The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-05-24

lone involving fifteen divisions (1S0.
loco mem, which attacked in a south
erly direction between the North
canal and the Sensee river, while the
second one, in which twenty-four di
visions (2SS,0oO men) participated. at
Hacked in a westerly direction between
/ Gouzeaucourt and LeFere. The two
! attacks had their hinge at Marcoinsi
which was held by two reserve olvls-
ions. OF the forty divisions thus en-
gagged. fifteen was the number that
! originally held these two sectors. leaV'
ing a total of twenty-five new divis-
ions which the Germans threw into
the offensive.
German Armies Engaged.
1 Three German armies took part IN
! the original attack. These. from the
north to the south We're the seven
teenth. under General Otto Won Be
!! low; the second, under General Won
/ der Marwitz, belonging to the group
of armies under the command OF the
/ Bavarian crown prince, and the
Eighteenth. under the command of
General Won Hutier, the conqueror
J of Riga, and which was part OF the
group of armies under the command
| of the. German crown prince. Alto
gether the three armies had totaI
OF about seventy divisions (S4O.0o0
| mem of which about fifty were in
| the front line and twenty in reserve.
Quality Of Divisions Engaged.
From the very outset the flower
of the German army was engaged In
the big battle. Between March 81
and April /, the Germans engaged a
total value of 80 Q,0s8.000 mem di-
visions of which forty to fifty were
at all times in the battle line. AS
the front over which the attack was
made was ordinarily held by only
fifteen divisions, this leaves seventy
five divisions brought up and thrown
into the attack. A few of these lat
ter divisions were already in reserve.
but the remainder were hurried up
from Flanders, Lille, Champagne.
yerdun, the Woevre and even from
Alsace.
Prussian Troops in Force.
AS it unQuestionably was intended
that the battle should be decisive,
most astonishing percentage OF Prus-
sian troops was engaged, without
doubt for the purpose of impressing
the world with the importance OF
Prussia in the German confederation.
At the beginning of the offensive Il
per cent OF the troops engaged con-
sisted of Prussian divisions. Follow
ing the heavy losses sustained and
the necessity of relieving worn out
divisions, this percentage diminish
ed, first to Sc per cent on March IS,
and then to go per cent on April 1.
It is still declining. Besides the
Prussian troops. all Of the best divis-
ions of Hesse, Saxony, Bavaria, Wur-
temberg and Baden have also been
engaged
Tactics Employed.
The Germans counted largely for
success on their new offensive tactics
which had been tried out on the
Sereth in July, 1917, and again, even
more successfully by General Hutier
at Riga between August 81 and Sep
TENDER 2, 1917. These tactics, to in
sure surprise. were preceded by only
very short but very intense
artillery preparation The assault
ing troops after capturing the first
positions, were then to engage in
open warfare, using machine gun
barrages in place of heavy artillery
fire. In order to keep the attack
going, regardless OF losses, each di-
vision was withdrawn after several
days and substituted by fresh
division. while the first one was
having two to three days rest and
reor organization before being re-en-
gagged The tactics also included in
? .,
the troops and officers to be engag-
ed; complete concealment of the pro-
iects and preparations; absolute Sc
crecy as TO plans and the transports
ton and concentration of troops:
brutality to the extreme degree in
offensive methods; extensive use of
poison gas for the purpose of denoral-
izing the enemy; and the exploita-
ton without an instant's delay, re-
CARELESS of cost. of the initial sue
cess. The battle was rehearsed in
all of its details behind the French
front before being finally started.
Plans and Concentration.
( General Won Huier. conqueror of
Riga, was counted upon to execute
very much the same vancouver on
! the western front that he had on the
eastern. He was to cross the Disc
, in the same manner as ne did the
I Duna. Concentration for the attack
Z took place only few days before it
was launched. the troops being
/ brought up largely by forced night
marches, in order to conceal their
presence from enemy airplanes. The
18th German division, for example,
+ by four night marches arrived at
BelIicourt from Wassigny The
Twenty-seventh division, which was
disembarked in the vicinity OF Cam
brai. is known TO have marched
thirty-two kiiometer go miles, dur
ing the night Of March 20-21, enter
] ing action at 8 in the morning.
! Artillery Preparation.
! So great was the Importance which
( the Germans attached TO the secret
/ arrival Of their troops on the battle
( line. that the artillery preparation