Pol
lock, will suffice to make clear the whole
matter in this connection. Let us as
sumo an attempt to cross at Vic-sur-
Aisne, among, of course, a number Of
other points simultaneously attacked
One mile south of Montois Is an artil-
lery position three miles long and hav-
ing a command of, roughly, 800 feet over
the level of the river. The hills on the
opposite bank have in no case COM
mand within 60 feet as great. In other
words, the artillery positions at the dis
posal of the attackers enjoy command
Of not less than go feet over any pos
sessed by the defenders
A POINT OF VANTAGE.
But according to Colonel Pollock, on
the left bank of the d'Hoxion, tributary
stream which falls into the Aisne at
Vicsum-Aisne, a convenient spur juts out
westward, from behind which an open
field of fire extends for about 5000 yards
along the right bank of the Aisne and
guns there posted would be quite safe
against anything but chance shells from
howitzers, which might conceivably drop
on their lurking Understanding this to
have been indicated by aviators. There
is no commanding position whatever
from which direct fire could be brought
TO bear on guns placed behind the spur
In question.
The point that Colonel Pollock makes
In this connection is that while the actual
passage of the Asne by well-trained and
Valorous troops would involve in many
places no insurmountable difficulty, the
supporting artillery effectually prevent
ing the enemy from offering serious re-
sistance, the conditions become very diff
fcult from the moment when the attack
ers begin to mount the slopes beyond the
river in face of artillery, machine guns,
and rifles securely placed where 1t is i'm
possible to reach them from the opposite
bank. Fortunately, he adds, the difficulty
confronting a flank attack directly over
the Aisne is far less and in his opinion
such attack can be successfully made.
MAY MAKE HISTORIC RECORD.
Meanwhile" Colonel Pollock says in
conclusion. there is also another factor
of the problem which has most certainly
exercised a weighty influence. Won
kluk's defeated army. we may be quite
sure, is not that which brought the pur-
suit TO standstill. Won Buelow without
doubt, moved up his own army to occupy
ana entrench the most favorable posi-
tlons on the right bank of the river, in
anticipation OF Won Kluk's retirement
behind it.
Repeated failures in the actual condi-
tons cannot have been otherwise than
costly and We must therefore prepare
ourselves for a very heavy list of casual
ues, as we'll as for further delay pending
the exercise of strong pressure upon the
enemys right flank.
III the purely frontal attack succeeds,
the passage of the Aisne will be the
most remarkable of all recorded In his
tory"