WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 26 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE BRITISH OFFENSIVE.

GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION OF THE

FIGHTING

Received 0.5

LONDON, April 25.

Mr Beach Thomas, the well-known war correspondent, reports that terrible encounters rage across the bare undulating \country beyoiy] Arras. ,The troops are marching, charging, manoeuvring, and fighting in the open. The Germans never used greater numbers of troops in counter-attacksffi'' MONCHY WAS THE CENTRE OF THE STORM. Mondays' counter-attacks at Sartwoode and Vertwood were shattered and broken by a terrible concentration of British artillery. The miserable remnant of the Germans in Sartwoode did not dare debouch, but the Germans in Vertwood persisted

IN SPITE OF THE BLOODIEST LOSSES

and succeeded in driving us back a few hundred ' yards. Later we re-at-tacked, and forced the German storming party from the most important places. The enemy emptied shells into Monehy, blowing up the village until only a few skeleton houses remained.

WE CAPTURED GAVRELLE

AHLLAGE

after a slight resistance. The Germans surrendered easily, but immediately afterwards hurled away fresh troops in a vain endeavour to capture it. ■ Two battalions-were unable to face our shell fire, and BOLTED ACROSS THE OPEN, where the creeping barrage almost annihilated them. The sternest fighting was at. Guemappe,, where fierce counterattacks temporarily drove us back. Subsequently we renewed the attack .--} restored the village to us. We .'oinid every cellar blown to pieces by nl 1 ell fire. The

GERMANS NEVER-LOST MORE MEN

rev tlis battle of the Somme. Their oll.fire.fataiilies, were unusually high. .;■;":,;i::g. coUvinues fiercely, the Ger-

mans bring;::; Guards r.ud other picked .ro-Ops--, masking batteries, and pouring shells on vh c Searpe river to arrest our advance. The battle fronts are without definition; there are no straight continuous lines of regular trenches.

The enemy is endeavouring to conceal its losses, and arc removing or concealing the dead. Orders found on captured men at Douamont," demanding more French civilian workers .from the German commandants of certain villages, prove that slave labour is definitely incorporated in the German army system.

GEEMA2TS ACCEPT BATTLE,

PLAYING BRITAIN'S GAME

INTENSE ARTILLERY FIRE

LONDON. April 24.

Correspondents comment on the greatly increased German artillery fire in the second phrase of the Arras battle, the German, gunnel's returning shell for shell. The ground is alive with snipers and many British were shot from behind after entering the German lines. The heaviest British losses were due to the barrages and machine-gun fire, not to the infantry, who preferred surrender to hand-to-hand encounters.

The fighting disclosed the immense strength of the Oppy line, shielding the Hindenburg line, but the capture of Gavrelle puts us astride the former. Router's headquarters correspondent says that the Germans continue to throw in a large reserve of fresh guns. They probably realise that the battle may assumed a decisive character, and therefore are resisting desperately. This is exactly what the British wanted. The Germans are certainly now accepting a battle in the open.

BRITISH PROGRESS,

029 PRISONERS SINCE MONDAY.

Received 11.35.

LONDON, April 25.

General Kaig reports:—We have captured the Hamlet of Bctkcm, northeast of Drescault during the night. Fighting occurred early in the morning along our front. Between the Coycul and Scarpe rivers Ave further progressed and secured the ground gained. We took 3029 German prisoners, including 59 officers, since the 23rd.

A FRENCH REPORT. Received 11.35. LONDON, April 25. A French report states-:—We propressed south-eastwards of Cernyen and* Laomnis, in the region of the Aisne. Wo took some prisoners. Our fire stopped a German attack after a violent bombardment in the neighbourhood of Hartebeusc and Vauelere plateau. We also advanced on Mons Ansnow, in the

Champagne. Enemy raids near Tahure and Maisone-de-Champagne failed, leaving many dead in our line.

NIVELLE'S TACTICS,

A SUCCESSFUL ATTACK

LONDON, April 24

Mr Francis Campbell, the "Times'" correspondent at the French headquarters, gives a typical instance of General Nivelle 's tactics in the capture of Brayc Height and Soupir Plateau. The plateau, densely wooded and ravined, i.s six hundred feet in height, and was defended by a network of trenches. A division feinted a frontal attack, and next day five battalions at different points worked a way through the wood., and outflanked the Germans, who lied so hurriedly that they had no time to bring up their gun teams.

The French captured fifty guns, many machine-guns, much material, and two thousand prisoners.

The hurriedness of the retreat was shown by uneaten cooked meals, and half-finished letters.

IN EGYPT. AN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, April 25. The High Commissioner cables: An Egyptian official message states that the Turks in Southern Palestine hold a strongly-entrenched position., extending from Gasa in the direction of Beersheba. The organisaticn ?a the position in front of the Turkish main line is progressing satisfactorily.

GENERAL GABLES

THE PROHIBITED "NATION.''

Received 9.50

LONDON, April 25

lii the House of Lords, Lord Derby said the prohibition of the "Nation's' 1 foreign circulation was absolutely justified. The order .would not be rescinded.

MILITARY SERVICE

BRITAIN'S EXPERIENCE

WASHINGTON, April 24

Major-General G. T. M. Bridges, C.M.G., head of the military mission with the Belgian Field Army, who har accompanied Mr. Balfour to America, in a speech to-day said that conscription was vital to the United States before the nation could have any sue- j cess in the war. The volunteer system in England had regarded and de- I layed every phase of war development. Voluntarism sent trained artisans and industrials into the trenches when they were badly needed at home, and left at home those needed at the front. Conscription at the beginning of the war would have obviated the difficulties of munitions and many other vital mistakes.

It was the Allies' duty now to speed up the war. The British people were won entirely over to conscription, and were fanatical twen upon the subject. They opposed it only because they did not know what it meant, but now looked on conscription as a business way of making war. Lord Kitchener's volunteer recruiting was the innocent cause of retarding Britain's war progress, because without Lord Kitchener the breakdown of voluntaryism would have occurred earlier, and conscription would -have been earlier introduced. Lord Kitchener's very success supported voluntaryism for a long time.