New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-24
The Real Triumph

the victory Of the British at CamDral WIGS
a victory of the man and not Of the ma
chine. The chief element In the success
was the generalship which was able to
conceive and execute surprise attack
and not the employment Of mechanical
devices which had already been tried
sometimes with success and sometimes
with failure. General Byng and not the
inventor of the tank deserves the credit.
He has outgeneralled the Germans in
conspicuous and soldierly fashion.
As is usual after a very brilliant
achievement, q precious lot Of nonsense IS
now being written about the Battle OF
Cambria. 1t is being solemnly asserted
that a new method of war has been in
vented, and dispatches from Washington
even 90 so far as to hint that General
Pershing was the inventor of the idea ex-
pressed along the Scheldt this week. Moth
ing could be more ridiculous. In point OF
fact the tank was used with very great
success in the Battle Of the Somme In
September of last year. On its first ap-
nearance it contributed to the capture OF
whole series Of villages which had
heretofore defied the British assault for
n1any weeks, but never after the first occa-
sion was the tank able to repeat its initial
successes, because the Germans advanced
their field guns into their first line
trenches, and field guns were an adequate
protection against the tank, whose armor
is sufficient only to stop machine gun
bullets.
Attack without artillery preparation
was tried in a number Of instances by
General Nivelle at the Battle of the Aisne
this spring. 1t resulted in hideous slaugh-
ter of the French troops, the temporary
disaffection of some of the best troops
and the ultimate retirement of General
Nivelle and his immediate lieutenant, Cen
eral Mangin.
The victory of Cambria is in the main
due to the fact that it was successful
surprise attack. The Germans were hit
when they we're not looking. Tanks,
which had ceased to be effective in Elan
ders, we're secretly brought to a sector on
which they could operate to the maximum
advantage because of an absence Of shell
holes and mine craters, and the enemy,
taken by surprise, was swept off his feet,
lost many lines Of defence on relatively
wide front and was helpless until he was
able to oppose new concentration of re-
serves and guns.
When the Germans made their first gas
attack at "Wipers" in April, 1915, they
introduced one Of the most sweeping
changes in the history Of warfare. AS
result of the gas attack they gained some
four miles on a wide front and tempo
rarily opened breach in the whole Allied
line IN Flanders; but within matter of
hours the British troops in France were
provided with gas masks and gas ceased
20 be more than familiar instrument
for which a satisfactory answer had been
found. By comparison, there was nothing
rev at Cambria, because both the tanks
and the attack without artillery prepare
ton, and even the use Of cavalry-which
was tried by Joffre in the Battle Of Cham
payne of September, 1915-were well
established details Of trench offensives.
General Byng has not discovered new
way 10 break the German lines, but he
/ has put into operation successfully the
Oldest Of all military methods. He has
surprised his enemy. lie has achieved a
superior concentration in the front Of an
UNDERMINED and undergunned portion Of
his enemy's line without warning TO his
foe. BY virtue Of this superior concen.
tration he has been able TO win shining
victory. 1t is still possible, although un.
likely, that the consequence Of this victory
will be the dislocation Of the entire Ger.
man front, but IL is extremely unlikely
that repetition Of the tactics will be
possible In the immediate future.
In the Battle Of Charlottesville, in our
oyn Civil War, Jackson massed large