THE WESTERN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16161, 15 March 1918, Page 7

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

BRITISH ACTIVITIES. ENEMY POSITIONS BOMBED. (By Cable. —Press Association. —Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Reuter'a Telegrams.) LONDON, March 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "The Portuguese completely repulsed a raid on a 7UO yards front south-east-ward of Laventio. "Tho hostile infantry was caught by rnachine-gun fire in front and. on the flanks, and suffered heavy losses, both in endeavouring to cross our \viro_ and when retiring through the artillery barrage. Thero are many dead Germans in No Man's Land. "Tho enemy raided a post eastward of Zonnebeke. Three raids farther south were successfully repulsed. "Our aviators made several reconnaissances on Monday, well eastward of tho enemy line, and dropped 500 bombs on large sidings and ammunition depots at Eluyfo, and on depots southward of Valenciennes and south-east of Cambrai and southward of Douai. They dropped 200 bombs during the night on a dump and railway 6idings northeast of St. Quentin. All returned. "Our aviators also dropped a ton of bombs on factories, the station and barracks at Coblentz. Bursts were seen on all tho objectives. The bombs caused two fires. "A very largo explosion was observed in a building in tho south-west corner of tlie town. A few hostile machines were encountered, but all ours returned. ''

FRENCH REPULSE ATTACK. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Keutcr's Telegrams.) i (Received March 14th, 8.0 p.m.) j LONDON. March 13. j A French communique states: — "The Germans attacked west of Vaudesincourt. After a lively engagement we drove the enemy out of some of our advanced trenches in which he had gained a footing. "Thero is reciprocal artillery activity on the left bank of the Meusc." 1 GERMAIN CLAIMS. ! . { (Received March 14th, 8.5 p.m.) j LONDON, March 13. j A German official report states: — ! "Wo raided French trenches northeast of Fresnes and destroyed enemy works. "There is violent air fighting. • We brought down 19 aeroplanes and two balloons yesterday." , WAR SITUATION REVIEWED. i (Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association.) (Received March 14th, 8.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 13. A high military authority who is at present on the West front 6ays that half the strength of the German forces is concentrated on the British front. There have been several attempts to make out that the British a ro not holding their . proper, share of tho line as compared with tho French, but in war ; distance in yards is not everything; j tho important thing is tho strength in j which tho various armies are employed. But for the necessity of combating propaganda bo was loth to draw comparisons between our efforts and tho Allies. He could not forget how gallantly j France bore the early stages of the ; war, but no member of the Entente j had borne the burden to such an ex,- j tent as the British Empire. j The most hopeful augury for the future for the Entente was that another fresh Anglo-Saxon Power was preparing to tread tho path we trod, and was coming into the field to relieve us of some of the burden. There was no field so promising as the air. If' we were now, without America's assistance, steadily developing supremacy in the air, and more than holding our own, no imagination could picture the result when the fuli American air force was in the field alongside the British and French. Practically the whole burden of war against Turkey had fallen 011 us. The difficult terrain in Palestine precluded any dramatic coups, but Genoral Allenby was continually pressing the Turks.

BIG OFFENSIVE MAY BE POSTPONED. \ ("The Timca. 1 ') (Received March 14th, 8.0 p.in.) LONDON, March 13. The military critic of tho "Lokai Anzeiger," in an article which was apparently inspired, abandons the expectation of an immediate Western offensive. He argues that it is impossible for the Americans to outweigh the German accessions from the East, lo •delay is a good policy, as the gubinarine sinkings will probably compel tho Allies to resort to a hopeless, exhausting offensive, then Germany can give them a knock-out blow. .SUCCESSFUL AMERICAN RAIDS. (Australian and X.Z. Cable Association.) (Received March 14th, 11.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, March 13. The United Press Association's correspondent on the American front states that the American artillery at Toul inflict c<l heavy damage on the German, prsitions. The Americans then raided the German trenches, again reaching tho second line. American raids were also carried out ©ast of Lunevillo.

PALESTINE CAMPAIGN. ADVANCE ON COASTAL SECTOR. (Kcu.er's Telegrams.) (Received March 1-lth 11.30 p.m.) VANCOUVER, March 13. Indian troops, attacking on an 11-mile front, penetrated three miles in the coastal sector in Palestine,