Evening journal., 1918-01-02
With ihe British Arm es
In The Field During 1917

Taking a quarterly period-August.
September and October-the last for
which my notes are complete, one finds
that 369 German planes were hopeless
" smashed to smitheroens and 205
driven down out OF control in places
where their actual wrecksges could not
be seen and their loss verified, as
against 2ii British planes missing.
But these summaries do not tell the
whole tale Of British accomplishments
out here during the past year. The
Somme retreat, the smash at Arras. the
storming Of Nimy. the hemmine-in Of
Lens the taking OF Messines and cap
ture OF Passacehndaele all together
probably mean less than the owe last
ing hammering the Germans have had
to unde go. killing them. manning
them, undermining their spirit Of re-
slstance keeping them all the time on
the defensive and without the power Of
striking back. For, one Of this years
achievements has been an unheard Of
increase in British gunpower with
more ammunition than the guns could
IRE.
Every offensive. from Arras TO Fland-
ers, has been accompanied by artillery
preparations and attack-h1rrages in
creasingly heavy and each time more
accurate and deadly. One result Of all
this gun-nre has been TO tear German
divisions to shreds so promptly that
very few have been able TO stick II out
longer than two or three days during
the campaigning season. Tho wastage
has been enormous considering that the
Germans, as a rule. only relieve a diVi-
sion after 1t has sustained 30 per cent.
losses or over.
In the fl~st three months OF the Flan-
ders fighting Crown Prince Ruppreoht
threw 81 divisions into the line against
the British. This Is five more divi-
SONS than appeared against The Brit
sh and French both during the flrsl
three months Of the Somme. The ma
iority Of these 81 divisions were new
ones, though some appeared twice and
two came in three tlmes-that Is after
being cut TO pieces once a division may
be Withdrawn, reflled to strength by
, drafts. rested and put back into line q
second. third, or any number OF times
Thus II not infrequently happens. In {
long and costly campaign, that bat
times that number.
During the FIRST month Of the Flan
ders offensive the Germans were force'
to use up and take out 81 division
Of which only two appeared on IN
line twice. During September. IN
) second month, 20 divisions were knock
! ed out, six not so badly but what the
could be patched up and put back. I
T October 81 divisions were given a maui
O ing. ~ reappearing twice and tw'
{ three times In the line.
y Countylng the seventy-eight division
/ hacked up at the Arras-Vlmy and Me-
2 sines shows. the seven crippled by Oh
= Canadians before Lens, and lncludn n
, those accounted for by the French
D their Aisne-Champagne offensive dur
ing the summer and also those smasl
] cd by them in October on the Aisne.
p total OF over 800 Gel man divisions ha'
{ been taught a severe lesson since N
g years campaigning began.
So roughly has he been handled, an
so busy has he been licking his sore
that Rupprecbt has scarcely had tin
d. western front for himself. Against q
British he hit only once. This bic
. landed amongst the dunes OF Z
Channel Along about a 2O00-ya
,, front, between the Lysette river al
the sea, he advanced his lines az
h as the User, forcing the British 10 {
N other side The battle lasted part
: one da--hls frst last and only offer
! i've Of the year on this front.
: Tndenburg has lost so many m