Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-01-28

I and men as IL could. The side thar
gained the advantages in this duel
was then In the ricst favorable posi-
| tion TO commence the battle proper
as Il possessed great facilities Ior
destruction OF the infantry opposed
| to H.
Tho science OF defense has reached
isuch stage that no infantry Assault
has the slightest chance OF success
Iunl~as IL is preceded by an effective
lnrtillory preparations during whlch
the eLemy's defenses are rendered IN
capable OF affording shelter to the
men whose business IL In 10 resist as
sault II is easy To see that pr9-
longod artillery duel In the old sense,
! II It could be carried out. would be or
Eultimate advantage TO the defense,
| III the opposing armies were ahout
equal In number and efficiency or
batteries However. many guns the
defense might lose. they could count
upon 10 reducing the strength of the
artillery OF the attack that a. would
be unable to carry out the necessary
preliminary bomhardment, and so the
assault would be prevented. or fore
doomed TO failure. This TX evidently
the idea In the mind Of Won Sai2ncnn
Ia reassurc the German public,
Alarmed by the gradual pushing back
Of their line In Belgium
There are two conditions upon
which the German application of the
ARTILLERY duel" to defensive purposes
depords The first OF these In the
possibility of carrying out an artillery
duel IN the old sense VI the phrase.
II was easy enough when ranges were
short, ard batteries depended on di-
rrc' obstrvaiion OF their targets in
ar NnFs In hANN tNN
ranges have increased until oppos-
INK heavy batteries. upon which the
modern equivalent OF the artillery
duel depends. are usually separated
by eight or nine Thousand yards at
leagt. and never within sight OF one
another. The problem IL compli-
Gated by the necessity OF discovering
the position. Of hostile battery be-
fore Il y -.- ~ secur-
ing some means OF observation In or
der to destroy II.
To great extent the discovery OF
hostile batteries. and the observation
OF fire uRon them when found de- |
volv-a updn the air services. Scout |
ing aeroplnes and balloons must be |
ablC 10 reconnoiter the hostile terri !
tory FOR these purposes. and this re-
cannaisance can only be conducted by |
thc sue tnat mas the mastery or the /
air II Is indisputable tiSt this mas
terry IL held by the allies. our aero |
planes are constantly over the Ger |
man lines, whereas IL is compare
lively rare occurrence for German
scout TO ny over our guns. even for !
Il few minutes.
The second condition IL that the al |
He'd and German artilleries are of ap- |
proSimately equal strength and eff !
cheney That this is not the case, |
that the British artillery Is inrmeas- |
ur-ably superior. Is admitted by the |
Germans themselves. The superior |
efficiency OF the French artillery liz
recognized by the whole world The |
British can mass batteries upon a |
larger scale than the enemy. and each |
individual battery Is more than a |
match for any that the Germans can |
bring up TO oppose It. There is no |
doubt tot these facts Experience |
at the front for the last eighteen |
months has proved them beyond A |
doubt.
In counter-battery work. which is
the modern equivalent of the artII- |
lery duel for more German batter
les have been put out OF action than
british. even when conditions we're
entirely In favor OF the former. This
may seem statement impossible OF
Verification. but the number of Brit