HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUED

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 163, 30 March 1918, Page 7

HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUED

ENEMY FIRMLY HELD ON WHOLE FRONT " ENORMOUS GERMAN LOSSES By Telegraph-Preja Aesooiation-Copirieht . London, March 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—"As tlio result of attacks yesterday noon and ■ ■" evening,- astride tlie-Somme, we were- forced back on both "banks a -short -dfs'-' ii-tancein-.the-neighbourhood-oftßray;.' AVe ■ repulsed; after severe fighting, a ' the Sommo. •■■■' Tho eiieniy entered our positions '• at one' point in 'the' 'neighbourhood of the' river," but was immediately thrown back by ;a - counter-attack'. There has been further local fighting north and north-east , of Albert,, but the situation hero is unchanged."—Aua.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. .. , (Rec. March 28, 11.55 p.m.) London, March 28. >Sir-Douglas Haig reports :—"The battle was renewed this morning north arid south of the Somme. There has been intense fighting during the day from-south of Rosieres to north of Ablainzeville. . Last night's unsuccessful attempt to drive, in our line south of the Somme was followed this morning by a series of heavy attacks in the neighbourhood of Rosieres and to tho northward. All the enemy's assaults at Rosiores were heavily beaten off. Our lino was maintained further north during the earlier part of the day, despite the great pressure of larg.e forces, but fresh attacks developing later bent back our line for a short distance. The latest reprts show that coun-ter-attacks completely restored the situation. Fierce 'fighting resulted from a. number of determined. attacks, between the Somme and the Ancre, and to the.north and south of Albert. The onemy forced his way into part of our position ■ south ■of Albert, ■ but counter-attacks regained the ground completely, nnd- we repulsed further attacks at this point. During the afternoon wo drove back-repeated attempts by the Germans to debouch west from Albert, inflicting'the heaviest casualties. The enemy attacked . this afternoon in •great strength atßucquoy and. Ablainzeville, and gained a footing in the latter; At all,othejpoints he was beaten off with great loss. Our troops • sigaiii fought/magnificently, and heavily threw the enemy back all along the front, .despite, the most, determined attacks and a superiority of numbers. Heavy fighting continues along the whole of the battlefront.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable . Assn.-Reuter.. ..-.', ..'" ■ '..- ; . . ~ (Rec. March 29, 5.5 p.m.) ...■'■.-, •_.-■■ " London, March 28. . ..Sir Douglas Haig. reports:—"There was severe fighting yesterday even- '. ing and during the'.night astride the Somme, and to the north from Albert to Poyolles. . We repulsed repeated attacks along the Somme Valley and in . the neighbourhood of Beaumont Hamel, Puisietix, and Moyenneville. capturing a number of prisoners and machine-guns. Fighting continues fiercely on both . banks of the Somnie River. The enemy heavily bombardsd our defences eastward of ■ Arras this morning. The attack is developing in this 6ector."— . Aus.-N.Z. CableAssn.-Roiiter. N s GREAT CONCENTRATION OF BRITISH AEROPLANES ■•■ v ' • KMEMY TROOPH CONTINUOUSLY ATTACKED. 9 (Rec. March 29, 5.5 p.m.) ••■"■■ ■ _ , •-. . , London, March 28. Sir Douglas-Haig reports;—" Then; was a great concentration of our aeroplanes to-day over threatened points. Masses of our machines bombed ' and used machine-guns on infantry and cavalry. Thirty tens of bombs and thousands of rounds of ammunition were fired. We brought down' twenty Gorman machines in air fighting and two others by anti-aircraft guns. Twelve of ours are missing. Our nightflier? continuously attacked enemy troops ftt Bapaume, Cambrai, and Peronne. They fired 25,000 rounds. They also dropped twenty-four' tons' of bombs on important centres on the battlefront and four tons, on Valenciennes railway station, through which troop trains' were passing towards the front."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. :',. THE KING'S MESSAGE TO THE AIRMEN. •'.-.' ' (Rec. March 28, 7.30 p.m.) : . London, March 27. The King has sent a message to all ranks of the air, services in France expressing gratification at their splendid achievements m tho great battle. He says ho is proud to be their Colonel-in-Chief.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reu-ter; BRITISH TROOPS COUNTER-ATTACKING ••■ ■ ENEMYHEAVILY REPULSED SOOTH OF THE SOMME. .■■•■■■ (Rec; March 28,' 8:15 p.m.) ■.'■ ■ .'■"•■ London, March 27. The- Press -Bureau reports:—"Our troops during thesiight were prossed back a short distance on both banks of the Somino. Early this morning we are holding a line approximately from Rosieres, Harbonnieres, Sailly-Lorotte, ■ Mericourt, to Labless, thence to the Ancre River, and to the railway embankmontto the south-west of Albert. Tho Germans occupy Albert. The Germans on Tuesday afternoon crossed the Ancre near Mesnil, but our coun- / ter-attacks drove them: back across the river.' Tho position is unchanged northward of this point. We this morning counter-attacked northward of the Sonime, between the angle of the Ancre and tho Somrne, recapturing Murlnncourfc and Chipilly, arid simultaneously advanced our line northward of the river to Poyart. Fresh Guards divisionswerc brought up, and attacked in tho the neighbourhood of Bucquoy, but s'liido no impression. Tho enemy mado a number of other heavy attacks to-day northward and southward of the Somme. The latest information is that they have been heavily repulsed. The Fronch are heavily engaged westwwiird of Roye, and liavo been forced to give some ground, but reinforcements are arriving."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.Reuter. ■ ESTIMATE OF GERMAN LOSSES. (Reo. March 29, 5.5 p.m.) London, March 28. The Australians are fighting on the Ancre. The battlefront has fluc- [ tuated-very little during the last twenty-four hours. Tho Germans are con- '' centrating their chief strength southwards. The enemy losfos are estimated at 300J000—30 to 50 per cent, of all the divisions engaged. These far exceeded the worst British casualties.—Aus.-N.Z. Chble Asen.