The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-11-18


ANOTHER ALLIED OFFENSIVE
After their great failure in April and
May. 1917. and the collapse OF Russia
in the interval, England and France
saw themselves faced with new sit
uation. They decided on a second great
offensive, with the object of winning
the same time they wished to secure
guarantees that final victory might be
assured as any rate by 1918.
The chief weight of the blow was
| directed in the vicinity of Ypres, with
view to capturing the German sub
| marine base in Flanders. The trans
port of the new American troops to
| France in 1913 had to be safeguarded
by a war against U-boats,
| In spite of the seriousness of our
position on the western front the abb
/ sence of any Russian attacks in the
| spring of 1917 prevented general
crisis in our situation such as we had
experienced in September. 1916. / had
| never been one to indulge in fruitless
speculation. but could not help con-
sidering what our position must in
evitably have been had the Russians
| attacked in April and May and met
with even minor successes. We should
then. as in the autumn of 1916, have
had desperate struggle. Our supply
of munitions had diminished to an
alarming extent
ON THE FAR-FLUNG FRONTS
If the Russian successes of July had
occurred in April and May do not
see. as look back, how G. Fl. Q. could
have mastered the situation. During
these two months OF 1917. in spite of
our Aisne-Champagne victory, IL was
the Russian revolution alone that
saved us from serious trouble.
The Russian offensive took place
later on, in July, two months after the
Anglo-French attack. and even then 1t
was not a united blow, as in the au-
tumn of 1915 1t was a divided push
and operating. as we did. from interior
lines, we were able to repel and over
come our isolated opponents one by
one.
On the Italian front, too. there was
violent fighting in May. The tenth
| battle of the Isonzo once more closed
without victory for the Italian army.
| In Macedonia an enemy offensive on g
large scale collapsed before the Bull
| paign again achieved good results in
April and May and reIived our west
ern front.
For the moment the French army
remained inactive. in order to recu-
perate after its recent defeat Later
on it confined itself only to local en-
gagements, although these were of
| considerable intensity The main forces
of the British and Belgian armies
supported by French troops. were held
in readiness for an attack in Flanders.
Fresh offensives were also to be opened
on the Isonzo in Macedonia and Pales-
| tine.
IN DARK AS TO ALLIED PLANS
In the summer OF 1917 I naturally
was not able to form such clear idea
of the intentions and measures the
enemy were then maturing as did In
| July and August.
A weakening in the French attacks
was perceptib1e in the second half Of
| May, and the French army continued
| to be comparatively inactive. Mean
while I had to reckon on a reopening
of their offensive. which was possible
at any moment. either here or in any
sector of the line. The British army
continued fighting on the old battle
| field east of Arras in the second half
| Of May. not indeed. with the intensity
shown in the Somme battles, but still
pursuing its tactics Of attrition.
| At the beginning of June increased
| activity on the part Of the enemy was
noticeable in the neighborhood Of our
\
| The Strengthening OF this salient really
| began in the great Flanders battle in
| June. AS long as it rem2tned In Ger
| man hands every British attack at
Ypres and to the north OF that town
was outflahked from the south.
The tactical position Of the German
| troops in the Wytschaete salient was
sby no means favorable. There were
some thoughts OF evacuating 1t The
L - t>s- .
| could be held. Repulsed attacks are
always to the advantage Of tho defend
| ing side. owing to the immensely heavy
| losses they entail for the enemy The
group of armies and g. H. @. therefore
| agreed that the salient should he held.
GREAT MINES BREAK HIS LINES
| We should have succeeded in retain
i ing the position but for tho exception
ally powerful mines used by the Brit
| ish, which paved the way for their at
| tack, consisting, as usual. of fierce ar
| tillery fire supporting q closely massed
| infantry advance. The result Of these
successful mining operations was that
| the enemy broke through on June Z.
Tho heights Of wytschaete and Mes-
| sines dominating Ypres from the
| south) had been the site of active mine
warfare in the early days Of the war.
| For . long time past however, both
sides had ceased to use such tactics;
| all had been quiet, and no sound of
| underground work on the part Of the
enemy could be heard at our listening
posts The mines must therefore,
have been laid long before.
Tho moral effect of the explosions
was simply staggering; at several
! points our troops fell back before the
| onslauxhter of the enemy infantry.
| Powerful artillery fire penetrating the
| Wytschaete salient hindered effective
l intervention by our reserves and the
recovery of the position. Tho Sehn
| line Con the further edge of the ride
overlooking Ypres) was then taken up
with our consent. refused to coun-
| tenance any suggestion Of further
Withdrawals.
June 4 cost US dear, and owing to
| tho success OF the enemy attack the
price We paid was very heavy. Here,
| too it was many days before the front
was again secure. The British army
did not press its ADVANTAGE; appar-
emily it only intended to improve its
position for the launching Of the great
Flanders Offensive
GERMAN GENERAL RELIEVED
II thereupon resumed operations on
| tho old Arras battlefield and also be-
| tween La Bassee and Lens The OBJ
| ject Of the enemy was to wear us down
and distract out attention from Ypres.
The command Of the 9Th army had
been changed General Won Fa1ken-
hansen had taken the place Of the late
General Won Kissing a. governor gen
| era1 Of Belgium. He was a particularly
| striking personality, who. on taking up
| his nA~ vor3fion retainAd our complete