BRITISH STANDING FAST WITH SPLENDID TENACITY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 166, 3 April 1918, Page 5

BRITISH STANDING FAST WITH SPLENDID TENACITY

ENEMY EXHAUSTING HIMSELF WITH BLOODY ONSLAUGHTS. Paris, April 1. Colonel Mousset, writing in the "Journal Liborte," says:—"The British are standing fast with splendid tenacity, and the enemy is exhausting himself with bloody onslaughts, which bring ouly a few insignificant Rains of territory. The struggle on our part of the line is terrific. The Germans must feel profound admiration and a, certain terror at the unflinching valour of our men. The Crown Prince's armies are deployed along a front of sixty kilometres (nearly 40 miles) between Moreuil and Lassigny, in a peculiar position, forming an offensive angle on the left, but almost back to back_ to Von den Manvitz's armies, who are fighting westward face to face with the British." —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN CLAIMS OF. CAPTURES GROSSLY EXAGGERATED MAGNIFICENT DEFENCE BY A LABOUR, CORPS. (Rec. April 2, 7.40 p.m.) London, April 1. Wounded officers from the Somme state that the German claims of guns and prisoners are gross exaggerations. Comparatively few wounded have been abandoned, as a great proportion of the British wounded were hit in the arms and logs by chance shots as the Germans, in short, mad rushes, fired from the hip. The Germans seldom aimed, and nearly 90 per cent, of the wounds are slight. Wounded men state -Chat a thrilling story will some day he told of the magnificent defence by Carey's corps. This labour corps was suddenly heavily attacked by the finest of the German troops. Carey's men fought with bayonetst, picks, shovels and their fists until the attack was repulsed.—Aus.-. N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN CAVALRY USED TO CONVEY INFORMATION. London, April 1. Reuter's correspondent with the French Army states that German cavalry has repeatedly been reported in the Ham-Nesle-Peronne district, hut the numbers have never exceeded a regiment, chiefly for the conveyance of information and supports to the infantry in advance posts. —Reuter. TRAINLOADS OF GERMAN WOUNDED. Amsterdam, April 1. Trains laden with wounded, and dripping with blood, are passing ceaselessly towards Germany. The hospital trains are insufficient, and many goods vans have been utilised. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ AEROPLANE LOSSES DURING MARCH GOOD WORK OF ALLIED AIRMEN. London, April 1. The number of aeroplanes brought down during March was a record, the Allies olaiming 838 and the Germans 221. The losses wero mainly on the Western front, where the Allies brought down 740 machines, the British airmen bagging 667 and losing 155.—"The Times." GERMANS ANTICIPATING BETTER PEACE TERMS. . New York, April 1. The "New York Times" Hague correspondent states that the Germans are already anticipating better peace terms as the result of their advahco on the West front. The National Liberals in the Reichstag proposed a resolution demanding a war indemnity. Tho majority parties did not offer objection, and the question was referred to a committee.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ON THE BELGIAN FRONT GERMAN ATTACK COMPLETELY BROKEN. London, April 1. A Belgian communique states:—"A German attack, after a violent bombardment, east of Nieuport, was made on Saturday night, and was completely, broken."—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assn.-Reuter. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORTS BITTER FIGHTING NORTH OF MONTDIDIER ENEMY'S ATTACKING WAVES SMASHED London, April 1. '; A French communique states:—"Last ovening and last night extremely bitter fighting continued north of Montdidier. The enemy directed his effort particularly between Montdidier and the Peronne-Amiens Road, and threw in large forces with tho intention of widening his gains west of Hangard. French and British troops smashed tho attacking waves, which wero unable to emerge into the open. A brilliant counter-attack, in which the British displayed irresistible dash, enabled us completely to drivo back the enemy and to recapture this village. The straggle was equally violent farther south, at Grivesnes, which was the objective of unceasing renewed attacks which led to hand-to-hand fighting, but remained in our hands in spite of considerable German losses. No change is reported between Montdidier and Lassigny."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. April 2, 11.50 p.m.) London, April 2, 1 a.m. A French communique 'states: "The battlo continues on the whole front to the north of Montdidier, where the enemy artillery is particularly active. Now attacks of the enemy were delivered against Grivesnes, but all were repulsed with heavy losses. In the courso of sharp fighting the Anglo-French troops appreciably progressed at various points between the Sonirto and Dcmuin. Five tons of bombs were dropped on enemy cantonments atid stations in the neighbourhood of St. Quentin, Guiscard, aaid Roye. Our aviators frequently fired upon with machine-guns, bombed, and dispersed assemblies of enomy troops.. Nine enemy aeroplanes wero destroyed. Italian bombarding machines participated in many of these expeditions and carried out numerous raids with magnificent audacity."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Routcr. . THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE BROKEN THOUSANDS OF LIVES PAID FOR A FEW VILLAGES. Paris, April 1. An official comment on the fighting says:—"The'German offensive has broken against the iron wall of our first 'reserves. The Crown Prince has paid with thousands of lives for the temporary conquest of a few villages. The enemy's effort to obtain Amiens proved a bloody defeat. ' The Under-Secretary for War, in a statement to the newspapers, said :— "We witnessed yesterday an unforgettable spectacle. The Germans brought up thirteen divisions in the Montdidier region, where three Fronch divisions met the shock with incomparable elan, and advanced witli tho bayonet. Ihe artillery put the assailants to flight after a terrific struggle. The Germans are now constructing a second line of entrenchments in the region of Las-signy."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CROWN PRINCE DESPERATELY FIGHTING FOR BRIDGEHEADS OPERATIONS HAMPERED BY RAINSTORMS. (Rec. April 2, 7.40 p.m.) Paris, April 1. The battlo of the three rivers continues. The Crown Prince is desperately seeking to win a hold upon the bridgeheads across the Luce River at Hansard, across the Ancre River at Moreuil, and the ; River Esaoms at Montchel The Canadians were of splendid service fighting alongside the Irencn at Moreuil. There was another fierco struggle at Grivesnes, five miles north-west of Montdidier. Many heavy rainstorms have made the battle- ' fields most difficult for getting up guns and munitions hampering the Allies preparations for an offensive, but'still, more the German hammer-blows across the stricken Somme battlefield. March 30 was a most critical day for the Allies. The Fifth Army, which had been fighting continuously since March 21, was being relieved by French divisions, and the Germans chose the moment for a violent assault, but General Foch continued to work the relief while repelling tho assault—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. DESTRUCTIVE WORK OF THE FRENCH SEVENTY-FIVES. , London, April 1. A correspondent writes that the French seventy-fives in the_ Baltic of Montdidier literally annihilated many formations. Several divisions which were withdrawn exhausted after the first days, of tho battlo have already reaDiieared We are far from the end of the German masses, and no Austrian s have yet been identified—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asn. THE GERMAN REPORT " ANGLO-FRENCH COUNTER-ATTACKS HEAVILY FAILED " SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND PRISONERS CLAIMED (Rec. April 2, 7.40 p.m.) , v London, April 1, 9.45 p.m. A German official report states :-"We have captured tho heights north B f Mnmdl Several Anglo-French counter-attacks heavily tailed. AU capDom7and Mate, broke down. Our prisoners now number /0,000. -Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. 'BRITISH GUNNERS FOUGHT TO THE LAST. Amsterdam, April 1. The "Tagcblatt" admits that the British gunners fought to the last, ' from a sporting gun.]