New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-18
Bapaume and After

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Allied expectation has Outrun not merely
realization but any reasonable possibility
that it is the part of wisdom at the present
moment to keep in mind the immediate
possibilities of the German retirement
about Bapaume occupied yesterday by the
British forces.
There are, it is clear, three possible
ties: we may be witnessing the first step
in a general German retirement from
France. which will not stop short OF the
frontier; we may be observing a partial
but exceedingly important retirement
which will not end until the Germans have
abandoned the famous Noyon elbow
and are standing on a line running from
La Bassee through Douai, Cambria, st.
Quentin and La Fere; we may be seeing
the largest local retirement on the German
side since the Battle of the Marine, but
local retirement which has no further
meaning than the abandonment OF the So
called Arras or Bapaume salient.
Now. of the three possibilities 1t IS
necessary to recognize that only the last is
now Immediately forecast. Nothing in the
German operations up to the present mo-
ment supplies any real reason why OBJ
servers from a distance, whatever the
case may be for the soldiers at the front.
should believe that the Germans are dong
anything but retiring from a very I'M
comfortable corner, Strengthening their
lines in such fashion as to make perma-
nent stand easier and less costly, and that
at no distant time we shall not see the
retreat ended.
The exact situation has become fairly
familiar TO the world. On July l of last
wear. when the Battle of the Somme
opened. the Germans occupied between the
Scarpe and the Some-that is, between
Arras and Bray-a wide semicircle, de-
scribed about Bapaume, which projected
into the Allied lines. 1t was approx
mately ten miles from Bapaume to Arras
and to Bray, and it was the same distance
10 Gommecourt, which was the westernmost
point in the semicircle, the extreme west
ern point of the German lines in France.
The base of this salient was the line from
Arras through Bapaume to the Somme,
and il was about twenty miles long.
Now. such a salient was sufficiently large
to enable the Germans TO operate on the
inside without being exposed 10 a con-
yerging fire. The British guns to the
north near Arras and TO the south near
the Somme could not reach the lines of
communication of the Germans IN the
centre and at the base Of the salient.
These lines were exceedingly well placed,
both the north and south railroad line,
the trunk line from Paris to the north and
an east and west line from Arras to Cam
brai and another from Bapaume 10 st.
Quentin being available.
But after the fighting of last summer
and autumn the situation changed radi-
cally. The British pushed in all the south
side Of the salient and arrived within
mile Of Bapaume. Thus the base of the
salient was narrowed to ten miles, and it
was possible for the British guns on the
outside of the salient all the way around
the semicircle from Arras to Bapaume to
pour in a converging fire and all lines Of
communication were under a double fire.
Given the British development of heavy
artillery and their wealth of ammunition,
the whole salient became untenable for
the Germans and they had no choice but TO
draw back.
Ever since February this retreat has
been going on. II has been gradual, it has
consisted in the abandonment of one vii
lage after another and the steady narrow
ing Of the salient, which is now coming to
have the shape not Of a semicircle, but
of a pyramid, with the apex thrust into
the British lines. But the narrower the
salient becomes the more untenable it IS,
and therefore we may safely assume that
the Germans have decided to fall back
out Of the Bapaume salient until they
have established new front line at its
base. somewhere just in front Of or directly
behind the railroad and the road from
Bapaume TO Arras.
And this is precisely as far as IT IS now
safe 10 calculate on German retreat. The
Germans have had the time 70 estaDllsh
new line at the base Of the salient, because
they have not been attacked during the
winter; they have established such a line,
a. the British field maps show, very
strong line, for example, following the
railroad from Bapaume 10 Achiet. By
their retreat 70 new front behind the
railroad and highway they would shorten
their front by at least seven or eight miles
they would have a much easier line 10 de-
fend. because il would be straight and not
curved, and thus not exposed TO enhlading
and converging fire. And such ground as
they have abandoned would have no value
Of any sort. rave ~ The moral effect Of re-
treat night o-r ~o he British Or dis-
1900 Az. f.gar.t.U.