The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-16
OPEN FIGHTING
 IS DISPLAC|NC
 TRENCH BATTLE
British Offensive Causes Great Change in Tactics
 of, Belligerents.

(From a staff correspondent of the
 Associated Press)
 British Headquarters in France, via London, April 16.-It Is not with out difficulty that one comes to a realization that semi-open warfare has replaced the old deep trench fighting on the greater part of the British front It is difficult even for the fighting men actually to grasp the 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 un- derground comfort. The Germans were the first1to transfer fighting to ditches and they are reluctantly giv- ing up that style of warfare The deep concerted dugouts' and tunnels along the old front were the only protection the Germans had against the ever increasing British gunfire and every time they get an opportun ity to pause now they immediately begin to dig in. They take cover as if by second nature. The British have always contended that the Ger man dugouts softened the men, who >congregated in them always and could only be kept with difficulty in the open trenches. So it was easier to break the British of the trench habit than has been the case with the Germans.
 Open field tactics have been part of the training of the new British army ever since it's organization be- gan in 1914. There has been some criticism of that system from time to time on the ground that the war would always be fought from trenches, but for the last few months the British army in France has been drilled in open tactics almost daily. The results of these training methods have been apparent in the last few days and apparently will provve still. more valuable in the wider op- erations which are unquestionably coming.
 The correspondent saw bit of field maneuvering two days ago in which the British troops completely outwitted part of one of Germany's crack regiments. 7
 It is rather a striking commen- tary that when the war began the officer in command of the British unit was a young solicitor and such 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.
 The losses in the recently inaugu- rated operations, which continue to widen with time, have been so much smaller than would be naturally ex- pected in attacks on such strong po- sitions as those from which the Ger mans have been driven that the army authorities are fairly jubilant. An other gratifying feature of the fight ing has been the speed with which the British troops have everywhere attained their objective. Driving the Germans from positions that they had held for two years has given the army a higher fighting spirit than it ever had before.
 The turning of the top of the Hin- denburg line, to which attention is now officially called in the communi- cations, ~has been an achievement of which the full importance has,. nat urally, not yet been developed The Germans, Sby the wall, no longer, call this line after Hindenburg, but know as the Siegfried line The switch to that line from Queant north, which prisoners say, is not yet fin ished and was not expected to be used except as a last resort! is known as the Wotan line. In the extreme south the Hindenburg line is known as the Albrecht line. The complete smashing victory of the Vimy ridge seems to have somewhat upset the German plan, but they are evidently determined to put up the strongest possible defensive fight before falling back to the uncompleted position, whefe dugouts are missing and the protection doubtful. \
 These days are filled with thrilling incidents of individual exploits which are difficult to sort from the mass coming. in from the large battle front. One, of the most remarkable is that of a young ,airman who, although shot in the eye and the leg inA an air duel, yesterday succeeded in bringing down the opposing machine in his own lines, dragged himself from the airplane, made verbal re- port on his mission and died in a<few minutes.