WAR NEWS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 25 April 1918, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

MONDAY

Enemy at Standstill—Severe Check at Givenchy—Local Success by French —Italian Troops in Alsace. The news to-day gives stronger evidence of a check in the German offensive than on any day since the battle opened. The jflnemy attacks on Friday, de#%ered over a front from the ""Wprest of Nieppe to Givenchy, , were completely repulsed. A French attack on Thursday T*on both banks of the Avre resulted in substantial progress being made on a front of about three miles. Five' hundred prisoners were taken, and a Grange of heights dominating the river seized. A correspondent states that the speed and immediate success established the superiority of the French infantry over the Germans. Italian troops are being sent to the western front. The advance guard is already in - Alsace. It is unofficially stated that ihe Italian reinforcement will be 200,000 strong. TUESDAY Battlefront Quiet—Artillery Alone Engaged—St.Mihlel Line Restored —Allied Troops in FinlandGuarding the Murman Railway. Local fighting, which ended in favour of the British forces, occurred in the Robecq section on the Lys front on Sunday morning The enemy artillery was active in that region. There was artillery activity on the Somme, the Avre, and the Laßassee Canal. No infantry actions occurred on Sunday on the French front. There was artillery duelling on the Somme, the Oise, and the Avre, and in the Verdun region. Fighting in the St. Mihiel section • where the Germans attacked on Saturday, continued during the night. The village of Seicheprey was regained by the French. The American forces also defeated an attack on their lines in the same region. ' The Allies are co-operating with the Bolsheviks in the defence of the Murman railway connecting Petrograd with the Arctic coast. WEDNESDAY New Zealand Exploit — Gallant Stand in Flanders—Reserves from Base Camp — Signs of Another Battle — Guarding Australian Shipping. A message from the New Zealand official correspondent at the front states that New Zealand reserves were engaged in the recent fighting in Flanders. They assisted in the defence of Metereu two miles west of Bailleul, where the Germans were endeavouring to make a breach in the British line' Men were hurried from the N.Z. base camp to the front in motor-buses, the infantry reserves being followed by artillery reinforcements who had volunteered to serve as infantry. The English commander stated that they fought magnificently, and killed an enormous number of Germans.

Artillery and raiding activity is general on the battlefronts in the west. Several raiding parties .were driven off ~by the British at ; various points, and British troops made raids in the Lens region. The British line has been advanced at Robecq, north-west of Bathune, where the artillery engaged assemblies of enemy i nfantry. Rumours of danger threatening Australia have been explained by the Federal Minister for Defence who states that while there is nothing to alarm the public, the Government is taking certain precautionary measures to safeguard shipping. THURSDAY Daring Naval Raid — Submarine Exits Blocked—Ships Sunk in Bruges Canal—Attack by Land and Sea — British Gain Local successes, A naval attack, with the object of blocking the entrance to the Bruges Ship Canal, at Zeebrugge, and the harbour at Ostend, was made by a British force on Tuesday morning. Obsolete light cruisers, filled -with . ",ement, were sent in, run aground, V-vjlown up, and abandoned. At Zeebrugee armed parties were landed to engage the garrison on the mole, silence the battery,, and S^estrov a lftrge seaplane station. Two old submarines, filled with explosives, were directed against the open piling connecting the mole with the shore. Light forces and monitors co-operated. > o far as is known two cruisers were successfully grounded at Oslend. Two of the three cruisers at Zeebr.iggee attained their objectives, the other going aground on tbe wa3' in. The First Lor.i of the Admiralty states that the casualties were heavy in proportion to the forces engaged. There was sufficient information to show that the entrance to the Bruges Canal was properly and effectively blocxed,