Tensas gazette., 1917-12-21
German Divisions Shattered.


ras battles and against the French on
the AiSne and in Champagne. or these
divisions 81 were so shattered that
they had to be withdrawn, and later
appeared again, their gaps rehlled
with reserves. Several came back for
the third time. In six weeks. there
fore. only ~ of the German divisions
garrisoning the western front had not
been dragged into the great suction
actions" Figures on the latest fighting
are not obtainable.
During the entire battle of the
Somme, which lasted four months, ~
separate German divisions were en-
gagged. many of them sent back for the
second or third time after being
smashed up.
In six weeks of the more intense
fighting of 1917, the Germans were
compelled to use practically the same
man-pOwer to stand up against the
British and French onslaughts as they
poured into the whole SOmme action
from start to finish. No more men
than absolutely necessary are sent In
to the Internal fire maintained by the
allied artillery. BY the figures l have
given are to be calculated the results
of the first phase Of this years hght-
ing, not by progress measured on
map. Every division sent into these
battles suffers heavily under the con-
stant shelling to which ii is subjected
from the time II enters the zone or
long range fire miles behind the trench
lines until what is left of 1t reaches
safety again.
But does not this process of attrl-
ton work both ways? Are not British
and French divisions drawn In the
same way under the shells OF con-
centrated German batteries? How can
we talk about success and ultimate
victory If both sides are bleeding to
death In this fashion?
Balance Heavily Against Germans.
In the answers to these questions
lies the real cause of the optimism at
the front. Heavy as are the allied
losses, the attritiOn process Is not op-
Grating to the same extent on botn
sides. There are several factors at
work this year that are weighing down
the balance heavily against the Ger
mans.
First comes the allied superiority In
the air. This is indisputable, and man.
ifest to the most casual observer. On
clear days, l have seen dozens Of Brit
ish airplanes buzzing over the German
lines to catch sight of an enemy plane
| on our side Is now an event, and an
exciting event, because the venture
some intruder is sure to be fighting an
angry swarm of British or French
wasps. Sometimes the Germans send
sUuadrons of high-speed scouts scut-
Ting along three miles in the air. but
at these great attitudes observation
even with German lenses is not of the
best. The only German squadron
saw myself during several days of per-
feet observing weather was engaged
at an enormous height, In q struggle
with five or six British planes. There
are hundreds of good German air
planes. with first class pilots, but sc
relentless Is the allied aerial offensive
that they are compelled to remain be
hind their own lines on an almost con-
tinuous defensive, and 1t Is over Ger
man territory under the protecting fre
of German arches that 10 fights out OF
20 now take place.
Must "Shoot OFF the Map"
The results of this situation would
be manifest in the casualty lists even
If the guns and shells on each side
were equal. The Germans are com
pelled to "shoot off the map" where
they have not direct observation ovel
the enemy lines from some higher
grounds: that is their gunners must
fire at roads whose ranges can be cal
culated or at places where they mere
ly guess allied guns are placed. in the
absence of air photography to show
them what to shoot at, or of "spOtting'
planes over the enemy positions t.
wireless the results OF their marks
manship. BY taking the Vimy ridge
and the commanding height at Monchy
the British early in the Arras fighting
deprived the Germans of direct OBJ
servation over their communications
and were able to watch miles Of th'
German lines an instance of the rea
value Of winning ground, not as al
end I'm itself. but merely as one of ,
number of factors which help to giv'
advantage in observation. A moderI
general. asked whether he would pre-
fer to carry hill before him or to re
tain his airplane superiority, would al
most invariably choose the latter.
Far more enviable is the lot of tn
British and French gunners. They
too. can shoot "off the map" as well a
the enemy, hut they are constant.
, supplied with airplane photograph
showing the most minute defensive
works behind the German lines. the,
, are informed, by airplanes which Sc
, the flashes of enemy guns, approx
mately where to shoot to knock ou
batteries. and they are able to cOrrec,
| their ranges after each salvO, on
i clear day, in the light of reports re
, ceived from airmen who have seen tn
| shells explode.
Artillery HopeIessly Inferior.
Not only are the German gunner
! blinded by reason of allied air su
premacy, but the enemy is now hope
: lessly inferior both in the number O
cannon he can bring into action an
: the supply of shells he can deliver t
them. The situation In 1915. when tn