Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-01-02
Generals Who Led British to Victory;
LET'S Give Them Credit" Saws Expert


Yves because the success outran all ex-
pectations and the British army had
net h necessary reserves.
But Cambria proved that by restor-
ing the element of surprise it was pos
sible to break through and that bv use
OF tanks surprise could be had, since
they would take the place of long sus-
tanned bombardment in clearing the
way for the infantry.
Made Big Discovery.
1t was by the use of the lessons of
First Cambria that the Allies won the
campaign of 1918 and the war. Man
gins great counter offensive at the
Second Marine was founded upon the
use of anks. Each successive British
and French thrust thereafter employed
the same method. The German used
a variation of surprise tactics i'm his
earlier successes. but without the tank.
relying upon secret concentration and
great numbers. But it was Bvng who
abolished the long standing belief that
trench lines could not be broken, and
his discovery was one of the very
greatest of the conflict.
In the spring, at a critical moment.
~ s1Ashiy iiAN1 itAit1ll. NIX
broke the German effort to extend the
~dislocation of the British front. He
held Arras N Vimy Ridge in the face
of a tremendous attack. wl.ch the Ger
mans abandoned after As hours. Still!
later, in August, he made a successful
drive from the old Somme line east
ward to Bapaume. which terminated
German hopes Of holding the allies
west nf tho UJiplnrh,,ru live Fn,. tho
balance of the campaign.
Plumer, Horne, Rawlinson and Byng,
these are the outstanding figures under
Haig. They offer the same relation to
their commanders that Gouraud. Man.
gin, Debeney and Berthkos Dear to
Petain; for Castelnau and Fayolles,
liantly, the British army supplies no
thus delegated.
Two Other Winners.
outside of the European field there
are w British generals who claim at
t%ention. Maude, Of Bagdad, and Allen
by of Jerusalem and Samaria. OF the
former it is to be said that taking the
Mesopotamian command after the sur
render Of kut-el-Amara and follow
ing a shocking INC ~scandalous failure.
he revalled the best achievements of
kitchner in the Khartum campaign
and conducted a colonial campaign in
Il fashion which must remain a model
for all the future. Unhappily. he died
just after he had taken Bagdad and
before he could enjoy the full fruits
OF his great labors. But he remains
one of the great figures of that long
and splendid succession of British
colonial leaders.
Of Allenby there is a record in the
west as well as in the east. He COM
manded a cavalry brigade in the Mons
campaign. He held the .M%essines ridge
with a thin facade of horsemen in the
critical days Of Ypres. before the
French aid came. After that he COM
manded the Third British army, after
ward to &c to Byng in the battle Of
Arras. In which he took Vimy ridge.
cleared Arras and pushed down into
the Flanders plain. The SUCCESS of the
spring of 1917 was the greatest achieve
ment of the British in the war up to
that time.
Later. when the British commander
IN Egypt failed at GAIA and the Pales-
tine campaign was in danger. Allenby
went a He restored the situation
and presently the world heard Of him
In Jerusalem. This was a ray of light
In a dark period. But Allenby's great
triumph was to come. when last Sep
TENDER he crushed two Turkish armies
In Samaria. captured the bulk of their
forces Andamade the surrender Of the
Turk inevitable.
This was one OF the most complete
victories in history. 1t resulted in the
clearing of Palestine and Syria. the fall
OF Damascus, Aleppo and Beirut and
the elimination of Turkey from the war.
1t will stand side by side with
D'Esperey's success in Macedonia, won
at n same moment and resulting in
his surrender of Bulgaria.
Such, in brief. is the roster of the
more conspicuous British generals who
nnished the war commanding armies
and still holding the confidence of their
nation and the loyalty Of their troops.
Their place in British and imperial his
tory Is assured and I believe they will
gain rather than lose as time removes
certain misrepresentation and gives
o complete evidence Of their
achievements. 1t remains to say a word
OF the armies which they commanded.
In certain things the British army was
nrst. 1t surpassed its allies and its
enemies In air service. British mas
terry OF tho air Vas one OF the essential
ana potent elements in ultimate VIC
tory.
Tanks Won the War.
Again. without the tank, which was
a British contribution. the campaign
OF 1913 might have finished at the
Htndeuburg line. If. indeed, it had not
closed even nearer to the positions held