IMMENSE FORCES IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 153, 18 March 1918, Page 5

IMMENSE FORCES IN THE WEST

:■ VAST ACCUMULATIONS OF MEN AND MATERIAL ALLIES' FORMIDABLE DEFENSIVE PREPARA- • . ■ TIONS . • ■ By Tel9frrapli--PreFß Aesociation-CopjriSUt \ (Rec. March 17,. 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters says: "Although the enemy is still accumulating men and material on our front, he gives' no sign ' when and where the long-promised offensive will start. He has 190 divisions on the Franco-Belgian fronts. Over a third of these are in reserve, ready to he hurled at any point selected. Why the Germans are allowing week after - week of wonderful weather to pass without moving ,is possibly explained by their anxiety, to know exactly how many divisions still in Russia can bo counted upon for the West. Behind the enemy's front preparations are _ eyidept. • New aerodromes, roads, and immense hutments are continually being constructed. His reserves are in cantonments far from the front, hence it is impossible to know the point of attack. Our defence preparations are on a most formidable scale."—Reuter. . 400 GERMAN AND ALLIED DIVISIONS READY FOR BATTLE TENSION ALMOST AT BREAKING-POINT! )' ■ ' (Rec. March 16, 7.30 p.m.) ' ' ' London, March io. Herr Solzmoun, writing in the "Vossische Zeitung," declares that 400 German and Allied divisions are about to do battle on the West front. The tension is almost, at breaking-point. The future is dark. "The Germans are animated with hope and confidence because of their unified High Command, he says, "while the Allied Commands are independent and all going their own way."—"The Times." . •• . "THE MOST TREMENDOUS FIGHT OF THE WAR" PREDICTION BY LUDENDORFF. ,(Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) } ' Amsterdam, March 15. General vonLudendorff, German Chief , of Staff, interviewed by the Cologne "Volks Zeitung,"' said: "Our West front is much more favourable than in 1917. We now are much stronger than the enemy in men and material, Wβ have an , abundance of aircraft and tanks. If the enemy wishes to attack us, let him. He will find us ready! If the enemy does not want peace, he must • fight. It will be the most tremendous fight of the whole war. With God's aid we shall obtain a German peace."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AN OFFENSIVE LIKE THAT AT VERDUN IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT RISKING A REVOLT AMONG GERMAN TROOPS. London, March 15. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: "The recent German procedure has been a series of artillery demonstrations and raids up and down the front, for the purpose of keeping up a nervous tension. We are replying with night raids, where success depends on leadership and expert training.of each raider. lam convinced that it is impossible for the German High Command to carry out an offensive like that at Verdun without risking a revolt among the troops."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' ■ . ) SEVERE FIGHTING IN THE AIR 117 GERMAN AEROPLANES BROUGHT DOWN IN A FORTNIGHT. , London, March 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Our aeroplanes dropped seven hundred bombs on billets, dumps, and railway sidings at Courtrai and Menin, aiso on an/aerodrome used by tho enemy's night-fliers. In severe fighting between larjjo formations, we brought down nineteen aoroplanes. Five of ours are missing. In Wednesday's raid on Freiburg, a large number of hostile machines attacked our aeroplanes. A fierce fight ensued, until all hostile machines were forced to withdraw. Three of ours aro missing."—Aus.-N.Z. .Cable Assn.Reuter. BRITISH AVIATORS PREVENT A GERMAN ATTACK. • . ■ London, March 15. • The British front has had a spell of fine weather, broken by rain. The airmen are glad evon for n few hours' rest. Since March 1, 117 German aeroplanes have been brought down in daylight fighting. Bombing at night has not ceased. Aeroplanes engaged in this work in one instance broke up an int tended attack. The enemy's preparations were being made in a certain village, and the British 'planes in relays bombed the village from eight o'clock afnight until three o'clock in the morning. The Germans were so badly shattered that the attack did not develop. The artillery is now more active at both Oambrai and Lille.—Auo.-N.Z. Cable- Assn. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORTS RAIDS AND'ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. London, March 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "There is great activity by hostile artillery from Vermellee to south of Armentieres. The Portuguese drove back a strong enemy party in this neighbourhood.' —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ■ (Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We entered the enemy's lines westward of Villersguislain. We repulsed raids in the neighbourhood of Passchendaele and Poelcapelle. There is reciprocal artillery firing to the .south-west and weet of Cambrai, to the south of Armentieros, and in tho Messines-Meniu Road sectors." i Sir Douglas Haig, in a later report, sa , ys: "Tho Canadians raided southeast of Lens. A largo party of the en em y raided Passchendaele and suffered heavily. Wβ repulsed raids to the south o f the Menin Road. Our aviators bombed a railhead near Lille, and aerod romeg to the north-east and east of , St. Quontin, The hangars at one aerodrome wer6 se \, on fire and two aerodromes were badly-damaged. —Aus.-N.z, £!„),[<, Assn.-Reuter.

(Ike. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) : Umdon, March 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Welsh troops were successful in a raid in tho neighbourhood of Armentiercs. There is hostile artillery activity to the southeast of Ypres, in tho neighbourhood of the Menin Road, and south of Houthulst Forest."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter.

BELGIAN ARTILLERY STOPS AN ENEMY RAID. • (Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. A Belgian communique states: "There has heen considerable artillery activity during the past two days." An enemy raid at Mercw (? Merckem) was stopped by our barrage. There have been heavy bombing -encounters in the regions of Nieuport and Dixmude."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. THE FRENCH PENETRATE GERMAN LINES ■ . ' (Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. . A French communique states:_ "Wodrove the enemy from the trenches Hβ : occupied to the west of Mont Cornillet, in the Champagne. A detachment simultaneously penetrated the Gorman lines at Mont Blond."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. A later communique states: "There is a fairly violent artillery duel, especially on the right bank of the Meuse, and in the regions of Badonvaux and Baucherauville. We dispersed a raid to the- west of Merville, in,Lor-raine."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Heuter. A GERMAN ADMISSION. (Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 15. 'A Gorman official report states: "A strong French attack on a wide front only obtained a foothold in our trenches to the west of the Thuizy-Nancy Road."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. AMERICANS CAPTURE A MILE AND A QUARTER OF TRENCHES New Yjork, March 15. Tho American troops captured about a mile and a quarter of trenches at Badonviller.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Asun. FIRST ENEMY TERRITORY CAPTURED BY AMERICANS. (Rec. March 17, 11.45 p.m.) New York, March 16. The newspapers are enthusiastic at the occupation of the trenches at Badonvillers, which is the first enemy territory captured, by the Americans — Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.