The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-06-09
MASSED ATTACK
PLAN Of HUTIER
COLOSSAL ERROR


Hutier's new method OF assault"
the latest hope OF PrUssian mill
tarism, has just met its Waterloo at
the hands Of the stolid French poilus
on the LaFere-Amiens front.
Successful to an astounding degree
in the capture OF Riga, this new
method applied on the western front
has cost the German armies TO date
half a million men, has shattered
Ludendorfrs KoIossaI KonceptiOn Of
marching to Paris, and has wrested
from Germany her last dream and
hope OF q successful termination Of
the war on the western front
Although Won Hutier's new mothod
Of assault was known in fits general
lines to the allied commands as a re-
suit OF its FIRST try-out at Riga, it is
only since its application on the
French front that all OF its details
have become known. Its collapse is
all the more humiliating owing TO
the fact that General Won Hutier was
called from the Riga front to com
mand himself the troops that, apply
through the English front at St
Quentin and then march down the
valley Of the Oise on Paris.
Had Aroused Confidence.
Il is known, in fact that it was
largely on the confidence that had
been aroused in this new method that
the consent OF the imperial govern
ment was obtained for the big Luden-
dorfT strategic plans OF a western
front offensive.
Won Huder's new method differed in
enc great fundamental respect from its
immediate predecessors with the Ger
man imperial command, In that the Ger
mans, having early in the war eStab-
lShed the dogma that the only way to
crush the enemy's lines was by heavy
artillery, came back on Won Huter's
recommendation 70 the attainment Of
this end BY massed attacks Of human
beings.
Beginning with this change in the
fundamental idea. Won Hutier then
grouped about his plan all OF the various
methods and means OF warfare that the
present great conflict has developed from
English tanks to German hame-thrOwers.
welding them into a whole which be and
the German stan became convinced would
constitute an absolutely irresistible
crushing force for any antagonist against
whom It might be directed The first eH-
pertinent al Riga seemed to demonstrate
that Won Hutier was right, but the sec
ond one on the French front developed
that the French pOilu is Fighter.
How Method Worked.
: me detailed application OF Won HUI
tiers method both at Riga and on the
Western front In the region Of Saint
Quentin was as follows: First Of all. the
troops TO participate In the attack vera
dtflled and rehea4sed for months in ad-
vance in the part they we're TO play. until
each was letter perfect
When the hour set for the attack
arrived. the German artillery began
= short preparation In order to
attack by the oId-time artillery Prepa-
ration Of several days, Won Hutier
planned by an astounding co1centra-
ton Of guns to accomplish in a few
hours the previous work Of days.
In addition, this artillery prepare
ton extended to an extreme depth to
the rear, demolishing the second and
third lines at the sane time as the
first To prevent the enemy's guns
from intervening ana silencing the
German batteries, gas shells were
shoWered all over the memy's artil-
Iery lines. rendering IT impossible for
the gmBers for several hours TO
serve their pieces.
Assault Troops Go FBrward-
The assaulting troops which were
kept concentrated in the rear until
r the moment Of attack, were then hur-
ried up under cover Of the night and
Of this short artillery preparation
At the hour fixed for the attack the
infantry leaped forward IN dense
masses. Each division had two regi-
nents in the stacking line and one
regiment in reserve. All OF the
forces available were thrown into the
eight regardless Of loss, for the pur-
pose of completely crushing the
enemy at the very FIRST onslaught. the
infantry progressing in three and
four waves at very short intervals
behind each other.
With the capture Of the FIRST objec-
tive. Fihemen. machine gun men, and
portable machine gun marksmen i'm
mediately opened a barrage of bullets
between 1.50O and 1000 yards in ad-
vance- Under cover of this curtain
q steel. the second wave of infantry
passing ever the FIRST one gained the
sseond objective. and there in turn
opening a baTTage of rife and ma
chine gun IRE AZ another 1000 yards
in advance was passed by the third
wave which attained the third OBJ
Jeetfve opened its machine gun bar
rage, and 80 on ad inhnitum.
NOChinE IBferferes.
Nothing was allowed to interfere
With the progress Of these waves Of
assault When they encountered ma
chine gun nests. or centers Of resist
anee that failed to be wiped out, they
were merely left behind to be taken
care OF by troops especially designed,
equipped. and trained for that pur-
pose. These were armed largely with
Erenades,' liquid fame jets, and trench
mortars. Every point where a few
men were still holding out with
machine gun or a few rifles ana
Erenades was attacked in turn by
superior numbers and forced to give