Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-29
Striking Alternative Blows.


We have then something that sug-
gests a concerted plan, in accordance
with which there are to be alternative
blows struck first by the British and
then by the French on fronts separated
by less than a hundred miles. The re-
suit Of such tactics would be to permit
first the British and then the French
to consolidate ground gained, replenish
their ammunition and prepare for
new attack, while the Germans would
constantly have to face pressure at one
point or the other. and would con-
stantly have to make demands upon
their reserves.
Equally interesting is the clear evil
dence of change in method on the
part Of the British and the French, IN
the German lines at the first blow. there
seems rather to be a policy of attack
ing, consolidating and reattacKins'
after a new artillery preparation IN
this fashion the allies may expec. 70
continuation of an offensive beyond the
limits of artillery preparation, Wnlcn
were incurred at Loos and in the battle
Of Champagne.
Operations Of the French.
In the present article I am going to
describe briefly the French operation
leaving again until next week the new
offensive, this time British. which Is
lust beginning. At the outset OF the
French attack the new German line
ran in practically a straight line from
the Somme at st. Quentin to the Aisne,
east Of SCISSORS and me near av ere since nee
the battle of the Aisne in September
1914 the Germans have maintained d
bridgehead south of the river. las, -
ward Of this bridgehead the Gerna An
the north of 1t along the hills over tne
river, including Craonne, ana .nea
turned again sharply to the sou.n" q. u
across the Aisne at Berry au- Bac, anu
rested on the foT Pse in ,rH It ran straight
along a series Of hills dominating tns
Main of Champagne. until IL touche1
the old battlefield OF Cnampashe ~ =
1915, at the village of Aunerlve IN ne
French operation was double. an attach
eastward Of scissors. as far as the OUT
skirts of Rheims, and an attack east OF
Rheims as far as Auberlve. INC ope -
ton had a twofold purpose. iocai ~ ~
iective- which would be served II inc
iErsnch were able to advance east anu
vest of Rheims, since this woulo com
mel the Germans before Rhelms 70 =.
tire. and a larger purpose. when shs
to break the German nnes ai1 the re-
tirament Of the whole German me 10
~ rrontier. Neither OF these oo1ec-
.ira. vas attained by the first attack;
although valuable ground was saiheo
and many prisoners were taken.
Like Problem Of British.
In the western field. between scissors
and Rheims, the French had oeiore
them when they began practically the
n,ohlem which confronted the BRUSH
,,h.n +bev reached the Aisne in pur-
omit Of the Germans after the battle OF
the Marine. At that time the BRUSH
PASSED the river. pushed north OF SUE
sons and occupied portion OF tne
Craonne plateau, still 1ar.ner ;,on s
eastward. This ground about SCISSORS
was subsequently lost by the French
IN the winter Of 1918. when the Ger
mans counter attacked after a success
ful local French operation: ana thls
counter attack CONCEDED WIN 49,
in the river which swept away tne
bridges. The French had, therefore, 10
This norton of the battlefield must
be very familiar to those VINO recaii
the British niarn eamp nege the a Aisne fows
through a wide, level valley. ABOVE
sabich on the north side. rises ridge
If hills These hills are cut by series
~ rayines. and the German position
NAV be likened to a saw lying nat, the
teeth pointing toward the French, ana
the spaces between the teeth represent
ine various little brooks, which come
down in deep-cut valleys from the
ridge into the Aisne. The back edge OF
the saw pretty fairly represents the
Chemin- des-Dames. road running
east and west along the summit OF the
plateau and fairly accurately marking
the German front.
German Salient Broken.
We have here, then, a twofold prob
lena German salient based on Fort
Condo coming straight across the river.
and then the German line going north
from the river. along the plateau. East
ward, about Craonne. the French line
was we'll up on the plateau and touched
the Chemin -des- Danes near Craonne.
The French attack was. therefore.
northward and eastward-eastward on
the line from St. Quentin to scissors.
along the side of the Fort Condo
salient, and northward across the river
at the German position on the heights.
The result of the French attack here
was this: First, the whole German
salient was broken down and the Ger
man line retired until 1T ran straight
along the Chemin- des- Danes. and. sec
ond, material gains across the Chemin-
des-Dames east and west of Craonpe-