HEAVY FIGHTING

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3053, 14 April 1917, Page 9

HEAVY FIGHTING

FRESH SUCCESSES BY THE BRITISH ■NEW GERMAN PLANS HINDENBWS RETREATING TACTICS RINGING SPEECH BY MR. LLOYD GEORGE In spite of almost impossible weather conditions, the British ad- - vance at the battle of Arras still oontinues satisfactorily, severafnew positions having been captured after what appears to have been par- ' ticularly severe fighting. Professor Bidou, the famous military critic of the "Journal des Debats," indulges in some most interesting speculations regarding von Hindonburg's intentions in the near future. Von Hindenburg's retreats, ho says, are favourite- preliminaries for his offensives, and in connection with' his latest plans it is pointed out that new mobile, forces, equipped with powerful artillery, . have been organised for manoeuvre offensives. The lessons of the Sonime have taught the Huns that conofe te dugouts and gun emplacements .are not proof against the British artillery. American preparations for :.i active hostilities continue' with great energy, the latest step being the appointment of Major-General Goethalsj who achieved world-wide fame as engineer-in-charge of the Panama Canal construction works, to superintend the building'of a great-armada of armed wooden merchant slips, to more than balanoe the shipping losses due to the pir- , ■ ates. A break between Uruguay and Germany is' imminent, while Brazil and Argentina are busy with military and naval preparations. Mr. Lloyd George, the British Prime Minister, has delivered a ring' ' ing speech of welcome to our new ally in the great world war. TWO IMPORTANT POSITIONS TAKEN HOSTILE ATTACKS REPELLED WITH HEAVY LOSSES TO THE ENEMY The High Commissioner reports: London, April 12, 3.15 p.m- -. . A British official dispatch states:."Sir Douglas Haig reports that the weather continues to bo wet and stormy. Early this morning we captured two important positions on the enemy's lines, northwards of Vimy Ridge and astride the River Souchez. A number of prisoners were taken. During the night two hostile attacks on our new-positions at_the northern end of Vimy Ridge were driven off by our machine-gun fire, with heavy German losses. Some progress has been made .southwards of the River Scarpe."- ' '..;... \ ./ , "LATEST OFFICIAL REPORTS-PROGRESS CONTINUES ..(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright).(Rec. April 13, 8.10 p.m.) < London, April 12.n Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We stormed the villages of Honinel and Wancourt with their adjoining defences,, .crossed tie Cojeul River, and occupied the heights on the east bank, and made further progress northward of "theScaTpe. Eastward of Vimy ridge gains_ were reported' this morning. Northward of Vimy ridge we' secured a,' position which had'been strengthened during the fighting on Monday and Tuesday. We took prisoners from all the infantry Tcgiraents of six' German divisions. Our aerial squadrons on both -sides-are active.. We brought, down fifteen of the enemy's machines. Six of , ours are missing."—-Aus.-N.Z.. Cable Assnl-Reuter. THE NEW BRITISH LINE ' (Rec. April 13, 11.15 p.m.) '"..'■• London, April 13. The "Times" correspondent at Headquarters says: "Our line now runs below Givenchy, then south-easterly for five hundred yards south of Vimy village; 'thence south-easterly east of Fampoux, Monchy, Guemappe, and Heninel, where it strikes the Hindenburg line south-east of St. Quentin."— . The "Times." '' .-■""■ ARRAS SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME (Rec. April 13, 11.15 p.m.) ' •.,..' ' ■"' London, April 13. • Mr. Beach Thpmas,_ describing the offensive, says: "The enemy was bringing up 17-inch howitzers to complete the'ruin of Arras, which was saved by a week s margin."—United Service.' " : ' ; NEW BRITISH TACTICS DESCRIBED .'■-'-.,■: A "WEDGE"'AND-THEN A'"FAN."' ' ■• London, April 11. There is much admiration in Paris .-for!, the: new British tactics, whereby a, front attack'is'widened asit progresses instead of -.narrowing' like previous . .Allied • offensives. _ Thus it is now' impossible for the enemy to make flank attacks; as'no salient is produced. The Britisli front doubled in two days like' an. 'opening fan.' Its left _ commandsDouai plain, the centre is within seven miles of Douai,- and the right is dangerously threatening the German lines with envelopment, the whole progressing towards Lens. Experts suggest that the Germans • were obliged to employ large forces at Bullecourt, because eight miles from that place the line still bulges westward towards Arras, and is in danger of being pinched out. The salient north ofVimy Ridge and south-west of Lens is also dangerously narrow. M. Marcel Hutin statos that a general commanding a Bavarian infantry division flew into a rage, and tore up his report asking Prince Uupprecht for reinforcements, when the British Tom mies entered _his shelter and took prisoner the general and his entire staff. . The incident indicaterfho extent of the Germans'surprise. 1 NEW CONDITIONS FOR THE GUNNERS (Rec. April 13, 11.50 p.m.) ' London, April 13. Correspondents at British headquarters state that snow and rainstorms continue, the wind blowing sometimes at the rate of sixty miles per hour, but the infantry is eager and enthusiastic, and continuing its attacks, while the artillery is showing wonderful skill. The new conditions of. field warfare are very different from shooting at fixed targets, where the range is accurately known'. The momentary pause in the advance is due to the fact that the infantry has reached the limits of the area of devastation caused by the smaller guns. Sir Douglas Haig must have time to move up his artillery. The enemy still holds the fortified villages of Givenchy-cn-Guoolle.and'Petit Vimy, which stop our progress to Lens. The'. Germans have prepared a second line, running north and south of Qucant, supplementing/the Hiudeuburg line.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. NEW ZEALAND FRONT QUIET ■ (Special from the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.)' . , . , , „. „ 'April 10. Beyond occasional reciprocal shelling of trenches and counter-battery 'i work, there is still no fighting on our front. Aerial activity has increased. : Daring flights and splendid feats aro almost daily accomplished in our new i fast aeroplanes. ' i VON HINDENBURG PREPARING AN OFFENSIVE \ MOBILE TACTICS WITH POWERFUL (ARTILLERY. I \ (TScc. April li 2, 11.15 p.m.) | . , ■ , - London, April 12. ' Professor Bidou, the fanioUi) French military critic of the "Journal des , -Debats," in an article in "Land and Water," discussing the 1917 campaign, '[s.ay,s: "li \a ohvlous Jhafi Hiudeabnrg is preparing an offensive,, retreat?

being a favourite preliminary to Von Hindenburg's offensives. He hopes to resume the war by a movement.to suspend 'the Western front for 2i years. The Germans are training troops in the rear in exercises where trench warfare plays quite a, subsidiary part, and is also greatly developing his medium artillery, which is both powerful and mobile, at the expense of 'artillery in position.' The alarming pulverisation. of the German positions on the Somme sjiowed that no position was safe from the British artillery, while the troops in their shelters had no time to come out to meet the assault. 'Whole units were thus captured. The Germans now realise that the men must be withdrawn from the dug-outs as the guns are withdrawn from the fortresses. The Germans intend to refuse battle and yield ground when an offensive is disclosed. They will thus gain several weeks before a new attack' is possible. The German medium artillery will roach perfection in June, if they can avoid defeat until then. Von Hiudenburg intends to launch an offensive with masses of manoeuvre troops, created by S&ducting everv fourth regiment from the divisions: a reorganisation-which has produced thirteen new divisions, armed with extremely powerful artillery."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ON THE FRENCH FRONT " LINE COMPLETELY ESTABLISHED. - . - Uondon, April 12. A French communique states: ''The artillery struggle continued fairly violently during the night between the Somme and the Oise, rotably in the re- , gion of Urvillers. After artillery preparation we attacked positions south of the Oise and east of the line Courcy la Ville-Quinoy-Bassee, and, after a lively fight, we pushed'the enemy back to the south-westorh. edge of the Tipper forest of Cbucy> and captured several important support points. Our reconnaissances penetrated the German lines at several points north of the Aisne. Our line is now completely reestablished."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. (Rec. 'April 13, 8.10 p.m.) London, April 12. A French official communique reports reciprocal artillery fighting south of the Oise and in the. region north of the Aisne. The weather is bad.—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reitter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT ■ ■ > fi. London, April 12. Wireless, per 'Admiralty Press.—A German official message states: "We repulsed attacks at Vimy and Fampoux. We lost Monchy-le-Preux after frequent assaults. British attacks, inoluding cavalry and armoured cars, northward of Monchy, broke down. The enemy again Heavily bombarded St. Quentin. The artillery battle is increasing in the Western Champagne. We bombed camps and munition dumps in the Veslo and Smppes valleys. The enemy lost twenty-four aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.