The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-13
SpscioI Corye,popJeucs 10 THE Sun.

Special Correspondence to THE Sun.
PARfs. July 3O.-What are the cele.
brated Won Mackensen tactics n how
did 1t happen that success has rowne
his Galician campaign. Is graphically de-
scribed IN "a statement made by a Rus
sian General. a participant In the battle
that resulted In the evacuation Of Lem
berg by the Russian armies.
"As early as last November II was
easily seen that a new star was rising
In the ranks Of the German army, and
tina, Gen. Won Mackeneen would succeed
H~indenburg. since the iatter's method.
! excellent in It's way n based upon
the lessons learned in the school OF
Moltke and Bernhard. proved Of little
value against Russian strategy" aid the
Russian warrior.
The Moitke. and consequently the
H~indenburg. method consisted In Great
inh a thin but strongly fortified line In
the centre. and then In endeavorins to
throw large ma sses OF troops TO attack
the enemy on both sides and. II possible.
to strike at his means Of communication.
To this apparently very effective method
there In a no less effective answer. TO
pierce the attacking forces entire. which
we performed successfully in Aueustowo
forest In September and In the battle
near I~vangorod In October. In both In.
stances Hindenburg had TO beat a hasty
retreat.
The first time we came into conta ct
with Voc Mackensen's tactics was In the
lighting Tor the possession OF LodE. There
We noticed for the first time a change In
the method OF the German attack. The
new way consisted In choosing a given
point and then throwing all available
forces In that direction. no matter what
the obstacles. Thus the holocaust will ex-
tinguish a bonnre by the sheer mass OF
their bodies.
Credit Given TO Won Mackensen.
This system vase developed by the
Germans 20 its full extent in the
Galician battles last May. While Won
Tlebeans used II In their war agains,
the Spartans. and so did Alexander the
Great-the German commander merits
all the credit for having found the
means of applying II under modern cor
ditions.
Instead OF the forest OF iances. as II
the ancient days, Won Mackensen usei
artillery. lie places his guns In three
and even four rows. First come tn,
field guns and guns Of medium calibre
then the heavy guns. six and eigh'
inches In diameter. and lastly. the very
heavy nine 10 twelve inch guns. OF
course. these gun are not lined in foul
even rows. for the batteries are placed
in groups and are c~leverly covered bu,
the disposition Of artillery present,
three or four different zones.
The struggle against the enemy artii.
lery disposed in this manner takes or
a very difficult character, for IL re-
quires at least the same equipment on
the part o. the opposing force. No mat
ter how excellent the gunners. no mat.
ter how high the quality OF the shells
ordinary field guns will fail to resst
the very heavy gum and, once discov'
cred. will be simply shot to pieces by thu
far reaching twelve inch cannon
The method OF employing the in,
fantry is also somewhat different with
Won Mackensen. Since he has beer
placed In supreme oomman nd the forrnel
throwing away OF human lives By max.
Ing the soldiers go into an attack in Co.'S
formation. 90 beloved OF German gen,
erals. has practically disappeared. The,
proceed now in the following way
First. OF course, comes a very hsav
bombardment. h while the shells ar,
crumbling the trenches. the German in
fantry begins to gather somewhere neal
the point to be attacked.
They get together very cautiously
Will cite an instance to illustrate. A
German battalion had to cover a dis
lance of about half a mile across al
open road that led from one forest I,
another. The moment the head OF tn,
column showed itself our battery sen
at Il a rain OF shrapnel. The German.
stopped. but a few minutes later a few
soldiers started on an easy run towar,
the objective point. They went oveI