English to Romanian Art/Literary Military / Defense Primul Razboi Mondial

"With notable exceptions, energy was in short supply among the generals of both sides. And command energy was precisely the ingredient needed for such a nonstop operational confrontation (what we used to call a campaign), whose results in those first wild days of war were often decided far behind the lines. But right up until the final days of the Marne, when forces began linking up and troops dug the first trenches, you cannot really speak of lines. Fronts were established, only to disintegrate bloodily. !!! => Combat became a struggle of perpendiculars rather than horizontals, of endless dusty marching columns probing for flanks to turn or gaps to enter - while other marchers retreated in equally long lines from the probers. There were times when opposing divisions marched parallel to one another. In the month that the Marne lasted, the two sides covered an average of 12.5 miles per day. This was not World War I as we now think of it. Generals, who rarely stayed put themselves, had all they could do to keep in touch with their own men, let alone the enemy. No one was more in the dark than the staffs of the highest commands, the German OHL and the French GQG."

Nu înţeleg ce fel de lupte s-au dat.... pe perdinculară mai degrabă decât pe orizontală??!!

Mulţumesc anticipat pentru orice ajutor oferit! :-))