Evening star., 1917-05-07
HINDENBURG'S LINE WAVERING
UNDER TERRIFIC T1AMNlERING
Germans Now Advance the Theory That It
Is Flexible, Rather Than Fixed,
Line of Defense.

and ready the moment the aray-ciaG
hordes issued from the protecting trees
or village, simply smothcring them
under high explosives and sheets OF
leaden shrapnel rain.
When it is recalled that, as at Ga
vreIle, there have been nearly a score
of unsuccessful counter attacks OF TINS
character, some idea of the German
losses can be had. Since the dead left
behind tell the tale. great efforts have
been made latterly by the Germans to
clear the battlefield of their dead
whenever it is possible to do SO. More
recently orders have been captured on
the subject. together with one urgent
appeal from a company commander
that 'at least two big wagons be sent
Immediately to carry away our dead.
Paradox of Modern Fighting.
1t is one of the paradoxes of modern
fighting that fixed positions have
actually yielded more readily to direct
attack and have been more easily de-
Tended against counter attacks than
the semi-open warfare shelters dug
here and there in new ground For in
stance. since Thursday last the Ger
mans have been throwing great masses
against the Australians in an endeavor
to retake section of the Hindenburg
line east of Bullecourt, captured dur
=
ing a distinct salient The Australians
have been Alta cked from three sides
During the day the counter attacks
have been killed by artillery ard at
and bayonets
The bite into the Hindenburg line by
the Australians has meant the almost
complete obliteration of section Of
this strong position. which forme RI v
ran from Arras to Queant The capture
of Vimy ridge by the Canadians April
9 left the Arras-Queant position "in
the air" and the turning of the top of
that line next day beyond Neuville vi
tasse led the Germans to begin the i'm :
mediate preparation of the so-calied
Drocourt- -Queant switch as the new
northern extension of the Hindenburg
line
The Australian success east of Rulle-
court being threat against the inn
portant Queant junction, the Germans
naturally are fighting with the utmost
determination to Offset the latest ad
vance, and again their losses have
been extremely heavy.
German Resistance Stubborn.
The British are in touch with the
Hindenburg line all the way from
Queant south to st. Quentin, and are
steadily pressing the Germans toward
the Drocourt switch in the north. The
Germans apparently are determined
not to retire until they are forced to
do so. Thus it can be seen that the
offensive operations in which great
losses are inflicted are often of more
Importance than a gain of ground not
strongly defended.
Some of the more defiant German
prisoners profess joy that the rigid i'm
mobile trench warfare is over in one
breath and then Immediately assert
that the depth of their fortified zone is
their dependence to hold out against
the allies. They nonchalantly remark
that the German higher command ne
longer regards the loss of ground al
important. on the theory that the pos
session of this or that isolated terrain
no longer plays decisive role. Asked
why, then, it is that the Germans throw
away so many lives in fruitless counter
attacks against so-called isolated posi-
tions wrested from them, the prisoner
officers shrug their shoulders and say
| that the counter attacks are intended
! only to in1ict loss upon the British
without regard to whether they viii
| back positions or not.
| The idea that the operations Away
| go according to the plans of the highe
command has been thoroughly inculcat
| ed into the German army. Each loss o
| a village is lauded in company an,
| regimental orders as another move to
ward ultimate victory.