Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-02-22
HUNS TO USE NEW
GAS AND TANKS IN
COMING OFFENSIVE
Infantry Will Only Have to
March Through Gaps and
Consolidate Captured Posi-
tons, Germans Believe

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN
FRANCE, Feb. 19-(By the Associated
Press. 1.-The great German offensive on
the western front may be expected to
begin at any moment now and as far as
the British front is concerned the main
thrust VIII be made on the sector be-
tween Arras and St. Quentin.
Tanks and "a new mysterious gas
will be employed by the enemy in the
attempt to break through the allied line
other attacks will be delivered further
south. These facts have become known
through captured German prisoners and
from information CLEANED in other ways
The plans of the German higher COM
mand are complete and after many
weeks of intensive training of assault
ing troops they are ready to make the
supreme effort which has been advertis-
ed so widely in the past weeks.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg and
General Won Ludendorff appear to have
realized that the old methods of attack
in which a long bombardment is en-
ployed are too we'll known to produce the
result desired. Accordingly the Ger
man troops are being told that surprise
attacks, such as were used in Galicia
last summer. at Riga and again on the
Isonzo, are to be tried against the al
lies on the western front.
Much stress has been laid on tine fact
that tanks and new gas are to be used
leaving the infantry little to do out to
walk through the gaps and consolidate
the positions captured. German troops
have been trained to make long approach
marches and then to storm enemy posi-
tions after a short gas shell lombard
ment Those obstacles which the Ger
man artillery has not obliterated will
be rushed by the troops or ignored The
German infantry will rely on weight of
numbers, masses of machine guns and
mobile batteries to finish the work be-
gun by the tanks and gas.
Few viii Survive
Word has been passed out by the
German high command that few of
the allied troops will survive the eff
fects of the tanks, the gas and the
bombardment and that fresh German
infantry will overcome speedily any re-
sistance offered in captured positions.
Despite these assurances and the in
tensive training to which they have
been put, the German troops are frank
ly skeptical and are undertaking their
task with no enthusiasm, according to
prisoners They feel they are going
to be thrown into battle to be used as
cannon fodder and do not relish the
prospect.
1t is said that General Won Luden-
dorff recently addressed a body of in
fantry at Laon and asked how many
men were willing to fight to a finish.
Only five noncommissioned officers
and privates stepped forward. The
others declared their desire for an ear
ly peace by arrangement"
German officers on the other hand
appear to have the conviction they will
be able to break through by means of
their secret attacks.
General Won HUtier. who is reputed
to have laid the plans for the capture
of Riga, has come to the western front
to assist in the preparation. The les
sons of the capture of Riga have been
preached religiously to the German
troops. 1t has been pointed out that
there a preliminary bombardment of
four or five hours to cut the enemy
wire and demolish the defense was suf-
ficient to give the Germans a firm
footing in the Russian positions. The
enemy troops have not been told, how
ever, that the morale of the Russians
at Riga was very low and that the Ger
man attack was a complete surprise.
The Germans will find the allied
morale at the highest pitch on the wes-
tern front and their attack will be far
from the surprise desired. The allies
are ready Tor a Dig dow ana await
with assurance the next move of the
German high command.
Cannot Break Line
The German attack cannot be delayed
much longer. All information points to
the fact that both German civilians and
soldiers are keyed up to such a pitch
of nervous expectancy that the strain
cannot endure for long. They are wait
ing for the attack with feverish hope
that the high command can this time
make good it's promise. The German
troops are expected to fight well.
The coming battles will perhaps be
the most sanguinary of the war and
they will be the most intense yet seen.
But they will mark the beginning of
the end, for if the Germans do not break
clear through the allied line-and they
cannot-they virtually will be finished.
The emperor is putting every ounce of
strength into this great gamble and
If it fails in the early stages it means
the end of Prussian militarism.
The allied forces have a superiority
in numbers, both in men and guns and
no doubt is felt on this front as to the
outcome.