TITANIC STRUGGLE CONTINUED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 161, 27 March 1918, Page 7

TITANIC STRUGGLE CONTINUED

GUNS MAKE FEARFUL HAVOC IN ENEMY'S RANKS BRITISH TROOPS FIGHTING IN GOOD SPIRITS ■ By Telecraph-Prcss Assooiation-Copsright „._,,'. London, March 25. I 1". g Hals le P°^ s: Tnß Dattle continues with great violence on the whole front. We heavily Tepulsed powerful attacks yesterday morning and last evening north of Bapaume. The Germans only at one point reached our. trenches, whence thoy were immediately thrown out. Our fire stopped attacks elsewhere before our positions were reached, and the enemy was driven pack with great loss. Fresh hostile attacks developed at night and this morning in this neighbourhood, and also southward of Bapaume. Our counter-at-tacks southward of Peronne drove hack enemy parties which had crossed tile river between Licourt and Brie.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. .' BRITISH RETIRE VOLUNTARILY FROM BAPAUME . (Rec. March 26, 11.35 p.m.) tx • \, -. x- , , x i „■ , ~ London, March 25. It is authoritatively stated that the British retired voluntarily from' Bapaume to the westward, where we possess excellent defences. The town itself is relatively unimportant. It is significant that German war correspondents speak of the German losses at Bapaume as comparatively heavy — Reuter. NO FOOD LEFT IN EVACUATED AREAS. 1 (Rec. March 26, 7 p.m.) „,.,., . ,• ' Paris, March 25. ._ Refugees from the evacuated areas near the battlefield state that the •British warned the inhabitants, enabling the removal of everything portable to bo The* Germans did not find a single head of cattle, a grain of corn, or a drop of wine. The population left calmly and were accommodated in British automobiles.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ENEMY'S PROGRESS MADE AT COST OF HEAVY SACRIFICES \ BRITISH TROOPS IN GOOD HEART AND FIGHTING SPLENDIDLY. (Rec. Maroh 26, 11.35 p.m.) ■ ' TU P «. -n i «n x ■ , London, March 25. northward ofWancourt beat off continuous heavy attacks with complete success, our artillery and machine-guns inflicting heavy losses. Our low-flying aeroplanes repeatedly attacked the enemy's advancing columns further to the rear, a heavy attack this afternoon by fresh enemy troops enabled them to piogreu westward and south-westward of Bapaume, in the direction of CourE rf&i+i f Ve e , n .F^ sed back southward of Poronne in several places to slightly westward of the Somme. The enemy further south made some progress capturing Nesle.and Guiscard. French reinforcements have ar?L our tr ? ops ', thOT B h tired.■«««> >n good heart and fighting splendidly, and the enemy is only progressing at the cost of heavy ACCOUNTS OF THE WAR CORRESPONDENTS OUR ARMIES ABLE TO CONTROL THE, SITUATION "THE BLACKEST SHADOWS BEGINNING TO LIFT" (Rec. March 26, 11.35 p.m.) Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: "It seems certain now that our "armies'wilf'be able to control the situation within the limits of safety, thoughouros-es will inevitably be severe, and the situation requires all our abilitiof If \rt egy and generalship.. Our armies aro holding s good nes! and tt bhcS shadows are beginning lift. The wither is hot and brilliant I saw the poilus ready for action to the southward-magnificent-looking men haw and bronzed, and in the best of spiriM. An officer said: 'We shall biff the nor mans as we did on the Marne.' The poilus are deligh cd with he ca m and" cheerful way the Britishers behaved t» the crisis." a Battle Thunders from the Soarpe to the Oise. . P* V. P '' e ss correspondent, writing on Monday, savs: "With increasing intensity the batte thunders from the Soarpo.to tho Oise PriMnmdt clare that the heaviest blows have yet to come. The Germans, at heavy Mat made progress on the od bat Meld of the Somme, but the Br tishino everywhere is mtaot and the withdrawal carried out in most perfect order There was; all-night fightmg of the most severe order, especially on ho" Saaigny _(? road The Germans' dense masses were hurd forward m the moonlight, the.British machine-guns ralung them ceaselessly Observers signalled back to the. artillory, and the gunners, half stripped, fired until the guns wer* almost red hot The enemy pressed 'on almost w thou artillery support, trusting to bend our lino by sheer force of numbers. No such targets were ever offered to modern guns. The fighting northward of Bapaume continued to bo of a ternfio nature, and likewise to the southward where the enemy, by desperately attacking, maintained the crossing of the Somme. British Line Bont, But Unbroken. "Apparently the Germans are endeavouring to drive a wedge in the centre of where they havo created a pointed salient. Notwithstanding the massed onslaughts and great losses, the British lino is bent but unbroken, whioh Von Hindenbnrg counted upon on tho first day. Tho airmen keep up in tiic air, battling and creating new records, witlistandiii" the

strain or ceaseless work with admirable- spirit. Mcanwhilo tho Germans aro up to their old tricks. Disguised as British officers, they aro travelling in tno towns at the rear, advising tho population to flee, saying, 'The Gormims aro approaching.' Ono was caught red-handed." Horoic Defence or ihe British Troops. Mr. Percival Phillips writes:'' Ten Gorman divisions 'wero employed in too initial attaok on tho Bapaume-Cambrai road. The Germans had one hundred and ten new battery positions, of which wo discovered seventy-two. During tho two days before tho battle they bore heavily on Lagnicourt, Morchlo*, and Demiconrt, which were tho first objectives of the storm troop*. Lagnicourt and Demiconrt held out longest. We wero back on the Vraucourt-Beaumetii » c. 3 ' Other German divisions, driving- westward, between Oambrai and St. Quentin, faced the famous Ninth Division, composed of South k«i i i troOl>3 ' ffllo were noltll ' n « the line around the Gauche Wood. They battled for hours against the heaviest odds, and stuck to fragments of old alienees, refusing to surrendei. Gallant Fight fry the Leioesters. ''A party of Leicester* fought at Vancelotte Farm until all were killed, ino Durhams, coming tip behind, also helped to hold up tho attack, though the British on tho right were forced back by overwhelming numbers. Two other companies of Leicesters, assisted by two tanks, held Peizieres, where tho Germans crept m under cover of a dense fog. Finally one company of tho Leicesters was completely out off. Instead of surrendering they held the village until the only surviving officer led a charge through two lines of Germans. The Lmcesters fought their way back to the British line. Tho field batteries by Epehy fired steadily with open sights at four hundred yards for ? l -L v oUrs » wllen tllo se6,l ™gb r inexhaustible hordes of Germans succeeded in dribbling past on both sides. Tho gallant gunners continued to shoot at point-blank range, surviving in a miraculous way after being surrounded. Some Irishmen formed a provisional line behind Epehy, assisting the escape of British troops who were retiring from isolated pockets after twelve hours' unceasing fighting against frosh German divisions, which leap-frogged through the shock troops used tho previous day. There was littlo rest on Jriday night, and tho German blows were renewed at Fins, Nurlu, and lempleus. Well-Organised and Coolly-Executed Rearguard Action. "On Saturday tho hardest fighting was east of Peronne. Wo fell back as arranged, worrying tho tired and hungry German advance guard and riddling his columns of infantry with machine-guns. It was a well-organised anfl cool-ly-executed rearguard action. The Germans, nearly dropping with fatiguo, were lashed to fresh exertions by their officers. We drew them cleverly into our ambushes, and harried them from our carefully-chosen hiding places. Ono body came to a deserted camp, and searched for food and water. Our machineS %M e l B . watcned l tnß tra P " ntll w< l3 full of misty men in grey. Then guns riddled them, andnot a man came out again. All our officers, from generals to subalterns, insist on the magnificent behaviour of all the troops, who wero often so heavy with fatigue that they slept where they dropped for a moment s rest by the road. Ono young officer stumbled into Divisional Headquarters, pallid, unshaven, and dirty, and made his report in a voice vibrating with enthusiasm. He concluded: 'It is tho best show I've ever been in, General, lou don't know how fine the men were.'"—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. The Titanic Struggle Unabated. ReuterY correspondent, writing on tho evening of March 25, says: "The titanic straggle is unabated, and continues, although the enemy artillery firing shows a tendency to decrease, owing to the increasing difficulties of advancing the guns. On tho other hand, at no stage of the war has there been such close infantry fighting. Tho manner in which the guns, tanks, and transport are withdrawn behind tho retiring line constitutes a marvellous teat. After orossing tho Somme we blew up all the bridges except one, which was so commanded by our guns that it was more advantageous to leave it. Enemy Casualties Prodigious. "The enemy casualties in the efforts to cross the Somme were prodigious. Again and again massed parties on rafts and pontoons were annihilated by our guns. Ultimately a passage was effected by the famous Brandenburg Iron Corps near Licourt, under a hailstorm of fire, but only after innumerable failures. At a certain place a large force of the enemy thrust its way through and gained what promised to develop into a distinct tactical advantage, but during an enemy pause to reorganise ten tanks advanced, caused havoo among the German ranks, and finally drove them back. The scenes on the roads leading to the rear havo been remarkable during the past three days, with parties of civilians and villagers, shepherded by soldiers, mired with labour groups and impassive Orientals in aU varieties of headgear, and African natives grinning as though the thing was a huge joke."—Router. GERMANS BLEEDING AT THE MAIN ARTERIES BRITISH RETAIN COMPLETE POWER TO COUNTER-ATTACK. . London, March 25. , Even if '..he German claim of prisoners and guns is true, it does not justify despondency on our part or jubilation on the part of ths enemy. Wo do not hear of any division being cut off. All the accounts suggest that the Germans are bleeding at the main arteries. The Kaiser has apparently announced the end of tho first stage of the battle because the Germans want' breathing time. Mr. flilaire Pelloo is of opinion that the German infantry losses were the cause of the hesitation which was apparent in Saturday's fighting. The Prussian system demands very heavy losses at the outset. They work upon such losses, but everything depends on their relation to the results achieved. Lord Sydenham points out that tho German object is to cut off tho British from the French, hence the heaviest attack is on our light. Such a gigantic effort, entailing immense loss, cannot be prolonged for many days. Other experts similarly insist that Hindenburg's :.nd Ludendorff's ambitious strategy in seeking to separate the defences of the Channel ports from tho defences of Paris, if attained, will justify big German losses, but the resources of the Allies may be able to frustrate this. Tho experts also say that if tne enemy secured Bapaume there is the formidable Pozieres Ridge behind. Before that is taken the German losses will cause even Hindenburg disquietude. - The fighting in the Gauche Wood recalls that at Delville Wood in 1916 where the South Africans and Scots wero also fighting. The Germans again and again managed to reach the borders of the wood, but were always thrust back. The chief disappointment is the withdrawal from Monchy, which was the big prize in tho battle of Arras. Otherwise tho lino north is well maintained. The French,newspapers are full of confidence. The outstanding feature of tho battle is tho destruction of enemy forces, while the British retain complete power to counter-attack. The Germans are throwing themselves recklessly mto a gulf of destruction. Tho "Matin" says: "The defensive employment of the reserve must necessarily bo delayed. This is tho reason for the withdrawal of the. British."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. "NOT A GERMAN VICTORY, BTJ Tl DISASTER."--vv t -\ i li. ,-,.,-, . , London, March 25. War experts point out that two British armies have been driven back by an overwhelming mass. If 150,000 to 200,000 Germans havo fallen, as is likely, it is not a German victory, but a disaster, since the Germans havo sustamed a loss of from Bto 10 per cent, of their effectives, without seriously lowering the Allies' efficiency.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AMERICAN PRESS COMMENTS "THERE IS NO OCCASION TO BE DOWNHEARTED." m, ,< v vi nv ~ ~, x „ New Yol % March 25. . ,\ h6 New York/Times" says that the news from the West front is disquieting, but there is no occasion to be downhearted. "Every offensive since trench warfare began has been brought to a halt. Wo have indomitable faith in the powers of resistance of the heroic English." The Press generally accepts tho seriousness of the offensive, but is confident that the advance will be checked. The "N G} v lork Tribune" says: "Tho situation is critical. Von Hmdenburg has won m the first phase, but tho cost must be tremendous. Unless bir Douglas Haig can immediately repair the damage we must prepare for the gigantic open warfare which marked the Marno campaign » Mr. Frank Simmonds says: "All now depends on tho extent of Britain's forethought and preparation. Any considerable further advance would drivo a wedge between the British and the French." Tie "New York Herald's" Paris correspondent quotes the "Petit Parisicns correspondent on the British front as saying: "The Prussians' captured recently by the Australians wero stupidly drunk. The Germans admitted that they had received unlimited ram to give them courage to meet the Australians, whom they hold in awe. The Germans had been driven to meet tho Australians under their own machine-guns." The Stock Exchange is slightly depressed as the result of the German ad-vance.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORTS (Rec. March 2G, 7.50 p.m.) ■ A n iv. • i ■ t , ,„, . London, March 25. A German official message states: "Wo again defeated tho enemy in a tremendous straggle near Bapaume. Wo broke through a strono- enoniv position north-east of Bapaume after bitter fighting. Meanwhile our forces from the east and south-east drove the enemy back via Ytros to Saillv The enemy's stubborn resistance, which was reinforced, was broken in violent battles' fresh divisions and numerous tanks vainly opposed our advance along the roads from Cambnu awl Peronne to Bapaume. During a night battle Peronno lell into our hands. Hot fighting developed for the possession of Comblos and tho noight to tho westward, and tho enemy wero defeated English cavalry attacks broke down. Wo aro now standing in tho middle of tho former bomrao battlefield, 'fho Crown Pnnco, with General von Hutier's army ascended in bitter fighting the heights westward of tho Sonlmc. Violent Enirhsh infantry and cavalry attacks broke down sanguinarily. Wo captured Nesle, after crossing the Crozet Canal, and threw back the English Frencli and Americans,, via Laneuville and Villequier, to Auniont. French infantry and cavalry divisions were brought up for a counter-thrust, but wore sanguinarily defeated We have captured Guigcard and Chauny. Our prisoncrs"now number 45,000."—Au5.-N.Z. Cablo Assn ; -Reuter. (Rec. March 26, 10 p.m.) ah <r • i ■ L i- x ~t , London, March 25. A Gorman official report states: "In hard fighting between Bapaume and Peronno wo drove back tho enemy to tho positions he held before tho 1916 °™ Wa are fighting fbeir way forward between the Somme and the Oise."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter. . GERMAN ARMY CHIEFS DECORATED. ~,,, tt • . ~ . r . Amsterdam, March 21. .llio Kaiser, at the main German Headquarters, conferred decorations on lifh K| r& V °" L«<lendorff and other departmental chiefs in connection with tho battle now raging.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. FRENCH TROOPS INTERVENE ON BRITISH FRONT \ t?,„„„i • , , ,„. London, March 25. «.+„„! Ifu^ mml " 11^ le n Sla<!S l i, lho Froncll ( ' rfw P s bc Kan on March 23 if *h pftw I " tol ' vone "» to? M«e o» the British front. Thev relieved part of the British forces and took up tho struggle on their own account. Thev are at present heroically fighting in tho region of Noyon and are disputing the noight;> oil the right of the O.se with important German forccs."-xVus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.