Evening star., 1918-04-07
GERMAN STRATEGY AND METHOD,
IN RECENT DRIVE, DESCRIBED AND
COMPARED WITH OTHER EFFORTS

r
In exactly the same way, although
this is minor detail. by comparison.
the Germans sought to separate SEQ
ttons of the British armies, fsolattng
between these and the main forces. and
Gen. Maurice. director of military OPP
erations. has reported that on Satur-
day. March %, and on the following
north Of Bapaume and then west OF the
Bapaume-Albert road. on the old bat
tlefield of the Somme. In both In
stances the Germans were north and
threatening their front, their tanks
and reaching for their rear with the
purpose of surrounding and extermi-
mating them and thus breaking the
British line into fragments.
Friday morning, March %. the French
line ended at the Oise. below La Fere,
but thence north for thirty or forty
miles the British line was in confusion
and there was no longer any contact
between the British and the French
lines. Then began an operation re-
calling that other famous maneuver
of September and October. 1914, which
lives as the race to the sea-" The
French were called upon. while ex-
tending their own front south Of the
Disc, in order to prevent the Germans
from turning their flank. to endeavor
to get troops in front Of the Germans
north and west Of the Disc and join
hands with the British. thus closing
the gap between the two armies. They
succeeded in doing this on Wednesday
night and at Montdidier, or just out
side Of 1t, but in this time the Germans
had got thirty-five miles west OF their
starting point at St Quentin.
Sought to Divide British and French
Now the German strategy had con.
ceived that, once gap between the
British and the French had been OPEN
ed, then the advance Of the victors
would be so rapid that there never
could be a reunion between the two
ends of the allied armies. When this
reunion did occur, at Montdidier on
March 27, the only chance OF imme-
diate and complete German victory was
to break down the grip OF the Two
explained the severe fighting from
Montdidier north to Albert in all the
next few days. But from WEDNESDAY
to Monday the grip held and there was
no further considerable German push
westward.
Go backward to the trace to the sea"
and the parallel illustrates. Then the
French and British armies were pushing
rapidly to the north toward the sea, fac
ing German armies which were doing the
same. Meanwhile a Belgian army was
coming south along the coast toward
Nieuport followed by stronger German
army. The problem then was whether
or not the Germans could interpose pc
tween the two allied forces and prevent
their flanks meeting to form a solid 'front.'
from the sea to Switzerland. The Bel
CLANS, the British and the French were
able to join hands about Ypres and FORM
the line. Then because the line was very
thin, the Germans sought to break 1t. and
almost succeeded in the desperate battle
Of Ypres.
II You think of the German method and
strategy in Its larger aspects as con-
fined to two purposes. first to break .
hole fifty miles wide in the British front,
where it touched the French. and thens
driving great masses through this hole.
to separate the British and the frencn
permanently and drive the British north
ward and away from the French, you have
the thing in its simplest form. After six
days the French and British Joined hands
in front Of the German wedge and II was
stopped To effect this reunion. after they
had saved themselves from fmmeoAts
ruin, incidental to British defeat and
disaster about st. Quentin was the main
purpose. Of allied strategy.
Huns Too Ear Away From Guns.
By the time the allies had restored the
continuity of their line the Germans
had. advanced So fast and so far. out
running their heavy guns and NUM-
+,on. that they were unable to break
the thin line which held the two ends
of the allied lines together From Wed
nesday to Monday they tried TINS m
cessantly, but only with local susr1ss saccsss
continued to now up and the line OF
the allies at the danger point grew
thicker and thicker. Bu6 SO gIea.
demand was made on a1i1eo reservs
that no counter offensive was hi''"'
oiay In ~, this time local, geographical
obiectives had little concern ior tno
German. He was not seeking 70 ~
ture any particular city or neignI
Even Amiens was important only oe.
cause IL he arrived at Amiens. he wouIo
he ON the flank of all the British armies
and threatening their vital commune
cations and their rear and II ne eot "
Amiens first the rupture OF siAeo i'"o.
would be permanent.
The German was out to destroy tnS
british armies or at the least TO oeA'
them such q blow that they wouio w
pushed back upon the coast. NORM ~
The Somme, crippled for long perioo ot
tirne and even IL they escaped supreme
disaster nut out of the running tor
The campaign Once this were Done ~
could turn his attention TO the
whose flank would be ,d exPoseu ceu,ain I'm the
Es.,ch and continue his blows upon tno
heaten British. The decision as pc
tween the British and the french 81.
mics he could net WILL upo .nA
ment when the two were separaLea a"
the condition of the BRUSH S olsS hat,
In this first phase OF tne s Io.ed tha
+,e of the Somme the French piayso IL,
part with respect to tnelI s bls w.
that the Prussians had played at Wa
tarioo. although without preiiminA
Safeat such as Bluecher endured ~
Iirny. They came up on the , bri,
fiank and joined hands with thelr aiaes d
In front Of the enemy. temporary ~.
stroying the fruits OF his success ~ a
oneninS stage in interposing DetWeen
he two enemies. as Napoleon's were
destroyed by Bluechers great marCn
from Hayre to Plancenoit As a fesuIe
tbs Germans did not succeed in the nrse
nhase and with the opening attack, IN
the armies OF their two i0es.
They did not get Amiens. although tney
were stopped hardly more Inan TON
miles from the city. But the Watertoo
parallel stops abruptly at this point
But Allies Kept Line Continuous.
After the first ten days OF the strug-
gle there was no longer any real doups
as to the success OF the allies in restor-
ing a continuous front. thereafter the
real problem was which OF the two
could make the necessary
Of guns and men on the
new front to enable him to make the next
move. II the French and British won
this race, counter offensive on one or
both of the exposed tanks OF the Ger
man seemed likely. If the German
Won he might resume his drive for
Amiens and seek by new push to IN
function between the