GERMANY MOVES

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16151, 4 March 1918, Page 7

GERMANY MOVES

WHOLE WEST FRONT ACTIVE.

FRENCH POSITIONS ATTACKED.

SERIOUS AIR RAID ON VENICE.

4th YEAR—2lsth DAY.

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE BRITISH FRONT. MUCH LOCAL FIGHTING. (By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.) (Reuter'a Telegrams.) (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. March 1. Sir Douglas Ilaig reports: "Portuguese troops were successful in patrol encounters. "Our .airmen are busy bombing dumps, railways, and aerodromes in the vicinity of Lille, Control. 'iouruai, and Hons." . , , LONDON, March 1. Sir Douglas Haig reports: — "Our troops made a successrrul raui near Gonnelieu (eight miles south ol Cambrai). "The Dorsets, Manchester, Lancashires and Scots, in a ra j l ttignt, southward of Houthulst Forest (eight mile 3 nortli of Ypies) penetrated tc a depth of 1200 yards, taking prisoners and inflicting large casualties. "Hostile artillery is active at bt. Quentin, Armenticres, and Zonnebekc. (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 2. Sir Douglas liaig reports: — "Wo carried out successful raids southward of Armentieres and in the neighbourhood of Arleux-en-Gohelle. "Two enemy night raids entered the British trenches and captured a few prisoners. "After a heavy bombardment on a wide front northward of Neuve Chapelle, a strong party attacked and entered the Portuguese front trenches, but was immediately ejected and the position restored. "We repulsed raids in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Comines Canal and southward of Houthoulst Foreat." BELGIANS REPULSE ATTACK. LONDON, March 1. A Belgian communique states: — "Following a bombardment, an enemy coup-de-main north of Dixmude failed. A number of rafts employed were destroyed; also pontoon bridges, which the enemy was building across the Yaer. "Heavy artillery firing in the region of Nieuport, Porvyse, and Dixmude continues." ACTIVITY ON WHOLE BRITISH FRONT. (Australian and N. 2. Cable Association.) (Reuter'a Telegram#.) ' (Received March 3rd, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON. March 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports: — "There is great enemy raiding activity on the whole British front. All the raiders wero-driven off after sharp fighting with considerable losses. "The British air service is active. Four Gorman machines wero brought down." HUNS ANXIOUS FOR ZEEBRUGCE. (Reuter's Tclegrama.) (Receivod March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, March 1. The ''Telcgraaf's" frontier correspondent states that the Germans are continuously thinking out new methods for the defence of Zeobrugge from the sea and in the air. They send up nightly unmanned captive balloons fastened to electrified steel wire, which forms a great danger to airmen who com© in contact with it. The new German aeroplanes arc fitted with three screws, one of which is bo arranged that it keeps tho machine stationary for some time, permitting moro accurate bombing. Marine nets arc spread far seaward, and smaller submarines are now being built. THE FRENCH LINES. GREAT GERMAN ACTIVITY. (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 1. A French communique states: — "There is an intense artillery duel in the region north and north-west of Rheims and in the Champagne. <; South-west of the Butte du Mesnil tho enemy, after being driven out by counter attacks from some points, reassaulted with fresh forces, and after several unsuccessful attempts with heavy losses, regained a footing in part of the positions we captured on February 13th. "The enemy violently boinbardod our urst lines on the front Beaumontj Chanmo "Wood, also at Soucheprez, whero a big raid was repulsed at two points last night. "In to-day's attacks American troops were in contact with special raiding troops. The Americans everywhere held their lines intact, inflicting appreciable losses." ENE3IY ATTACKS FAIL. (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 2. A French, communique states: "There is intense artillery fighting at many points from the Chemin des Dames to the Meuse. "The enemy is aggressively active, notablv north-west and south-east of Rheims. Ho attempted to debouch against our salient at Neufchatel, but our counter-attack drove out the ele-

, ments, which had succecded in getting j a footing in our advance. posts. ! '"Simultaneously Ik* fruitlessly :iti tacked at La Pompellc, then violently j re-attacked, making renewed efforts to I reach the fort of La Pompellc. IsoI lated elements succeeded in gaining ; a footing in the northern portion of ji : small work west of the fort. An eleI ment also abortively attacked cast south of La Bcatonerie, in the Cliam--1 pagne. i "The Germans attacked in the direc- ; lion of Mont Cornillet on a front of 800 metres, but found that <ur . trenches had previously been evacuated under instructions. The enemy was immediately driven out by cur counter-attack, and the position en- * tirely re-established. ! "Our fire broke another attack east , of tho Teton, and we inflictcd serious ! losses. j "A violent bombardment is proceodj ing south-west of Butto du Mesnil. [- "Enemy raids in Lorraine and tho Vosges were repulsed." Another French communique states: > "Two enemy columns attacked last k night east of Chavignon, but . were thrown hack, with heavy losses, after violent hand-to-hand fighting. "Another attempt east of Corbeny - was equally unsuccessful. j "There is lively mutual artillery ; activity between Miette and the Aisno ' and the sector at llheims, where a civil hospital was set afiro and syss tematically bombarded during the fire. 3 "Tho enemy bombarded our first lines in the Champagne last night, 2 notably the mountainous region at f Suippc and in the direction of Butto du Mesnil, to tho west of which an i enemy attack was driven back, except - at one point. "Simultaneously a powerful enemv y raid cast of Suippe was completely de--3 feated. "There is considerable artillery uc- " tivity in the Woeuvc. | "One of our crews carried out a photographic reconnaissance as far as Marienburg, 80 kilometres behind the enemy's linos." POSITIONS RE-ESTABLISHED. (Received March 3rd, 11.15 p.m.) LONDON, March 3. i A French communique states: — 5 "'Wo completely re-established our lines at La Pompolle, whore the enemy 3 attacked on Friday night. "Lively artillery duels are in progress on tho right bank of tho Meuso and north of Bezonvoux." GERMANS TRANSFERRED FROM ITALIAN FRONT. (Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.) :Received March 3rd, o.u p.m.) ROME, March 1. The ''Comoro dTtalia" states that 1 Hungarians havo replaced all the Ger- ? man troops on tho Italian front. The Germans have bean sent to Franc?. 1 AMERICANS REPULSE BIG ATTACK. (Australian nnd N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received March 3rd 5.20 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 2. The Americans completely repulsed a strong Gorman attack at St. Mihiel. i- There were many casualties on both - sides. r a GERMANS SUFFER HEAVILY. V" (Router's Telegrams.) (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) a WASHINGTON, March 2. Router's correspondent at Head--4 quarters -report that the raid upon tho 0 St. Mihiel salient was preceded by a _ gas attack. The ground in front of the 0 trenches was strewn with German dead. Tho Americans lost many killed and [ wounded. An American captain led g his company into No Man's Land after tho Germans had been repulsed and decimated thorn with machine-guns. The captain was killotl. EAST AFRICAN CAMPAIGN. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) j (Router's Telegrams.) (Received March 3rd, 5.5 p.m.) il LONDON, March 2. y An East African official report states:— , r "A column from Lake Nvassa disk perj-ed the enemy rearguard southn east of Mt. Arikn. "Our column from Port Amelia occupied Mega." IT