HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 April 1917, Page 3

HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE

Uespsrate Rssi&tance. (United Service.—Copyright.) Lon Duh, April 24 Correspondents comment on the greatly increased German artillery fire y and the second phase of the Arras bat'le, the German gunners retnrning shell for shell. Tho ground is alive with snipers and many British were shot from behind, after entering the German Hats. The heaviest British losses were due to barrages of machine guns, not from infantry, who preferred to surrender to having hand to hand encounters.

The fighting disclosed the immense " strength of the Oppy Line, shielding the Hindenburg Line, bat the capture of Gavrelle puts us astride of the former. OF GREAT IMPORTANCE A Desperate Battle [REUTER’S SERVICE.—COPYRIGHT.] London, April 24 Headquarters says the Germans continue to throw in large reserves of fresh guns. They probably realise that the battle may assume a decisive character and are therefore resisting it desperately. This is exactly what the British wanted. . The Germans are certainly cow accepting battle in the open. F rench Tactics Win [LONDON TIMES SET?,VICE.—COPYRIGHT.'] (RBo9ived April 24, at, 1.55 p.m,) London, April 24 Campbell" gives typical instances of General Nivelle’s tactics in the capW tare of Braye Height and Stouper Plateau, densely wooded and ravinod, 600 ft in height and a network of trenobes. A division feinted a frontal attack, and next day fi-e battalions from different point.-; worked their way through the woodi*, and ouifLnked tho Germans, who fled so hurriedly, that there was no time to bring up their gun teams, and the French captured fif-y guns and many machine guns; also much material, with 2,000 prisoners. The hurriedness of the retreat was shown in the uneaten cooked meals and half finished letters. v.A German Explanation. [REUTER’S SERVICE.—COPYRIGHT.] Amsterdam, April 24 A Berlin official message announces the reason for felling fruit trees in the evacuated territory was to prevent the enemy using the leaves in summer for : cover. r t •,

Attack ori Lens

Paris, April 24 The Petit Parisian states the British sDmi-circle round Lena wae drawn closer- yesterday, and they me now holding a maj uifcy of tho suburbs. The enemy has concentrated important forces eastwards of Arras, losing determined at all costs to bar the way to Douai.

An Anzac Cable.

Wellington, April 25

The New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association has sent the following cable to General Godley—“Please convey heartiest greetings from New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association to our comrades at the front, and to the"T3ommander of the. 29th Division. New Zealand returned soldiers are proud of their recollections of Gallipoli asßOoiations.”

Berman Threat

Zurich, April 24

' The German Government has warned strikers in Berlin, Spandau, L9ipsig, Chemnitz, Stettin, Hamburg, Bremen, Kiel, Essen, and the industrial districts of the Rhine aHd Westphalia, that they will be sent to the front unless they returned to work on the 23rd, The military has assumed tfontrol of the faetories.

Spain’s Demand

Amsterdam, April 24

The Cologne Gazette states that Spain’s Note to Germany emphatically repeats the demand that Spanish Jives and ships be respected.

in Mesopotamia

(Australian & N.Z. Cable Association and Renter.) (Received April 25, at 11e.m.) London, April 24 i General Maude reports the battle 1 on the right bank of the Tigris be- ; tween Samar and Astabalafc was con- | tinned on Sunday night, with severe > hand to hand fighting and numerous ! enemy counter-attacks. We drove out the enemy who stubbornly de- , fended the position, which was provided with elaborately prepared iron- ! roofed dugouts. We pursued and occupied Samara station on Sunday. The e.emy hastily destroyed everything possible. Our captures include sixteen locomotives. The enemy casualties on ths 21st and 22nd were heavy. Prince Eitel. Copenhagen, April 24 It is reported that PriDoe Eitel, the Kaiser's eecoad eon, has died of typhus.

Native's Deity. (Received April 25, at 1145 a.m.) London, April 24 Natives in Orisia, Bengal, where German missionaries worked for many years were discovered invoking the 3 Kaiser ?s the native deity, to assist in 0 the overthrow of British rule, s __ : Luxurious Building j 3 London, April 24 3 General Jurgens a Dutch rnaig-iice merchant, who expeudel £1.7,000 on > a house at Epsom, was fined £SO and two builders heavily fined, for luxuri- ■ ous building expenditure, under tho ■ Dsfeuce of the Realm Act. , In the Fighting Line London, April 24 Sir Thos Macke: zie bps compiled a list of 800 New ZealaDden who are figntiDg in thß Acrnycr Navy, outside of the New Zealand forces. He has arranged io supply information to tho next of kin and is also presenting gifts similar to thoee for the expeditionary force at Christmas. For National Service. London, April 24 The Stock Exohauge closes ,on Saturdays, to enable members and clerks to engage in national service. ■ Kissing. | London, April 24 Hon • Bonan Law’s second sod, a L ? eut in the Scottish Borderers is wounded and mis*iog in Palestine. A French Mavo. Paris, April 24 Government has notified Germany that they are embarking German prisoners on hospital ships. An Enormous Fire. ■ Paris, April 24 There was an enormous fire at Valence. One whole district of the town was burned. Firemen wore summoned from Lyone, 5S mile 3 away. War Ccnfarence. (Received April 25, at 2 p.m.) London, April 24 The night sessions of the War Conference begins to-night. The Conference sits all day to-morrow and is hopeful that tli9 work will be completed within a week or ten days. The Submarine MenaceLondon, April 24 Kenny Jones dec'ares that the submarine menace will become greater than ever unless the people farther reduce the consumption of breadstuffs. They may be brought to the edge of disaster beforo the next harvest is gathered. Shipbuilding on Immense Scale ,

Ottawa, April 20

A special cable from Londm says : “An extensive programme of shipbuilding for the British Government in Canada is in contemplation, according to information which became available to-day. If the placs which are now in view are carried out successfully the existing shipyards in Canada may all be utilised for the construction of steel steamers of large carrying capacity, while new industries along the same line will be established on a large scale. “ It is learned that the British Government in utilising the resources of Canada iu this way is acting through the Imperial munitions board and there is reason to believe that with the available resources of raw material there may be developed m the Dominion a steel shipbuilding industry equalling in extent tbe vast enterprises of the munitions business. Whereas tbe latter, howevor will terminate with the war, there are prospects for .the permanency of ship building with big yards on the St Lawrence, tbe Atlantia coast, Toronto, Port Arthur and the Pacifio. “The undertaking now in view is one means of overcoming the great shortage of ocean tonnage, due to ihe Admiralty’s requirements of transports and incidentally to replace tho ships lost.

“The working out of the details of the scheme, which it is learned are well advanced and practically certain to be proceeded with, is in the bands of the Imperial Munitions Board at Ottawa. If Canada proves equal to the situation as it has done in the munitions line en industry of immense proportions may be built up.”