Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-12-30
Cen. Hai9 Pictures
Overthrow oil. | eutons
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ton was taken. Accordingly i agreed
that the attack should be launched when
ever the general situation required 1t with
as great a force as might then be avail
able. %
by the end Of May the pressure on the
Italian front had assumed such serious
proportions that the Russian campaign
was opened early in June and the sue
cesses gained against the Austrians at
once caused movement Of German
troops from the western to the eastern
front. This. however. did not lessen the
pressure or Verdun and therefore it was
agreed that the combined British and
French offensive would not be postponed
beyond the end of June.
The offensive's Objective
1.-THE objective of that offensive was
threefold; To relieve pressure on Yer
dun, to assist our allies in the other thea
tres Of war by stopping any further
transfer of German. troops from the
western front, to wear down the strength
of the forces opposed to us.
After dealing atlength with the various
stages of the operations, Gen. Haig sums
up the result as follows:
Three main objects with which we
commenced the offensive in July had al
ready been achieved in spite of the fact
that heavy autumn rains prevented full
advantage being taken Of the favorable
situation created by our advance at a
time when we had good ground for hoping
ing to achieve yet more important sue
cesses. verdun had been relieved, the
main German forces had been held on
the western front and the enemy's
strength had been considerably worn
down. Any one OF these three results is
in itself SUFFICIENT to justify the Somnae
battle. The attainment of all three ar
fords ample compensation for the spie13
did efforts OF the troops and for thessa@
rihcesxnade. They have brought us
LONG step forFard toward the final vietA
Of the Aiiie leayse.
The ftanes Of vsrdun
1.-THE desperate struggle for the posss
sion of verdun had invested that ent&
with moral and political importance
of all proportion to it's military value.
fall would undoubtedly. have been
claimed great viotsry for our eneuf
and would have shakx& tn faith Of mAS
in our ultin1Ats sAee The failure
the enemy Is captuSs M qAspite great -
forts and heavy ]csSss Siss = severe h1pW
to his prestlgs 6tpetion obtainsdl
both during III sSfs yf the somms,
battle and siacss tHs sEspension of active
operations hassfafly established the Of
feet Of our offensive In keeping the en-
emy's main forces tied to the western,
front. In November the strength of the
enemy in the western theatre was greater
than in July, Notwithstanding the aban-
donment of the offensive at verdun. It
is therefore justifable to conclude that
the Somme offensive. not only relieved
verdun. but held large forces which
would otherwise have been employed
against our allies in the East. az
Wearing Down Resistance
THE third great object Of the Allied
armies on the Somme was the wearing
down of the enemy's powers Of resist
ance. Any statement as to the extent to
which this has been attained must de-,
pend in some degree on estimates. .ThSrs
is nevertheless sufficient evidence 70 psaca.
beyond doubt that the enemyN issses ia
men and material were very S1Siderabsys
higher than those Of sths@ AaJtAs, while
morally the balance Of advantage on our
aide is still greater. D,irint The period
Under review steady deterioration tuoh
plaza In the morale OF large numbers Y
ths enemy's troops. Many of them. AZ
Is true. fought with the greatest deter.
mination even In the latest encounters
but the resistance .ef even larger num-
Der became iateriy tecidsdly more feeble
tAats IN the tArly Stages OF the battle.
z tdp1AG1 he great depth Of his defences
I lF6qusnt reliefs. which his re-
Hsen enabled him to effect. dis
training held the machine
eUmcasntly TO enable the enemy
Nh Tsorganize his troops after
{ ~ aefsat.. But toward the enc
IL en- psyAtionsk when the weather un-
foStunSk6 ay. broke there Is no doubt that
his powstspf resistance very seriously. d.
minished.'
Handicapped by Weather
In the course Of his detailed study OF
the operations General Haig frequently
touches on the handicap 81 the wealth.
er. In mid October. cana the ANA.
great chance to break through the Ger, !
man lines. II 4 -.
We had 1T last" writes Gen. Haie
reached the stage at which success.
tul attack might reaseiaAly be e.
pected to yield much srsater result.
sman anything We had AZ yet attained !
Inc resistance Of the troops opposed 70
70 mad seriously weakened ia ths
=. OF recent operations ana thsrs /
= no reason 70 supposSAthat IA sfror,
sueo was not wttki4 our power, !