Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-02-22
German Prisoners Tell Brit
ons Tanks and New Gas
Will Be Used In Supreme
Effort To Break Allies
Line on West.
SURPRISE ATTACK
ENEMY'S PROGRAM
[By Associated Press stan

| SOS{0SHOOeuI.
British Army He.dqualterc in
The great German offensive on
the western front may be az.
pected to begin at any momant
now and az far as the British front in
concerned, the main thrust win b
made ON the sector between Afas
and st. Quentin.
Tanks and "a new mysterious gas"
WIN be employed BY the enemy In the
attempt to break through the allied
lines. Other attacks viii be delivered
further south.
These facts have become known
through captured German prisoners
and from Information CLEANED In othef
ways.
PLAN TO sURpRlSE ALLIES
The plans Of the German higher
command are complete and after
many weeks Of intensive training Of
assaulting troops they are ready to
make the supreme and fln2l effort
which has been advertised 50 widely
in the past weeks.
General Won Ludendorf appear to have
realized that the old methods Of at-
tack in which long bombardment 10
employed are too wen known to pro-
duce the results desired Accordingly
the German troops arc being told that
surprise attacks such ~ were used in
GalAcia last summer, at Riga and
again on the Isonxo are to be tfied
against tho aIlies on The western
front
PROMISE EASY VICTORY
Much stress has been laid on the
met that tanks and new gas are to be
used, leaving the infantry little to Do
but walk through the gaps and con-
solidate the positions captured. Ger.
man troops have been trained to make
long approach marches and then to
storm enemy positions after q short
gas shell bombardment. Those OBJ
stacles which the German artillery
BY the troops or ignored The German
infantry win rely on weight Of NUN
bers, masses Of machine guns and mo.
by the tanks and gas.
Word has been passed out BY the
German high command, that few Of
the allied troops will gdrvive the 81.
fects Of the tanks, the gas and bonn
bardment and that fresh German in.
fantry win overcome speedily any re-
sistance offered In captured positions.
SOLDIERS NOT EAGER
Despite these assurances and the
intensive training to which they have
been put, the German troops are
frankly skeptical and are undertaking
their task with no> enthusiasm, accord.
ing to prisoners. They feel they are
going to be thrown into battle to be
used as cannon fodder and do not
relish the prospect. II b aid General
Won Ludendorf recently addressed
body Of infantry at LAon and asked
how many men were Wiling to light
to a finish. Only ave. noncommis.
stoned officers and pnvates stepped
forward. The others declared their de-
sire for an early peace by arrange
ment." German omceS on the other
hand. appear-to have the conviction
that they will be able to break through
BY means Of their "secret attacks
RIGA VICTOR PLANS DRIVE
General Won Hutier, who II reputad
to have laid the plans for the capture
Of Riga, has come 70 the western
front to assist in the preparation. r.
lessons Of the capture Of Riga have
been preached religiously to the Ger
man troops. 1t has bean pointed ct
that there, a preliminary bombas6
ment Of four or i've hours to cut IL
enemy wires and demolhh deo00oeA
was sunicient to give the Germaas .
firm footing in the Russian positions.
The enemy troops have not been told,
however, that the morale oe the Rus
slams At Riga Was veSy Low and tAa4
the German attack wa o co0pl0to-
surprise.
The Germans will find the alded
morale at the highest pitch on the
western front and their attack win ba
far from the surprise desired. The
allies are ready for . big blow AID
await With assurance the next nuvo
Of the German high comma11
ATTACK MUST COME soon
The German attack oannot b d.
layed much longer. All infoemA&3on
points to the fact tAat both German
civilians and soldiers Az teyed Up -
such . pitch Of nervous expectancy
and that the strain cannot endure for
long. They are waiting for the It.
tack with feverish hope That he high
this time can make goo0 n
promises. The German troops are ex-
pected to fight we'll.
Tho coming baesles. perhaps, vim be
the most sanguinary Of the var ard
they will be tho most intense yet oean.
But they will mark the beginning Of the
end, for II the Germans do not break
clear through the allied lme-and
they cannot-they virtually will b.
Tho emperor IL put1fAg
every ounce OF strsngth into this
great gamble and II Il 1nala h tAe
early stages il means he ed -
Prussian miatariam.
The ailied fcsces hsvD . sup91
in uambefs. both IN No ~ 60
and no douht u lalf c1 ~ A1a4 - - !;
=. $500 1