Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-14

Teutons Take to Cover
Whenever Possible, But
New British Tactics, Bit
terly Criticised at Times,
Proving too Much For
Them-Has Enabled them
to Sweep Ahead Rapidly,
Turning Hindenburg Line
With Small Losses
Many Daring Individual
Exploits.
From statt correspondent of The

From staff correspondent Of The
Associated Press. British Headquar-
ters in France (via London)-It Is
not without difficulty that one comes
to a realization that semi-open war
fare has replaced the old deep trench
fighting on the greater part of the
British front. 1t is hard even for the
fighting men actually to grasp the
situation. situation for which they
have waited so long. The Germans
possibly feel the change more than
anyone else, for above all things. they
love their underground comforts.
ing to bitches and are reluctantly Civ
ing up that style of warfare.
Dug-outs Only Protection.
The deep concreted dug-outs and
tunnels along the old front were the
against the ever increasing British
gun fire and every time they get an
opportunity to pause now they i'm
mediately begin to dig in. They take
to cover as If second nature. The
British have always contended that
the German dug-outs softened the
men, who congregated in them al
ways and could only be kept with diff
iculty in the open trenches. So 1t was
Ss.O
trench habit than has been the case
with the Germans.
Tactics Criticised.
The correspondent saw bit Of field
maneuvering two days ago in which
the British troops complete out-witted
part of one of Germany's crack regi-
ments. 1t is rather a striking COM
mentary that, when the war began,
the officer in command of the British
unit was young solicitor and such a
| thing as leading soldiers into battle
! had never entered his head. Two
years of training in the school of ac-
tual war works it's own wonders. i,
Losses Very Small.
The losses in the recently inaugur-
ated operations, which continue to
| widen with time, have been so much
smaller than would be actually ex-
pected in attacks upon SO strong po-
sitions as those from which the Ger
mans have been driven, that the army
authorities are fairly jubilant. An
other feature of the fighting has been
the speed with which the British
troops have everywhere obtained
their objective. Driving the Ger.
mans from positions which they had
held for two years has given the army
q higher fighting spirit than it ever
| 1dO UeIOT0.
No Longer Hindenburg Line.
The turning Of the top of the Hin.
denburg line, to which attention II
now officially called in the com.
muniques. has been an achievement
of which the full importance has ma.
turally not yet been developed. The
/ Germans. by the way. no longer cal
this line after Hindenburg. but know
it as the siegried line. In the extreme
south the Hindenburg line is known
as the Albrecht line. The complete
smashing of the Vimy ridge seems to
have somewhat upset the German
plans but they are evidently determ.
ined to put up the strongest possible
defensive fight before falling back tt
the uncompleted positions where dug
outs are missing and the protection /!
doubtful.
Many Brave Deeds.
These days are filled with thrilling
incidents Of individual exploits. which
are difficult to sort from the mas
coming in from so wide a battle front
One Of the most remarkable ia that O.
a young airman who, although sho
in the eye and the leg in an air due
yesterday. succeeded in bringing
down the opposing machine in hi
own lines, dragged himself from th'
airplane. made a verbal report on hi