September 6, 1917 
LAND & WATEk 
Warfare in the West 
By Edmund Dane 
ON the West front the week August 27th to September 
^nd was, during the greater part of the time, wet 
and stormy. This state of things not only affects 
the ground, tending to impede movement and trans- 
port on both sides, but, covering tlie battle area as a whole 
with mist, restricts observation both from the air and on the 
level. Nevertheless, to speak of a lull in the fighting istocnter- 
tain a complete misimpression. Considering the conditions, 
the activity was as sustained as it has been in any week on 
the \^'est during the war. 
Nortli-east of Ypres, from the farther side of Langemarck 
to the Ypres-Roulers road, we " cleaned up " another series 
of posts and emplacements forming part of the enemy's 
third system of defence in this area. From Gouzeaucourt 
to Hargicourt wc made, on July 36, a further and not un- 
imi)ortant bite into the Siegfried line. North of Verdun 
there was the battle round Beaumont, and the approaches 
to Hill 344, and at the end of the week there was the French 
attack on the enemy positions north-west of Hurtebise, a 
brilliant piece of work which proved entirely successful. 
At the same time, the artillery duel, more especially north 
of \'erdun on both sides of the Meuse, round Lens, and in 
Belgium, was sustained, and often intense, and our airmen, 
naval as well as military, and the French airmen, carried 
out various bombing rai(is on a large sccile, and with well- 
marked results. 
This during a week of very broken weather is assuredly 
qualified inactivity. 
Coming down to details it is worth observing that the 
German defences no longer present a uniformity of type. 
Tiicy are not now everywhere an uninterrupted closely inter- 
woven web of diggings, lij^^avily wired, linked up with deep 
and capacious dugout refuges, and supported at commanding 
OF vital points by concreted redoubts. The difficulty attending 
such a system is that if sections of it be swept away renewal 
to the reaf is a matter not only of great labour, but of tune 
and of jnaterial. In any event a line of that character, even 
given the necessary labour and material, and the time, can 
only be rebuilt beyond the range of the hostile guns. In 
the meanwhile the sections remaining, though reduced 
\ in value, are fixed, and that in the circumstances becomes a 
serious disadvantage, for to no small extent the value of any 
part of a system of that kind depends upon its being held as 
a uholc. The und':'rlying assumption was that it could be 
so held. Events, however, have destroyed the theory. It 
is not only therefore doubtful, and more than doubtful, if 
the enemy has at his command the labour and material 
required ; but the plain necessity has arisen for a defensive 
svstem which, while strong, is at the same time morahlc. 
To-day the state of affairs is that on some sections of the 
front we have what may be called a movable type of defences, 
and on other sections works of the older, immovable style. 
The breaches made in 'the older system are from the Yser 
canal to the Lys ; from the north of Lens to Queant ; along the 
Crannne Ridge, the length of the Moronvillers Ridge ; and 
lastly at Verdun on both sides of the river. In between are 
j>atches or sections of the immovable line connected up by 
the posts and emplacements representing the later develop- 
ment. 
It is interesting to note that during the week under review 
our troops had to deal in Belgium with the one type of obstruc- 
tion, ancl between Gouzeaucourt and Hargicolirtwith the other. 
More than once in inspired Gennan statements it was asserted 
that British troops would prove useless in open or semi-open 
warthre. That, of course, was after the assertion that they 
could never successfully assault the fixed works had had to be 
removed from the propaganda screen. There is never an 
assault on the fixed works now that does not go right home 
to the objcctr\es determined upon. The world, nevertheless, 
is still invited to believe that in face of the latf'r development 
it is another stnn,'. 
Hence the frequent appearance of the enemy formula 
with reference to British attac*;, sometimes imaginary, that 
they " broke down in front of our defences with heavy losses." 
The new discovery has apparently a mysterious virtue. So. 
however, had the older invention of an " impregnable " 
line — until its supposed qualities were exploded. 
The (juestion worth determining is whether the change from 
■ a uniform fixed front to one partly fixed and partly " elastic," 
has added to or lightened the burden of the enemy's defensive. 
Should it have lightened the burden it is from his point of 
view to the good ; should it have added to the burden it is 
to the bad. By burden of the defence has to be understood 
the amount of effort called for in relation to the results of that 
effort. If the effort called for be great and the results less 
than before, the l)urden is increased ; vica virsa if the same 
effort or less gives greater results. 
* ' 
The Week's Record 
Even this particular week, from August 27th to September 
2nd, affords the means of settling the point. Let us run over 
the enemy's activities. 
August 27th : Resistance to British attacks east and south- 
cast of Langemarck. Succession of counter-attacks. Raid 
on the British positions north of Lens. Driven off with loss. 
Attacks north of Laffaux, east and west of Cerny, and on 
both sides of Hurtebise. No result. Violent attack on the 
southera- outskirts of Beaumont. Completely repulsed, and 
according to the French report " annihilated." 
August 28th : Heavy fighting in resistance to British 
attack astride the St. Julien-Poelcapelle road. Succession 
of counter-attacks. Two attacks on Inverness Copse. Both 
repulsed. Violent bombardment of California Plateau. 
Bombardment mastered by French counter-battery fire. 
Intended German assault failed to " materialise." Artillery 
duel north of ^'erdun. 
August 2gtli ; Counter-attacks against British south-east 
of Lahgemarck. Attempted raid of British posts east of 
Oosttaverne. Unsuccessful. Defence against British raids 
south-west of - HuUoch, and north-west of Ciouzeaucourt. 
Artillery duel on Aisnc sector. Violent cannonade on both 
sides of the Meuse at Verdun. Reconnaissance against French 
positions in Cauricres Wood. Repulsed. 
August 30th : Cannonade in Nieuport sector, and north 
and north-east of Yi)res. Fighting against the British south- 
east of St.- Janshock. Artillery duel at Lens. Artillery 
duel at Craonne and Braye. Attack at Chevrcux. L'n- 
successful. Continued cannonade at Verdun. Another at- 
tempt against the Caurieres Wood. Repulsed. 
August 3rst : Another raid on British posts east of Oostta- 
vern'e, this time in strong force. A British post captured. 
Attempted raid on British positions at Arleux-en-Gohelle. ' 
Repulsed. Attack in force on British posts at Gillemont 
farm, and trenches of Gouzeaucourt. British post at Gille- 
mont taken. Attack otherwise unsuccessful. Attempted 
raid cast of Cerny. No result. Resistance to French raid 
south-east of Corbeny. Position lost. Trenches raided by 
French at Butte de Mesnil. Artillery duel at Verdun. 
September 1st : Cannonade at Nieuport. Defence against 
British raid east of Wytschaete. Cannonade .south of Lens. 
Attempted raid south-west of Havrincourt. Repulsed. 
Positions lost to French north-west of Hurtebise on front 
of 1,500 metres. Three counter-attacks to retake lost posir 
tions. Unsuccessful. Casualties heavy. 
September 2nd : Resumed attack against British posts 
near Havrincourt. Positions captured, then lost. Raids 
between Lens and La Bassec. Repulsed. Attempted sur- 
])rise attack on French posts near Cerny. Repulsed. Renewed 
attempt to retake the positions lost at Hurtebise. Broken 
up by French artillery. 
* « * « * 
This was a week not marked by any great offensive blow. 
The period may be ranked as one of the interludes. Yet we 
find very considerable and general enemy activity. Of the 
many counter-attacks the net result was the capture of two 
British posts. On the other hand the positions lost north- 
cast of Ypres, south-west of Lc Catelet, and at Hurtebise 
were of decided tactical consequence. In one way and another 
the enemy effort was greater than that on our side ; and it 
was certainly much the more costly. There is hardly a com- 
parison, however, between the respective results. On the one 
liand they were negligible ; on the other of indisputable value, 
and unless we assume that the (iermans arc merely fighting 
for show, which of course is absurd, the bite of the Allied 
attack, watching its opportunity, pressing where the opening 
offers, and getting in at moderate cost, is in sufficiently 
striking contrast with the relative restlessness, and lack of 
bite on the part of the defence. 
There is evidently on the German side sharper sense of 
insecurity. When the front was more homogeneous comparative 
quiescence might be relied upon even though at some given 
point like the SoiVime a heavy jjresbure had to be met- As 
