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.
LONDON, Sept. 30.

LONDON, Sept 30.
In an interesting article in the London
Daily Express, Lieutenant Colonel
Alsager Pollock, of the British army,
gives a minute description of the theatre
of the worlds greatest battle on the
banks of the Alsne. 1t Is only necessary
to possess reasonable intelligence and
a fairly large map of the country
through which the Aisne flows in order
to understand how It is that the Allied
army, after successfully effecting a
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
points, by counter-attacks, and thus COM
pelled to brave again and again the perils
of forcing the passage.
Colonel Pollock describes the Aisne as
a very sluggish river. Frim Villeneuve,
one mile east of Soissons, 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 rule, to heights of
from 300 to $3.50 feet above the river The
coniguration 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 force dis
putting 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 the stream.
RANGE FINDING DIFFICULT.
According to Colonel Pollock, climatic
conditions render the finding OF an ns-
- II. t.,
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 1t 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-
ton 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, number of
other points simultaneously attacked.
One mile south of Montois Is an artil-
lery position three miles long and hav-
ing command of, roughly, 800 feet over
the level of the river. The hills on the
opposite bank have In no case a COM
mand within 60 feet great. In other
words, the artillery positions at the dis
posal of the attackers enjoy command
of not less than 60 feet over any pos
sessed by the defenders"
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 place-assumng 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 Aisne by WELL trained and
valorous troops would involve in many
places no inSurmountuble difficulty, the
supporting artillery effcctually prevent
Ing the enemy from offering serious re-
sistance, the conditions become very diff
ficult 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 II 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 weishty influence. Won
Kluk's defeated army, We may be quite |
sure, is not that which brought the pur-
suit to a standstill. Vcl Buelow without |
doubt, moved up his own army to occupy
and entrench the most favorable posi- !
tions on the right bank of the river. In |
anticipation of Won Kluk's retirement |
behind it,
Repeated failures in the actual condi- |
tions cannot have been otherwise than |
costly, and we must therefore prepare |
ourselves for n very heavy list of casual |
ties. as well as for further delay pending
the exercise of strong pressure upon the |
enemy's right flank.
''If the purely frontal attack succeeds,
the passage of the Aisne will be the |
most remarkable of all recorded In his
tory"
FOUR GARIBAL DIS FIGHT