ENEMY INCREASING THE PRESSURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 179, 18 April 1918, Page 5

ENEMY INCREASING THE PRESSURE

BRITISH FALL BACK TO NEW LINE GERMANS EXTENDING TO THE NORTH By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright London, April 16, 12.50 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Last evening the enemy launched a very heavy attack, preceded by an intense bombardment, between Baillenl and ' Nouvo Eglise. Three picked German divisions, which had not previously been t engaged in the battlo, delivered the assault, an/1, alter a fierce and ' .bitter ; struggle, carried the high ground to the south-east and vast of Bailleul, known ;• as Mont de Lille and the Eavctsberg. Wo have fallen back to new positions , to the north of Bailleul and Wulvergheui. Bailleul fell into the enemy's bauds. ' Fresh German attacks are developing this morning, in the neighbourhood of I Wytschaete. Wo repulsed an attack under cover of heavy artillery and trench- ; mortar firs south-west of Yieux Beiquin, and took prisoners. There was a j successful minor enterprise south-east of Eobecq." I —Aus.-N.Z. . Cablo Assn.i Eeuter. (Eec. April 17, 9.45 p.m.) „._,.„. London, April 17, 0.15 a.m. Sir Douglas.Haig reports: 'Severe fighting took place to-day from Meteren j to Wytsohaete. The enemy renewed his attacks in strength at dawn in the I neighbourhood of Wytschaete and Spanbroek Molen. Supported by a heavy • bombardment, he approached our positions under cover of mist, and after a proj longed struggle gained both localities. The enomy also obtained a footing at I Meteren, where fighting continues. Attacks on other parts of this front were | repulsed. The enemy this morning delivered a 6ttong local attack on our posii tions opposite Boyelles, southward of Arras. Fighting continues. The hostilo 1 artillery is more active southward of Albert and in the neighbourhood of the La (Basses Canal. Our artillery dispersed infantry in the vicinity of Locon. Mutual : artillery activity has .increased at Passchendaolo. i "The weather was .unfavourable for the airmen yesterday, only permitting ,• low altitude nights. We dropped over four tons of bombs on diftereiit targots, I and secured a direct hit with a heavy bomb on a largo infantry column. No Ger- . man aircraft were encountered. One of ours is missing."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.Keuter. DETAILS OP THE FIGHTING ' BRITISH ATTACKED BY OVERWHELMING NUMBERS. _ London, April iC, 3.50 p.m. Eeuter'a correspondent at British Headquarters writes: "Since yesterday evening the Germans have attained heavily in various parts of • the northern (battle area, and gained some ground. Their most ininortant advance is tho occupation of Bailleul. _ following on their ro-entry iiito A'euve iiglise, tliey maintained a 6teadily increasing pressure along the front practically all the way .between Neuve Egliso and Meteren. Towaros 'evening, under cover of a tremendous bombardment, the infantry advanced in tho usual donse waves. Our 'troops fought stubbornly, but overwhelming numbers forced them to yiol<l ground. Desperato lighting continued all night. Our artillery shelled the enemy continuously. It is certain that his attempt to advance towards tho ridge system will bo strenuously contested. His gains hitherto hav'o all been, in tho dead levels of Flanders. Although it is futile to pretend that lis success is not a. matter of much concorn, yet it has brought tho smallest tactical advantage proportionate to its extent. Bailleul stands astride what was ' an important artery of communications with' places which aro now occupied by tho Germans. There was considerable hostilo infantry movement all day along tho La Bassec-Lstaires road. : Our aeroplanes incessantly skimmed over the enemy's columns, inflicting heavy casualties. South of the Somme the eneniy artillery is slightly more ac° five. It is reported that enemy infantry is concentrating south or the wood of Hangard."—lleutcr. BATTLE IN PITOH-BLACK DARKNESS. London, April 18, 3.50 p.m. Bailleul was attacked from the south and east. The battle was very hot, and was fought in pitch-blaok darkness. The British lines are intact, and have merely been bent; back.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. WYTSCHAETE IN THE ENEMY'S HANDS BRITISH STILL HOLD SLOPES OF MESSINES. _, , ~„,,, London, April 16, 10.5 p.m. 1 he enemy has carried Wytschaete, and has established himself at Spanbroek Molen (Mill), a mile to the south-west. The bulk of the Messines Biage is in the enemy's hands. We hold the slopes.—Eeuter. THE WAY TO LOOK AT IT ■ REUTER'S CORRESPONDENT SUMS UP THE SITUATION. '■ (Eeo. April 17, 9.30 p.m.) _ London, April 17. Eeuter s correspondent at British Headquarters, writing on the evening of April 16, says: "The enemy, continuing his forcing tactics, is employing masses of fresh troops. Since the opening of the Western offensive the eneniy las thrown in 120 divisions, of which many .have been thrown in twice or thrice. Since the fall of Bailleul tho Germans hnve been lighting up to Bavetsborg. Up to the present, however, they have advanced only a few hundred yards. Tho enemy this morning made renewed assaults at Wytsghaete, employing fresh troops. To-day's news is not eo good as ono could wish, but I suggest tho following viewpoint: We are confronted by enormous concentrations of men and gune. The purpose of tho enemy has been revealed as the separation of the Fronoh and English armies and tho crushing of the English. General Foch is ootiiif in the closest agreement with Sir Douglas Haig, and is aiming at not only arresting the enemy, .but at a counter-attack which shall defeat the Germans. Therefore within certain limits, it is a sound policy to allow tho Germans to spend their surplus power as lavishly as possible in order to reach the stage of equality or veven inferiority. On the other hand General Foch is endeavouring to avoid tho enemy obtaining a great strategic advantage, and simultaneously is placing a definite price upon certain places as being worth such and no more in defending Thus, when the price of defending Bailleul had been paid, Bailleul was evacuated. Von Ludendorff has practically laid .down all his cards. Fooh has not yot shown his hand. What little I know of General Foch's dispositions inspires a degree of confidence which the situation in Flanders seemingly does not justify." —Eeuter. " STATEMENT BY MR. LLOYD GEORGE £Rec. April 18, 0.15 a.m.) London, April 17. Mr. Lloyd George, speaking in the House of Commons, stated that General Plumer and other British generals were calm and confident. "We have lost nothing vita.l General Fooh is equally confident, while our casualties aro slight compared to the enemy's."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. HAIG'S HUMANE POLICY (Eec. April 17, 8.20 p.m.) London, April 16, 7.35 p.m. The loss of Bailleul and Eavctsberg meant a menace to the British position, at Measine'it, but it meant a small surrender of territory, particularly as the railway station had been in tho enemy's hands throughout. Sir Douglas Haig's PQlicy is to give ground rather than expose his troops to excessive casualties "or the possibility of capture, which was likely to have been the caso with tho garrison at Bailleul after Von Stettin seized Meter en, westward of the town. Meanwhile tho defenders in Nioppe Forest hold up Bornhardi's spear-thrust from MerHlle towards Fowbronck, though he is constantly replacing his' shattered and

'exhausted troops. It is noteworthy that. Bernhardt who was the strongest prewar _ advocate of thn "58 of specially-trained storm troops as distinguished from holding troops, now has the place of honour in the German attack towards Calais. The desperate, i-trugglo north of Betliuno has given tlio Australians holding the Ancre and Albert region a much quieter timo than they had anticipated when they were hurriedly entrained for what was expected to ho the hottest sector on the front.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu. THE HEROIC FIFTY-FIFTH DIVISION SIR DOUGLAS 'HAIG'S HIGH PRAISE. London, April IS. Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementary dispatch, deals with the galiant fighting of the Fifty-fifth Division, comprising West Lancashire Territorials, oa April 0, when they were holding a front of KOOO yards from tho La. Bnssee.Ca.llul to south of Bichcbourg-l'Avouo, where the lino joined tho Portuguese. Tho enemy attack on southern portions of this front was delivered by three regiments well up to strength. A captured enemy army order said that the three regiments would bo opposed at most by six companies in the front lino and two reserve battalions, and described tho British composing the Fifty-fifth Division as having lost heavily on the Sommo, in Flanders, and at Cambrai, and as a division tit to hold a quiet sector, as it was below the average quality. "If," says tho Commander-in-Chief, "the enemy's expectation was that the opposition would not be very serious, he was signally disappointed. The Fifty-fifth Division beat off all the early attacks in the forward zone, and maintained its lino intact. When it 1 was learned that the Germans had broken through the Portuguese on its left the Fifty-fifth Division formed a defensive flank. It maintained this new line practically unchanged.until relief came, through six davs of almost continual lighting, during which it beat off repeated attacks with tho heaviest losses to thn enemy, and took iearly a thousand prisoners." Sir Douglas Hnig describes further fierce fighting, including a heavy bombardment of the whole front occupied by the Fifty-fifth Division, followed by an attack in strength, and concludes 'by saying: "The enemy was again repulsed with heavy loss by the most gallant and most successful defence of the Division which ha had teen pleased it, describe as consisting of second-class troops."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter. ON THE FRENCH FRONT , - , _. , . , , London, April 16, i p.m. k French official communique states: "There is fairly considerable artillery activity in the region north of Montdidier. We progressed by a minor operation in the sector of Noyon. Our reconnaissances are very active, especially in the region of the Oise Canal. A detachment crossed tho canal west of Pierremando and brought back prisoners."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Koutor. MOVEMENTS OF THE ENEMY'S TROOPS. ™, ~„ ~ ■~ ■', ■ „ , London, April IS. The Daily Uiromcles" correspondent at French Headquarters says that though thero is no news of any large transference of Germans from the Sommo to the north, the pauso 011 the .Sommo front is easily explained. Tho Allied forces and the positions are too strong for a surprise infantry attack until*more big guns are brought rip. Evidence exists that tho artillery teams are exhausted. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. FRENCH RESERVES YET UNTOUCHED n , 1 r. • 1 ti , • . , London, April 16. Colonel Kepington, military correspondent of the "Morning Post," says our strategical position is not exactly brilliant, but he estimates that a quarter of the entire Gorman force on the British front has been used up, while General Foch's French reserves have not yet given a sign of life.-Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. ENEMY'S LOSSES ESTIMATED AT 400,000. rnt .m -i xt ■> i- 1 ii , London, April 10. The 'Daily News estimates the enemy losses at f00,000.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GENERAL FOCH'S NEW COMMAND ' , . , „ Paris, April 16. .Lhe newspapers warmly appreciate tho British endorsement of tho wisdom of General Foon's appointment. Sir Douglas Haig's direct authority over tho British Army is not affected.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. POWERS SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO ITALY. „., , T „ , „ , New York, April 16. The Now' loTk Times correspondent at Paris savs tho question is being asked in many quarters why General Foch's control has not been extended to the Italian front. Tho consensus of opinion is that General Foch's authority over the Allied armies should be complete.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT (Rec. April 17, 8.20 p.m.) . .- , „. .., , London, April 16, 11.50 p.m. A wirelesa ijerman official report states: "Wo stormed Wulverghom in a surprise attack, and also tho positions astride the village. Wo captured the hei-hts between Neuvo Egliso and Bailleul."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcuter. (Rec. April 18, 0.15 a.m.) < • 1 n a• , LL , .„r Lond °n, April 17,0.30, a.m. A wireless German official report states:-"V\ r o stormed the heights of Wvt-schaete."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reutor. J