FIERCE STRUGGLE FOR VILLERS BRETONNEUX

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 187, 27 April 1918, Page 7

FIERCE STRUGGLE FOR VILLERS BRETONNEUX

, VILLAGE RECAPTURED BY TEE AUSTRALIANS THE GERMAN THRUST AT KEMMEL By Telegraph—Press Associetion-Copyright . London, April 25. The British regained ground around Yillers Bretonneux, which the Germans, captured-.vesterdav. The Germans have developed aii intense barrage on. tho Flanders trout, iloavy infantry assaults have begun—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn, HEAVY FIGHTING IN PROGRESS. (Rec. April 27, 0.40 a.m.) ■ . London, April 25, 11 p.m. Heavy fighting is proceeding at Yillers • Bretonneux, where the Australians are engaged. The Germans advanced on Dranoutre, and stormed Jlont Kemmel. Counter-attacks are proceeding. The northern off elusive u> being fiercely pressed: The Germans have advanced to the slopes of Mont Kcmmel. -United Service. FRENCH DRIVEN BACK FROM KEMMEL. (Eec. April 27, OiO a.m:) ■ London, April' 25. The French, after holding Keramel. Village till the evening, are being driven back on Villers Bretonneux.—Renter., ['■•■:■■ ■: ; , \ —-'• I DISPATCHES FROM THE WAR CORRESPONDENTS l , \ ■ ' London, April 25. The United Press correspondent writes:— . .■ , ''The'enemy used tanks for storming purposes' in assaulting' .the French .and I British-positions east and south-east of ; Amiens,,'. Hlid'. the .infantry xharged -near • f Villers' Bretonneu.t'tinder the protection, of-the tanks.;. The Britisli. tanks afc.'Villers Bretonneuxdrove the German tanks .off the field, and the/German infantry, which' tho''tanks wero supporting, were exposed and flung back. The latest re- ! ports show that the British are steadily making progress. Another simultaneous report says that the Germans, by costly sacrifices, captured Hangard, lost it, and then regained it. ' " •" • Mr. Percival Phillips writes: "The enemy failed everywhere except at Villers Bretonneux, where there was heavy fighting on a front of two and a half miles. The. attack, which we had been expecting for several • days, does not seem to be "a great thrust for Amiens. The battle, is- rather- due to the enemy's desire to wipe out a local salient and take the high ground on either side of the Amiens road before attempting a big advance. The German assault troops nowhere--reached their limited objective. The tanks used may be derelicts which wo left behind. -Hitherto the Germans have only used tanks in <rder to bring ammunition to the front lines." . Mr. Philip Gibbs says: "Two divisions attacked Villers Bretonneux. Tho Germans advanced a small distance, and hold the outskirts of the village. It is a place of some size, on,a ridge south-east of Amiens, and is perched-above the Somme. As a tactical position of-some importance it would enable the • enemy In advance four or five thousand yards. The German . bombardment commenced at 3 o'clock in the. morning and continued furiously for four hours. Then the Fourth Guards Division, who had already been twice in action in recent battles, attacked with the Twenty-soventh Division,, just from Russia. At the same time the Thirteenth Division, of AVestphalian troops, ■ attacked the French at Castel and gained a footing on rising ground."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' THE AUSTRALIANS AT VILLERS BRETONNEUX ■THE AUSTRALIANS RECAPTURE .VILLERS BRETONNEUX, TAKING 600 PRISONERS. (Rec. April 27, '1.30 a.m.). ' London, April 28. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes:—"A couple of, bodies of Australians encircled Villers Bretonneux, while the British fought through the village from the north. The Germans were thus entrapped. The number of German dead exceeds that at. Lngniconrt. The Australian attack.on.Villers Bretonneux at ten. o'clock at night was a piece of skilful and daring generalship. The Australians were sent cut in 'the darkness, without artillery, and relied -oil their rifles and bayonets. They recaptured the most important position. Great heaps of Gerihan dead now lie around Villers Bretonneux." '■ ' \ Mr. Percival Phillips,, describing tho carnage at Villers-Bretonncux, says that English-and Australian officers agree that never have they seen tho dead so thick on any battlefield.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. i . ' - ~'~ : "~ SIR DOUGLAS lIAIG'S REPORTS London, April 25, 11.55 p.m. Sir Douglas Hnig reports: "There was sharp sir fighting yesterday. Wo heavily bombed llerville, Estaires, Vervterck, La. Gorgue, the Chaulnes railway junction, and the Ostend docks. We brought down fifteen and drove . down two enemy' machines. One of ours' is missing. Our night-fliers dropped 'twenty tons of bombs on Bottlers, Merville, Arraentieres, Bapaume, Thourout, | Touniai, Coiirtrai, the Chaulnes railway station, and- the Zeebrugge' docks. Direct hits were obtained on these targets,' and several fires were started. I All our machines returned."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. . 'Rec. April KG, 8 p.m.) . " • ' ■ London, April 25, U. 5 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Heavy fighting took place all'night in and around !■ .Villers Bretonneux. Fighting continues. We regained ground by counter-attacks. . Fighting yesterday on the whole of this front was most ,-,evero, and heavy casualties, were, inflicted on tho enemy by tho infantry and the tanks. The enemy •three times.wero repulsed northward of tho Villers llretonneux-St. (Jiienlin road. He used a few tanks in this fighting. The,enemy also late last night attacked the French, north-eastward of Bailleul, but were repulsed., Tho enemy early this morning renewed his attacks on this sector, and on the British positions further east, after ah intense bombardment.- Fighting continues on this sector along a ', wide front. Tho enemy during tho night-time attempted a raid in the neighlwuri hood of Bcuchy, but were repulsed. Tho hostile, artillery was active during tho night-time in the Festubert and Pobetno sectors."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. HEAVY BATTLE ON THE FRENCH FRONT ' GERMAN ATTEMPTS TO • CAPTURE . HANGAIID-EN-SANTERKE London, April 25, 1.10 a.m. A French communique states: "A furious'bombardment on the French, and British positions south of tiio Semitic and on the Avro was followed by a German attack.in great force on the whole front. The enemy at 5 o'clock in tho morning attacked in the Hungard-cn-Santerro region,, at llaillcs, and the wood of Scneoat, south of tho Avre. Tho battle lasted all day, and continues. It was particularly desperate in the Hangard region. The enemy, after a series of. - furious assaults, gained a footing in the woods north of Hangard, also in tho eastern outskirts of the village, which wo defended desperately, The struggle was cquiilly violent in the Dailies region. 'Several assaults on the ridge cast of the village were shattered by our. fire, also counter-attacks ■ further south. The German attempts at Senc'cat Wood and' Hill 82 failed, both-remaining wholly in our possession."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.-Reuter. ■ I -. ■ ' VIOLENT CONTEST FOR HANGARD (Rec. April 20, 9.30 p.m.) London, April, 25, 4.25 p.m. A French official communique states: "The battle continued'violently round ' tho village'of Hangard, against which tho enemy concentrated all'his strength. Wo gallantly resisted and counter-attacked Several limes successfully. Tho vil- ' lage was lost and retakeu, but finally remained in tho hands of the Germans at

n cost of high losses. We hold tho immediate outskirts of Ilangard, from which tho enemy has been unable to debouch, despite repeated efforts. The artillery duel continues to bo very violent on both banks of tlie.Avre, and is very active in the Woevre, in the region of Flirey and Rcgnievillc."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.Ecuter. TANK FIGHTS TANK (flee. April 20, 8.15 p.m.) _ London, April 25 (evening). The United Press corresponilent states: "There was terrific lighting all night on the "heights eastward of Amiens. Tho tanks were used by both sides for tho first time in history. The situation on Villers Bretonneux Ridge looks better today.' Our counter-attack drove tho Germans out-of Aquonno Wood, westward of Villers Bretonneux. Tho situation in the town is uncertain, tho lighting being touch-and-go, and it is impossible at tho moment to tell tho respective positions. But we definitely know that tho British have advanced. Fighting began in this region yesterday morning after a hurricane bombardment of gas and high .explosive'shells for over two hours. The first attack was hurled back. Tho subsequent ones took Villers Urclonneux by storm and reached the wood to the westward. Tho British successfully countered at noon, and used several tanks against tho German ones. The latter were driven off, whereupon two British tanks crawled up and down the lines, mowing down the exposed infantry in straight lines. Tho enemy poured out of Vairo Wood at dawn to-day, but'were stopped, with heavy losses. General von Arnini's hill-stormers on Wednesday reattacked the French towards Dranoutre, and were flung out after a tremendous struggle from portions of tho livst-liuo positions on the Kemmel sector, where tho enemy had temporarily penetrated. The situation was completely restored. Tho Germans at two o'clock this morning put down an intense gas barrage on the French and British line. A heavy attack followed between threo and four o'clock."—Aus.-N.Z. Gable Assn.