HEAVY FIGHTING

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 171, 9 April 1918, Page 5

HEAVY FIGHTING

.-♦ BUT NO MATERIAL CHANGE ■IN SITUATION BIG BLOW EXPECTED SOON A DISTORTED REPORT ■ Very heavy fighting is reported in the dispatches to-day, but nothing on a grand scale has yet developed, though the expectations are that the next German thrust will not he long delayed. The enemy is hastening up his artillery concentrations, and meanwhile engaging in desperate attacks at selected points along the tattlefront. So far his efforts have not materially changed the general situation. President Wilson's encouraging message of more' men and those speedily is welcomed at this vital crisis in the affairs of the Allies. The situation in Russia is unchanged, but there are indications of early developments in Siberia, where there is suspicious activity amongst the Germans. According to a Turkish report, Allenby's forces in Palestine have sustained a reverse, but the AVar Office criticises the enemy's a««ertion as exaggerated and distorted. The Turks also claim'successes in the Caucasus. The Austrian concentration on the Italian front is reported ,to have reached its maximum, and early developments are expected. ' EVE OF ANOTHER TERRIFIC BLOW YESTERDAY'S ATTACKS WELL HELD < ALLIES POSITIONS IMPROVED ,By Telegraph-Press Aesociation-CojiyriErht. e . t, , TT . London, April 7, 12.55 p.m. Ssir Douglas Haig reports: "By counter-attacks yesterday we successfully re-established our positions in the Aveluy Wood. We repelled an attacJf opposite Albert. A minor operation in the morning south of the bomme improved our position."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rμ. April 8, 8.30 p.m.) u . .p. . .■- London, April 7, 10.25 p.m. fair Douglas Haig reports: "Our successful minor■ operations southward of the Somme this morning led to sharp fighting. The enemy strongly coun-ter-attecked, suffering heavily. We repulsed two attacks oil Bucquoy by artillery fire. On the remainder of the battlefront the day passed more quietly."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Router. • WITH THE AIR SQUADRONS. (Rec. April 8, 8.30 p.m.) «,.„.' London, April 8, 12.50 a.m. importing on the air fighting, Sir Douglas Haig states: "Our aeroplanen Wncn were watching the enemy's movements reported a hostile concentration southward of the Somme. Large formations of our aeroplanes immediately went out in the rain and dropped over five hundred bombs and fired nfty thousand rounds at the assembled infantry. Wo brought down fifteen or the enemy s machines and drove down eleven. Sixteen of ours have not yet heen located. -Many of these doubtless have been forced to land behind our lines, owing to their difficulty in finding their aerodromes in the heavy ram ine Canadian airmen are doing very valuable work in the present flattie. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. REPEATED ATTACKS ALONG WHOLE FRONT SCANTY GAINS AT ENORMOUS LOSS. (Rec. April 8, 9.35 p.m.) tiretnfSff 111,5 " Repeated m . hahSninl tie.enemy such a scanty gain of ground that his position S«S« ™ f ™ y 'Tr ed , SmCe lrida y- His maSscd divisi °»s Wed to henvv tL nrT °i tb "' J ' m,l f ', and tl,e fi S hti "g everywhere was extremely h e™JJ ™ 7* BhoWed • Bres , t d6t ? rmination - His infantry was constant: L S ■«» open ground, and we had no difficulty in breaking up all striknTZTw T ? " S \ t l Y GeTmms ™* not have jut i" their greatest idvZl Zhh th M IV W* were part of their general scheme lor the Ir™', i' W - l P v b - a3iy & ag!lin > wia hard(!r bl ™s- The number ed oXtlf 2 f"i£ !? Pr ,° digioUS ' Ten Ger,non divisions atta = k " nf fb« ™ i ° f A lbe lu m l order to relievo t,le alnloat intolerable pressure t nfiNT r ° nt J ,l u he Al ? Cre marshes - The Ge ™ a »* sought to throw Wl hi H ¥° mi a c° Ve the W - estern bank ' als " enlarging the bridge«t t nT S if e OroSS V ,g lhe Al,cre from fte b ofi strongholds at rhiepval and Ov.llers the enemy's infantry has been unable to climb out Albert ™5T Va% - a ™ closely held against the railway at SSwfr? 1, Another nut the Germans could not crack was the tnt/nf £ t pogts dung dizzily to the eastern ™n?S. \ he u tre f r r ' t I tho waters cd S e > but we controlled the remainder, the ZZT** h H of , l,ml lf seeing the chalk hills. We could see the .Germans assembling tor the battle. Our artillerymen throughout *or« all ~ "In a Valley of Death." Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: "The Germans are struggling hard to bring m> their heavy guns and complete the organisntfou of their divisions before attempting another drive on a big scule. 'fills may come soon, as the Germans have still largo concentrations of troops north of the Somme. They must he very wretehed, being always under our firo in the stinking ditch aoout Avoluy, Mosiiil, and Thiepval; whero foul water lies stagnant below the rows of dead lopped trees and the frightful smells arising- from the battle of two weeks ago. The Germans havo no cover in this valley of death. We can see every movement."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. NEW ZEALANDERS IN ACTION SPECIAL DISPATCH FROM CAPTAIN ROSS. n u XT r, % Cablegram, April o. Un the JNew front early this morning the enemy increased his artillery activity. Ho shelled our front line, searched the roads and battery positions and bombarded villages in which many civilians are still clinging to their homes. Among the casualties was an old woman. A shell landed in her bedroom and blow off part of her leg and the foot. Wo wore aware that the enemy had brought up against us the best l part of a new reserve- division, which had not been us yet in the great push; and his artillery preparation indicated that ho was about to attack. At 9 o'clock his advancing troops were seon through tho drizzling rain and mist, advancing from the south of. the Serre Road, on a front of 2000 yards. They had probably overwhelmed some of our outposts, which wore being hold by only a few men. At first the enemy camo on in parties of fours and fives. Immediately the Now Zealand rifles rang out, and the machine-guns began to stutter with deadly effect, and the German groups quickly melted away. Theso advance parties were followed by other waves, but they wero met with a withering firo, and nowhere did they get noarer than 200 yards from our trenches. Not content with their machine-gun and rifle firo, so eager were Borne of our men that they went over'tho parapet and advanced to meet tho foe in No Man's Land, but in this new development the Germans had no heart to face the tall New Zealandors. 'ill© attack seoms to have been carried out by.two regiments, each with two battalions in line. It was mot by a numerically inferior force of New Zealand riflemen and machine-gunners, who dealt tho German regiments a staggering blow, their dead being strewn about No Man's Lund, while many there wore wounded, and woro soon limping sadly back to the trenches from which they came. From the prisoners we gather that after tho Now Zealand line had been stormed the enemy troops were to push on to Colincamps Village, which was their objective—an advance of three thousand yards. Far from reaching this, they failed to gain entry into a single yard of a New Zealand trench. All the enemy has done is to niako an insignificant little burgle in his own lino at La Signy Farm, where ho is attempting to dig in; but tho process is costing him further lives, for our rifles, machineguns, and artillery aro now playing on the farm. Tho indications arn that the enemy must have suffered the best part of a thousand casualties, in addition to which our Lewis-gunners shot down a German aeroplane.. Our field guns are now pounding him to some purpose, while the heavier guns are not neglecting tho targets farther afield. DREADFUL HAVOC BY THE NEW ZEALAND MACHINEGUNNERS. (Ilea. April 8, 9.10 p.m.) London, April 8. Keuter's correspondent at British Headquarters states: "The enemy's , cbree attacks against the New Zealanders proved horribly costly to the Germans. On each occasion the New Zealanders continued firing their Lewis

guns until the rapidly thinning waves wero sufficiently close. Then they bombed them furiously with hand grenades- It is easy to believe tho assurances that tho Bodies disliked this form of resistance. Their dead aro lying liko corn swathes at harvest tiino before tho New Zoalanders' positions, 'die Germans aro bringing immense numbers of guns of every calibre into tho struggle. Wβ are combating these pretty adequately."—Router. ON THE FRENCH FRONT UNSUCCESSFUL GERMAN ATTACKS. London, April 7, 4.10 p.m. A French communique states: "Yesterday we repulsed an enemy attack in the Grivesnes region. There was great reciprocal artillery activity at night between Montdidier and Noyon. A strong enemv detachment which had gained a footing in our advanced line west of Noy° n . was immediately driven out by a counter-attack. The Germans have not renowed their attempts in the Chauny and Barissis district of the Oise front. The enomy attempted a coup de main north of the Chemin des Dames, but it was unsuccessful. Reims was very violently bombarded during the night."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. April 8, 9.30 p.m.) London, April 8, 1 a.m. A French communique states: "Our artillery stepped attempted enemy attacks in the region of Hangard-en-Santerre, and caught concentrations of troops at various points on tho front north of Montdidier. A strong German 3ttack on tho right bank of the Meuse, north-cast of Hill 344, was repulsed after sharp fighting. The enemy's losses were important. _ Seven or tho enemy's aeroplanes and two balloons wero brought down. Five tons of bombs ' were dropped on the cantonments in the Roye region." —Aus.-N.Z. C'ablo Assn.-Reuter. MOST CRITICAL DAYS OF THE WAR. (Rec. April 8, 8.30 p.m.) London, April ?. ■» Renter's correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on April 7, says: "In the second battle, which commenced on Thursday, we held and repulsed the enemy at moet places with heavy losses with troops which entered the battle on March 25. The closing days of March were among the most oritical of the war. Tho Germans had been stopped on tho Oise and tho Somme, but confronting them, between Montdidier and Moreuil, was a mere cordon barring the way to Amiens. By March 28 our reinforcements had been brought iip and the lino re-established. But it was held by only three French divisions. During these four successive days they had to meot the shock of thirty enemy divisions. During the whole of the battle relief was impossible, yet fresh German divisions were thrown in daily. As soon as_ one division gained its objective it was withdrawn and replaced. The retiring division was reinforced and rested during the next few days, then was sent into the battle again." The correspondent says that there were instances of a fine stand during fierce fighting by small bodies of French against great odds during those critical days. To-day's lull is expected to he of short duration.—Reuter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT (Rec. April 8, 8.30 p.m.) London, April 7, 11.45 p.m. A German official report states: "After violent artillery fire the AngloFrench forces attacked on the Anore and Avre. The English masses collapsed northward of Beaumont Hamel and before the bridgehead position at Albert. The French vainly stormed between Oastel and Mailly, eastward of Thory, near Cantigny, and fivo times near Mesnil. All the attempts broke down after desperate hand-to-hand fighting. AVo crossed the marshes of the Oise and stormed the suburbs of Chauny. Wβ also took positions near Amigny and on the north-eastern portion of Coucy AVood, taking prisoner over fourteen hundred. We captured Pierremande c Folembray. Wβ brought down eighteen aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. COMMENTS ON THE SITUATION ' GENERAL FOCH'S ASSURANCES CONFIRMED. London, April 6. Reuter's correspondent with the French Army states that the results of the first two days of the renewed battle have brilliantly confirmed General Foch's assurances that the enemy is not only held, but held by half their number of British and French troops. The disproportion on the purely French line from Thennes to Grivesnes is even greater. Fifteen German divisions, of which seven were entirely fresh, attacked on this front, and were checked by a few French divisions, who not only held theui, but were able to counter-attnek and recapture part of the ground carried by the enemy on Thursday. The enemy's objective is again tho Amiens railway and town. The fifteen attacking divisions included some of tho enemy's best troops, who repeatedly returned to the assault far into the night. The bottlo was suspended to-day Iby the German side, owing to the exhaustion of the enemy troops, whereupon the French successfully counter-attacked at several points, notably on the front at Mailly-Raineval, at Cantigny front. The line now passes the Ayre, close to its junction with the Luce, thence west to Caste], and. thence between Merisel and Eouvvel, around Mailly-Rainevnl. The gain of ground is practically all in the northern angle. Tho bulge has no importance for the issue of the battle.—R«uter. Where Will the Next Blow Fall? London, April 7. The battle»on Thursday was on a considerable scale. The enemy attacked heavily in the neighbourhood of Albert, but made no progress. The enemy then attacked the British and French in the Montdidier region, where ho employed twenty divisions. Ho drove us out of Hamel, find gained tho Vairn Wood. Meanwhile the enemy drove the French from the angle between the Avre and the Luce, and extended his gains west of Moreuil. The enemy's objective was to cross the St. Just-Amiens railway, nnd cut the main line to Paris. The attempt failed, notwithstanding the largo forco employed. Tho enemy can hardly regard the effort with satisfaction, although he employed twice the force we did. The enemy nn Friday attacked in considerable force from Demancoui't along the line through Beaumont Hamel and Bucquoy to Moyenneville. All these attacks wero lopulsed oxcept where he gained a footing across tho Ancre at Dernancourt. There is some public misconception about the "Army of Manoeuvre." Some regard it as a great army massed at a central point, and marching towards the battle. This is an erroneous picture. Such an army would be a cumbrous thing to move. What really happens is that the reserves are distributed at principal entraining centres, from where they can be rapidly moved to where they are needed. From the fact that the French Army is now fighting over one-half of the present battlefield, it may be inferred that the French reserves have come up. It has been reported at various times that Austrian and Bulgarian troops are assisting the Germans,, but beyond ' the fact that a certain force of Austrian artillery is engaged, it is known that no Austrian or Bulgarian troops are employed. Military critics say it is necessary to watch further north for a fresh outbreak of the German offensive, and point out that the excellent communications in the busy industrial district between Arras and Lille will probably induce the enemy to make formidable use of this advantage. It is therefore not unlikely that a second main battle may burst out north of Arras nnd around La Bassee.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AMERICA'S HELP VITAL i ■ ~~ (Rec. April 8, 8.30 p.m.) London, April 7. The United Press correspondent states that President Wilson's decision to hasten America's armed support for tho Allied troops has not come an instant too soon. It is now proved beyond doubt that Yon Hindeuburg's orders are to force the issue rapidly in order to end the war this year. The prisoners with Kulleu obstinacy insist that the. offensive cannot stop until the war has been won.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE REAL DICTATOR EMERGES VON LUDENDORFF OR VON HINDENBUR.G? London, April 6, 11.10 p.m. A feature of the battle has been the emergence of Von Ludendorff from the Hindenburg mist. Ludendorff has long been recognised as the real brain of tho German' Staff, lie is now acclaimed as the director of tho battle. The filial decision on all battle questions is referred to Ludendorff. The weather has improved, but the visibility is jioor. The main attacks to-day were over marshy ground. Corbie stands upon a miniature peninsula, formed by the junction of tho Ancro and the Somme. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE ENEMY'S STRENGTH IN THE WEST i ■ ; London, April 7. Mr. Hamilton Fj'fe, in the "Daily Mail," says there are now one hundred and ninety-four enemy divisions on the West front, eighty-four of which aro on the present battlefront. Two divisions arrived from Russia. i Amsterdam, April 7. The German-Dutch frontier has been, closed till the loth, in order to. conceal the movements of troops and wounded.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE HIDDEN BIG GUNS SPOTTED BY THE AIRMEN. Paris, April 7. Aeroplanes spotted one of the long-range guns hidden in Betonne Tunnel in the St. Gobain Forest. It is only brought to the surface when firing. Counter-measures are being undertaken.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

A CALL TO INDIA APPEAL BY THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER. London, April 7. Mr. Lloyd George, in a message, to the Viceroy of liidia, says that in view of the German rulers' transparent intention to establish tyranny not only throughout Europe, but in Asia, ho asks tho Government and pcoplo of India to redouble their efforts. Tho enemy's attempt in tho West is being checked, but to prevent the menace spreading to the East every lover of freedom and law must play his part. lie does not doubt that India will add to the laurels she has already won, and

equip herself on an even greater scale as a bulwark to save Asia from tho tide of oppression and disorder which it is the enemy's object to achieve. The Viceroy lias replied that India fully realises the great issue at stake. Tho trumpet call will not fall on deaf ears. . He is conlitlont it will awaken the princes and tho people to a keener senso of tho great danger which has been stemmed in .Europe and which now threatens to movo eastward.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. (Tho cable news in this Ifieue accredited to the London "Times" has appeared In that journal, but only whero expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of tho "Times.")