ALLIES’ HUGE BOOTY.

LUDENDORFF’S ORDER. SIGNIFICANT WARNING.

From H. W. Nevinson. War Correspondents’ Headquarters, France, Tuesday Afternoon, I have been unable to-day to visit any point of our fighting front, and must rely for information upon the reports that reach me. Except for a gradual strengthening of the enemy’s resistance both upon our front and that of the French, there has been little change in the situation since yesterday. Increased resistance was, of course, to be expected as the enemy brought up his reserves. The only question is how many divisions the command opposite this sector of the line still holds now that well over thirty have been identified, including those opposed to the French south of the Roye road, which may be estimated at nine. In any case, a surprise attack such as ours usually slackens after the first few days owing to the difficulty of arranging the supply of big guns, fresh troops, stores, and rations over the length of territory gained. Consequently, to-day we have no very conspicuous event to narrate, Last night a German party of about 100 men attempted a local attack upon Fouquescourt, a village lying about a mile south of Chilly, which the Australians now hold, and a mile north of Parvillers, which is unhappily still occupied by German machine guns hidden in the small surrounding wood. But the attack was driven off without much difficulty, and the rest of our front line is reported fairly quiet. I understand that our captures since the beginning of our advance last Thursday exceed 20,000 prisoners, including five regimental commanding officers, twenty battalion commanding officers, and three artillery brigade commanders, making about 600 officers in all. Further, one corps and three divisional headquarters, more than 400 guns, several thousand machine guns, a number of trench mortars not yet counted, three complete railway trains, and a vast stock of stores and engineering materials. Such is the spoil of the five days’ battle up to this morning. Of the enemy’s losses in men killed or wounded I have heard estimates at present too vague to mention.

ENEMY ORDERED TO AVOID LOSSES.

Undoubtedly his losses have been very severe, and his present defeat adds fresh significance to an order recently issued by Von Ludendorff and captured during the fighting. It is dated June 25, and lays stress on the duty of avoiding unnecessary losses of men. I extract the following sentences: It is essential that all commanders of whatever rank and all troops should be imbued with the idea that the war cannot be won by stubborn defence, but only by a further succession of vigorous attacks. These attacks, however, cannot lead to victory unless we adhere to and improve on the methods of warfare adopted in the recent offensives. In every case where the well-tried principles of the “Manual of Infantry Training in War, Part 2,” and the appropriate additions made to them by the Higher Command as a result of actual experience were properly applied, success was gained at small cost. An instance is given from the conduct of the 11th Division in an attack south-west of Noyon, on June 9, where, in spite of great difficulties, success is said to have been gamed at small cost owing to the observance of the new principles of warfare. The order continues: It is absolutely essential that we should avoid our old fault of attacking in too dense formations and reduce our casualties by every possible means. This necessity holds equally good for defensive fronts, even for those which, sooner or later, may become offensive fronts again. Divisions in line must do their utmost to reduce their casualties to an absolute minimum by distribution in depth and the operation of an extended outpost zone. In spite of all instructions too much attention is still paid to the possession of ground, to holding or retaking portions of French villages, parts of woods, &c., and to fighting for points whose only value is prestige.