GERMANS STEADILY PUSHED BACK ON WEST FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3047, 7 April 1917, Page 9

GERMANS STEADILY PUSHED BACK ON WEST FRONT

BRITISH CAPTURE SIX GUNS SEVERAL MORE VILLAGES SECURED BY BRITISH AND FRENCH London, April 4, 11.15 p.m. British official. —Last night the enemy determinedly oounter-attaoked, endeavouring to. recover six guns that we captured on Monday west of St. Quentin. The attempt completely failed, after hand-to-hand fighting. The six guns- have now been brought in. .This afternoon we captured Metz-en-Couture. ' > The High Commissioner reports:— London, April 5, 2.15 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured the villages of Ronssoy and Bassehoulogne after sharp fighting, and took 22 prisoners. The retreating enemy was caught in his own entanglements, and suffered, heavily from our machine-gun fire. ■ Eastward and! north-eastwards of M etz-en-Couture we continue to profress in face of considerable resistance, reaching the western and south-western edge of Gouzeaucourt Wood and Havrinoourt Wood, capturing a further 60 prisoners, two trench mortars, and machine-guns. :"" FRENCH SUCCESS ON THE ROAD TO ST. QUENTIN. / . London, . April 4. • ' A French communique states: Wo continued to advance east and west of the.Sommo along the entire front attaoked by us yesterday. v Our reconnaissances pushed forwards beyond Dallon, as far as the south-west suburb of St. Quentin, and reached the southern edge of Grueies, north-cast of Castres, We entirely captured the village of Moy, on the Oise. On our right, the fight continued south of the Ailette as far as the village of Laffaux, to which we penetrated. Our fire smashed with heavy losses German counter-attacks south of Vauxeny.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. PRECIPITATE RETREAT OF THE GERMANS The High Commissioner reports:— 1 London, April 4, 11.15 p.m. French official. —Notwithstanding violet snowstorms and soaked earth, we continued to throw back the enemy on the whole front'between the Sommo and the Oiso, and pressed him beyond a very important dominating position defined by the villages' of Grugies, Urvillers, and Moy, which we brilliantly captured. ■ . . , North of La Folie Farm the Germans, overwhelmed by our irresistible attacks precipitately abandoned three lines of trenches fronted by a barbed wire system, abandoning {heir wounded and important material, also three bomb-throwers. ENEMY DETACHMENT CAUGHT BY LONG-RANGE GUNS. (Rec. April 6, 10.45 a.m.) London, April 4. 'A French communique says: South of the Ailette, unchanged situation in the region of Margival-Laft'aux. ' There was a violent, artillery duel in the Woevre. Our long-range gun* caught enemy detachments in the station of Vigncuelles.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ■. ;' GERMANS ADMIT ;THE FRENCH GAINED GROUND. , (Rec. April 5, 6 p.m.) ' London, April 4. A wireless German official message states: Westward of St. Quentin the French paid heavily for the ground gained. We brought down nine aeroplanes and two balloons.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK BY THE GERMANS. (Rec. April 6, 5.5 p.m.) London, April 5. A French communique says: The enemy has not attempted any reaction from the Somme to the Oise on the new front we oonquered yesterday. Our reconnaissances were pushed forward during the night north of Gauchy and north of Moy as far as the enemy lines, which were foaud to be strongly There is intermittent cannonade oast and west of the Spmme. The Germans unsuccessfully attacked between Sapignoul and Godat Farm. Enemy detach ments obtained a footing in an advanced portion of a trench, but were ■ immediately driven out.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. MUNITIONS DEPOT NEAR VENDRESSE EXPLODED. (Roc. April 6, 11.5 p.m.) London, April 5. "A" wireless Gorman official message says:—The English strongly attacked northward of the Peronne-Cambrai road. We inflicted heavy losses before rotiring.' They occupied our evacuated positions. South-west of St. Quentin our bateries exploded a munitions depot near Vendresse. We inflicted a defeat on the enemy northward of Reims, and * captured French trenches west of Monastir.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

THE MYSTERY OF. GERMANY'S PLANS. London, April 4. Colonel Repingten, discussing the mystery of German plans, gives the views of various authorities who incline to the belief that Germany, having gained more than her needs, intends a gradual withdrawal from the North of France and portion of Belgium, oventuaUy making a stand on a line inolnding Antwerp, Brussels, Namur, Mezieros, Verdun,, and Mete, and on the East front defensively fighting and gradually retiring from the Niemen and the Bug. Sho hopes to exhaust England during the summer by ruthless submarining. Meanwhile sho expects other Allies to become weary by the autumn, and will then enter into peace negotiations rather than face another winter in the trenches. Germany will then be prepared to, make France big concessions, including portion of Alsace, givo Russia and Courland a free hand, Italy her gains from Austria, and England Mesopotamia and Palestine, if captured, and the German colonies, except East, Afrioa; open the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, but refusing to open the Straits. Thus the poor dupe Turkey and the German colonies will pay the _peace price. If more has to he paid, Austria will be compelled to make sacrifices. Colonel Repingten points out that German press statements somewhat support this conception.—The "Times."- ■• ■ ■ GOVERNMENT NOT PREPARED TO DESIGNATE HOSTAGE TOWNS. London, April i. In the House of Commons Mr. Bcnar Law stated that the Government was not prepared to designate any German towns as.hostage towns, to be [destroyed as reprisal for the French towns destroyed during the German retreat.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ...