New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-07-02
recently to have swayed In favor Of
the defenders.
New Tnctics Employed.


the defenders.
New Tnctics Employed.
The great offensive undertaken by
the British offers, according to reports
from the front and the comments of
military critics. an absolutely new de-
parturc in the tactics hitherto pur-
sued by the belligerents. Contrary TO
the favorite tactics Of the Germans, the
British did not attempt partial ad-
vance by massing their artillery at
given point on the line and following
an intense bombardment by an infantry
attack in serried columns.
Employing an enormous number OF
guns, the British maintained CON
tinuous and even bombardment Of the
German lines along the entire ninety
mile. of attack. They sought TO lever
the German trenches and destroy the
concrete Notifications which sheltered
the German machine gun squads. hur,
ricanes of shells were also directed
against the German barbed wire en-
tanglements. III
In the evenings following this daily
artillery storm raiding parties dashed
out from tho British lines to complete
IN. destruction. In this way many
prisoners were taken. machine guns
DESTROYED or captured and the entlre
defence of the Germans demcraIheu'
French officer who witnessed thlS
Man of operations described IT as the
last word in scientific warfare.
Tho last considerable offensive uh-
dertaken by the British was drive IN
force Mt Loos, in September, 1872 ~
conjunction with a similar french ei
fort in the Champagne district ne
british x,ptured Loos and claimed 10
have taken 10000 German prisoners
and many guns. They were unable 10
nress home their advantage. however
because accordi>. 10 the British war
Office. the reserves failed TO arrive OF
time.
Heavy Death Toll Feared.
Ths British OFFICIAL losses in the
hattie Of Loos were 10000 men. That
the British public is prepared 70 lace
a roll of dead and wounded on an even
vaster scale IL indicated by the COM
ments Of the British newspapers IN
anticipating the present offensive.
Political and military leaders have
warned the nation that the smashing oi
the German lines could not possibly
be accomplished except at an appalih@
loss of life. II has been asserted, IN
deed. that the British authorities were
nrenared TO face a loss OF some nun
dreds of thousands Of soldiers II they
could achieve their object and drive
the Germans from France and Belgium.
The only front In the whole theatre
81 the world war where comparative
ouiet reigns to-day is in the Balkans
and the predictions Of an Allied ad-
vance In that region have been at
least az numerous and circumstantial
as those regarding the British army IN
France. There have been so>se minor
indications OF portending activity III
the Balkans in the form Of Increasing
artillery activity. aerial RAIDS ana Ell
forts Ia the Bulgarans TO strengthen
their lines by the occupation OF iort-
resses on the Greek side OF the iron
tier.
Newspaper correspondents at Salon
lea have estimated that the Allles
have total of 100000 10 100000 vet
eran soldiers concentrated on their
lines in that district The reorganized
Serbian army, reported to be l50,Ooo
strong. was recently transported to
Salonica from the Island Of Corfu,
where they had been reequipped.
The British were said 70 nave
brough. 100000 men from Egypt, IN
addition 20 large numbers who were
sent 10 Greece following the Inflated
Dardanelles expedition. The balance
of the force is composed OF french
troops, the majority also veterans OF
the Dardanells.
Balkan Front Alone Quiet
The highest estimate placed on the
RnIqsrian forces which must oppose
this great army has been between 5OO,-
600 and 100000 men. A dispatch from
the Bulgarian front stated recently
that the German troops who had been
GENERATING in the Balkans had been
withdrawn to other fronts and that the
brunt of any attack must be borne by
the Bulgarians.
The portion Of the line selected by
the British for the Inauguration OF the
drive runs from the Somme northward
past Albert 10 a point about elght
miles south OF Arras. II is on the sec
ton Of the Western front which runs
roughly north and south from the
North Sea through Belgium and North
ern France before it swings sharply to
the south and east and on TO the Swiss
border. Albert is seventy miles north
east of Paris.
There has been much heaVy nghIhB
over this ground, but not TO the extent
of that further north, where lie the
battlefelds of Arras, Loos, Neuye
Chapelle, Ypres and Dixmude,
During the eanly stages Of the battle
of Verdun, when the French were COM
PEELED to bring up large reserves TO
meet the German drive, the British
took over a long section OF French
trenches, and now hold about ninety
miles Of the Western front. What re-
mains of the Belgian army, under com
mand of King Albert, is in the trenches
from the North Sea 70 point near
Lizerne, about six miles northeast OF
Ypres. The British army, under Cen
eral Sir Douglas Hsig, holds the line
from the junction with the Belgians
as far as the Somme.
w~vxx- mn yHHrUYTH