The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-03-05
BUILD DEFENSES
WHILE SPREADING
BIC DRIVE BUNK
Constructing Greatest Defense
System in World History. -
West Front to the Rhine One
Vast Fortified Field.
In THREE DISTINCT SYSTEMS
Pill Box Forts Instead of First
Line Trenches Used.
Reveals Germany Realizes She
Can't Win Offensive Battle.
Constructing Greatest Defense
System in World History. 81
West Front to the Rhine One
Vast Fortified Field.
IN THREE DISTINCT SYSTEMS
pill Box Forts Instead of First
Line Trenches Used.
BY HENRY WOOD.


With the French Armies in the
Field. Feb 20 (by maiD.-While
loudly proclaiming a gigantic often
sive on the west front, the German
armies have been working there night
anC day for months past building up
the greatest system for defensive war
fare this world has ever known
Germany realizes that in the emo
she must sustain on the French front
the shock of the combined French,
b itish and American armies she
knows that in spite of whatever mi
tial success she may gain by a big
west front offensive, she will be
obliged to defend every step of the
territory between the west front and
the Rhine.
Three Fighting Zones.
The entire west front, extending for
miles to the rear-in fact, practically
back to the Rhine-has now been
converted into one vast field of a de-
fensiVe system.
tenn the three lines of trenches of the
original system give way to three
great lighting zones, the first of
which is known as the zone of ha-
bitual combat" the second as the
zone Of grand combats" and the third
as the zone of battle"
The zone of habitual combat" re-
places he old first line trenches. This
zone is intended to lessen the fright
Tut losses sustained in defending the
first line trenches.
Stock Shell Holes With Food.
The first line of the zone of ha-
bitual combat consists most often of
single trench. The troops even take
10 thei1' positions in the shell holes
in front of this trench. These shell
holes are stocked not only with mu-
nittons but with food and water. Oft
en- this first line is held by only a few
soldiers. Instead of sacrificing thou
sands of men, holding a rigid line of
trenches. Field Marshal Hindenburg
now prefers to save his men by per-
hitting them to fall back to the Zone
of grand cambats.'
The German defensive organization
and troops, instead of being concen-
trated now on the front line, are
spread out indefinitely to the rear
ward. If the front now gives Way at
any time, ever increasing defensive
organizations and troops are found to
the rear In these zones of grand
combats, the defensive organ izations
for the infantry consist of trench after
trench. All of these are supported by
numerous defensive positions such as
concrete forts. fortified hills, block
houses, machine gun nests. great
underground caves and forests.
Acknowledge Superiority of Allies.
After them comes the great zone
of battle" where, when the allied
armies get thru the first and second
zones, they must give open battle.
Here, too. the Germans have en-
deavored to prepare everything in ad-
vance so that even in. open combat
they will have the advantage.
This is the defensive system, which
the Germans have built, at the same
time announcing their intention of
ending the war by a great offensive.
The system is a tactic acknowledge
ment of the superiority of the allied
armies and betokens an appreciation
that Germany must end the war on
the defensive. not on the offensive.