Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-18
Stories of the War
A German survey.

A German survey takes up in detail the various operations on the West ern front, but covers the operations only up to April 1 and gives but lit
 tie further information than has been contained in the official communiques and other despatches.
 Referring in a general way to the battles of the Meuse, it declares that
 the most important result was that
 French troops were relieved by the English from Armentieres to ArTas,
 and in the last third of March still
 further southward to the Somme. But the report adds, "the substituted troops have not developed any con siderable activity. Neither have the English made the slightest attempt to 1 relieve the strain upon their hard
 pressed ally by making an attack up- on their own account"
 l ,The other two allies of the French 1 -the Russians and Italians-made l more earnest efforts to support their ally. says the survey, and it sums up what these operations were as fol- lows:
 Before the German east front there | were observed since March 10 troops
 in motion which announced the begin ming of heavy attacks at several 1 points. Heavy artillery fire began 1 March 13 upon a large section of our 1 defenses and reached in places the | proportion of drum fire. It could be 1 seen that the enemy had by night cut
 passages through his wire entangle-
 nents, and that during the artillery l firing reserves were being placed in | position ready to advance to the front On March l Sthe attacks began. The
 enemy had selected seven points at | which to try to make a breach in our | lines. His offensive began in the sec | tion south of DVinsk. The region be- tween the Narotch and Wisznieff l lakes. then further to the north, the
 region around Postavy, and finally a strip to the north of Vidsy were at
 tackled daily by the Russians with great vim from March IS to 22., At l only one point, the outpost at Stach- ovcze to the south of the Narotch lake, was it found necessary to make an unimportant retirement on ouh front, but the new position was then held without waVerlng. At all other
 points one Russian attack after the other broke down with frightful loss es on their side. The like bloody loss eS and failure to. score results attended
 the eneny's advanced near Dvinsk
 and at several other points between 1 DyinSk and Riga.
 After the complete failure of the
 attacks of March IS to p the enemy brought up fresh troops, and after another long artillery preparation 8
 new series of attacks began on the 24th and 18th at all the points that | had been preSviOuSly threatened. They were all bloodily repulsed during the following thre days; and in the nights
 of the 18th and 27th we were even able to make counter attacks and to dis.
 lodge the enemy from portions of his | original positions south of Vidsy and
 to the south of Lake Narotch, from which he was harrassing us. Since that time the Russian offensive has been suspended-owing to the thaw. ing weather, as the Russians rather lameiy explained. In reality the grea 1 operations of the eastern ally to re- lieVe the pressure upon the Frenc1 ended in complete failure and witt unparalleled losses.
 ''The situation on the other fronti can be summarized as follows: Tht attacks of the Italians again failed broken by the stout courage of o1 . ally; and here the relieving offensive was transformed into a defensive il which the enemy had consideFabl : losses in men and terrain. At Sa lonik 100000 Entente troops are hell 5 fast, wfthut hitherto having been abl
 to advance against their besiegers } Avlona is closely invested. On tn : Caucasus front, finally, the Russian 3 advance. at first successful, wa checked. In view of all these fact the military situation at the end 0 March can be characterized as highl gratifying. We dictate the strateg | of the hour. The grand offensiv 9 plans of our enemies have fallen int e hopeless confusion. Frances reserve s are probably for the most part hel U fast on the mouse, and in part al
 ready worn out"