Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1915-04-08
Three Weeks in the Field.

A British observer with the French
forces in the field, who has the per-
mission of General Joffre to report on
the work of the French army, has sent
count covering the three weeks since
February Is, in Champagne. In the
district midway between Rheims and
Verdun, on a. fighting front of some
five miles, he says the French have
been attacking one point or another
every day for three weeks.
1T is a. sustained operation, Of a
different kind to those which we have
seen during the winter months" he
says. eThese were local efforts, last
enemy busy. and prevent him from
withdrawing troops elsewhere; this Is
a sustained effort, made with the OBJ
ject of keeping a constant pressure on
his first line Of defence. of affecting
his use Of the railway from Bazan-
court to Chailerange a few miles to
the north, and Of wearing down his
reserves of men and ammunition, It
may be said that the 18th of February
marks the opening of the 1915 cam
paign, and that this first phase will
find an important place when the
history of the war comes to be written:
1.-THE nature Of the country, is en-
tirely different to that in which the
British army Is fighting. 1t is one vast
plain, undulating, the hills at most 200
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slopes everywhere. The soil is chalky.
The only features at the pine woods,
which have been planted by hundreds.
AS each rise is topped, a new stretch
of plain, a. new set of small woods ap-
pear, just like that which has been left
behind. The villages are few and
small, most of them are In ruins after
the fighting in September; and the
troops live almost entirely in colonies
of little huts Of wood or straw. about
four feet high, dotted about in the
woods, in the valleys, wherever a lit
tie water and shelter is obtainable.
Lack of villages means lack of
roads: this has been one of the great
difficulties to be faced; but at the
same time, the movement of wagons
across country is possible to far
greater extent than in Flanders, al
though it is often necessary to use s
or 10 horses to get a gun OF a wagon
to the point desired. From the mill
tary point of view the country is
erninently suitable for troops. with it's
ing sudden surprises with cavalry, and
of nanoeuvrs generally. 1t is, in fact
the training ground Of the great mill
tary center of the Chalons; and French
troops have doubtless been exercised
over this gound in every branch Of
military operation, except that in which
they are engaged at the present mo-
ment.
What commander, training his men
over this ground, could have imagined
that the area from Perthes-lez- Hurlus
to Beausejour Farm would become two
fortress lines. developed and improved
for four months; or that he would
| have to carry out an attack modelled
on the same system as that employed
| in the last great siege undertaken by
French troops, that Of Sebastopol in
1856? Yet this is what Is being done.
Every day an attack is made On g.
trench on the edge Of one OF the lit
tie woods. or to gain ground in one of
them: every day. the ground gained has
| to be transformed SO as to give pro-
lection to its new occupants and means
Of access to their supports; every
night, and on many days, the enen1y's
counter attacks have to be repulsed.
Each attack has to he prepared by a
violent and accurate artillery fire: 1t
may be said that a trench has to be
morally captured by gun fire before It
can be actually seized by the infantry.
Once in the new trench, the men have
to work with their entrenching tools,
without exposing themselves. and wait
for O counter attack, doing what dam
age they can to the enemy with hand
grenades and machine guns. Thus the
amount Of rifle fire is very SMALL 1t
Is a war OF explosives and bayonets.