WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

HINDENBURG'S PLANS THWARTED

FURIOUS AT LOSS OF VIMY RIDGE

LECTURING THE OFFICERS.

Received 11.35.

LONDON, April 30

The Daily Telegraph's Paris correspondent states that Hindenburg's total reserve strength on the West front consisted of forty-three divisions, of which thirty-three have been more or less put out of action, completely thwarting Hindenburgs intended attack on Italy. Hindenburg is furious over the loss of Vimy Ridge. He visited Lens, and severely lectured the commanders.

GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED.

GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY

Received 11.35.

LONDON, April 30,

French communique:—Throughout the night violent mutual artillerying took place north of St. Qucntin,, in the region of Troyon, Hur-tebise, and Craonne. Our batteries continued a destructive fire against Moronvillevs Massif, and our barrage of machine-gun fire repulsed several attempts against the trenches in Hurtebise region and Les Chambrcttes.

The enemy aeroplanes at night time bombed in the regions of Dunkirk, Nancy, and Belford. There were no casualties, and the damage was insignificant. They also bombed Chalons and Parnay, but there were no civilian victims. Our aeroplanes heavily bombed railway stations at Font Faverger, Banyville, and Bivouacs, near Epoyt.

A FRENCH REPORT.

Eeceived 8.35

LONDON, April 30

A French communique states energetic reciprocal artillerying and grenading in various sectors.

1000 AMERICAN DOCTORS FOR THE

FRONT.

Received 8.35

WASHINGTON, April 30

A scheme is afoot for sending one thousand American lsuTgeons to the front. Dentists are also mobilising for war service with the Allies.

THE HERO OF VERDUN PROMOTED

TO CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF.

Received 8.35,

PARIS, April 30

General Petain, the hero of Verdun, has been appointed Chief of the General Staff.

FURTHER BRITISH ADVANCE. 970 PRISONERS CAPTURED. LONDON, April 29. ..A British 'official: report states: — This morning the enemy's trench system to the south of Oppy was captured on a front of a mile after heavy fighting. There were several unsuccessful enemy counter-attacks. Since yesterday morning we have taken 976 prisoners. GERMAN TROOPS HURRYING WEST Received 11.35. ZURICH, April 30. The German-Swiss frontier is still closed, presumably in order to hide the niovements of tnoops hurrying west for the re-organisation of the shattered divisions. THE GERMAN STORY. DESPERATE STRUGGLES. LONDON, April 29. A German official message says: "The enemy's principal thrust to the north of the Scarpe yesterday was against the positions between Achivelle and Roeux where the battle was most violent. The British forced a way to Arleux, Oppy, and positions near Gavrelle and Roeux. We regained in a hand-to-hand struggle the former, positions, with the exception of Arleux. A desperate battle was also fought to the south of the Scarpe lowland, whcr e the British attacks failed heavily.''

SOME MINOR OPERATIONS,

LONDON, April 30

The High Commissioner cables: General Haig reports that between Monchy and Leprieux, on the river Scarpe, in a small local operation, we prisonered a few of the enemy and improved our position during the night. Northwards of Ypres we carried out a successful raid, prisonering eighteen and capturing some machineguns.

VIMY RIDGE BATTLE. CANADIANS' GREAT FIGHT. ROUT OF THE GERMANS. Details of the brilhafic work 01 the Canadians in capturing Vimy Ridge tnree weeks ago ar e given by uie Canadian official war correspondent. "The strongest defensive position of the enemy on the western front has been captured by the army of Sir Douglas fiaig, and the Canadian corps aad the place of honour in the great event, being strongly supported by some ,of the most famous 01 the British formations. By Saturday afternoon Thelus, the chief village held by the enemy on the ridge and lying due east of Neuville St. Vaast, was pounded out of all recognition, with only two houses standing. Prisoners taken told of heavy enemy losses. Even in deep dugouts, where the Germans had hoped to be reasonably safe in that rain of death, no safety was to be found anywhere. In a desperate attempt to blind the eyes of the attacking army the uermans on Saturday endeavoured to destroy our observation balloons. "On Saturday night our guns continued the work of destruction under conditions which made a (spectacle that was majestic and awe-inspiring. A full moon in the east lit up the countryside with mellow beams on the horizon, while the flash of the guns made a continuous play like that of the Northern lights in the Dominion, or distant sheet-lightning. This was sharply broken now and again by a column of reddish yellow flames, where on the ridg e high explosives were bursting. The gunners, with tireless energy, continued the cannonade throughout Easter Sunday.

German Killed With a Helmet.

"On Monday morning came the supreme moment, when our infantry was called upon to go out and reap the fruit of months of preparation. They endured, unwaveringly, which, however, was not comparable to ours. Some, impatient to be at the foe, had gone out on small wars of their ,owii, and it is recorded that in one of the individual encounters in No Man's Land> a Canadian meeting a German pursued him after : emptying his revolver ineffectually at him. The Canadian cast about for some other weapon. Tie only ,one within reach was his steel helmet, and with the sharp edge of that he killed the armed German. Gallant Infantry. "From the craters which had been organised along the scarred front and which resembled the opening made in quarrying operations, the distance to the top of the ridge ranged from 1200 yards to a littl e short,of a mile. Thereafter the ground falls easterly toward the great plain of Cambrai. Up the ridge, amid the. shattered German trenches, our men swarmed in successive waves. Within half an hour after the first German distress rocket had been sent up, calling for barrage fir e from the Teuton artillery and indicating a surprise attack, our objective was attained with slight loss. "The tanks which accompanied our advancing infantry up to the ridge had little to do, but were seen in action later near the crest of Vimy on the extreme north of the line, at a point east of Souchez, where much hard fighting took place in 1915, when thousands of men fell.

"The enemy put up a stiff fight at Hill 145, which had been provided skilfully with co'ncealed machine-gun positions. Long after they had been driven from the surrounding ground the Germans on the hill continued to sweep points of approach with their machine-guns.

Attack That Ntfver Came,

"Encouraged by this show of resistance on what otherwise was a stricken field, the enemy began to send up reserves in trains from Lens and Douai, and perhaps a greater distance, with the intention of making a counter-attack. That attack was never made. As reports came in from the front and from the aviators of this massing of the enemy beyond Vimy and the trenches in the vicinity, a tremendous barrage was turned on it by our heavy guns, the range being too great for field artillery. Probably for the first time in the war 12in. weapons wero used for this purpose at very long range. "On the southern end of the Canadian sector the Germans yielded ground more readily than in the north. Many prisoners were taken, and as for Thelus, which has been strongly held before, our guns hammered it to pieces. It did not long hold out. By 12.30 o'clock, seven hours after the battle began, no organised body of the enemy remained on Virny Ridge, except the most concealed of the machine-guns on Hill 145.

"Of the casualties it can only be said at this moment that they are surprisingly light, especially in view

of the importance ox the grounjd won. The prisoners taken in the Canadian advance alone probably amount to close to 2000. The British troops in die adjacent sector captured ;pver oOCO." \

ARGENTINA AND THE CriiixiMANS.

WHAT THE AMERICAN BREACH IMPLIES.

BLOW TO GERMAN TRADE. (The cabled reports of Argentina's declared attitude of neutrality lend topical interest to the following despatch, from Buenos Ayres, from the special correspondent of the New York Evening Post.) Argentina has not as yet realised what the entry of th e United States into the war might moan to the South American republics in general and to herself in particular. Apart from all questions of sentiment —and they are powerful—the present preponderance of American trade in Argentina and the fact that many sanguine legislators regarded the American loan so frequently referred to of lat e as being, to ail intents and purposes, -cash in hand, are both factors calculated to force the attention of ihi s republic to the new trend of international events. That the rapid diplomatic moves culminating in the omcial severance of relations with the Central Empires and their aliies were followed witn breathless interest is a foregone conclusion. But it may be worm while mentioning that, down to the last moment, and even alter the sinking ci lae iiousatonic uad been an-

Hounded, the Germa.n Argentine element, both privately and through the medium of its press, scouted the idea mat war was possible. At the moment their atitude is mucn mure subdued.

Indeed, many of the leading German firms here ar e said to be doing their best to insist still more than they have done in the past on their coniplete severance from European Germany, in principle as well as in fact, while the rupture with the -States they ; describe as a diplomatic blunder of the first magnitude, for the simple reason that it cuts South American trade from under them, not only at the present time, but also, potentially, Vhen the war shall be over. That German interests were convinced of their hold on this market, and their certain superiority of men over all their competitors, once German manufacturers were available to them, is a matter of common knowledge. Cheapness, good salesmanship, and the friendship of the Hispano-Argentine element —these were the three factors of their sum, the last-named being almost as important as the first* and second items. That friendship they feel they have lost for a very long time.

It is scarcely necessary to do more than mention the fact that GermanoArgentine firms have been handling the bulk of th e Argentine export trade in .hides, wool, and general produce to the States, while most people who' follow up xVrgeutine affairs are also awar e that it is to America that the major portion of the republic's whole production in the first-men-tioned lines have been shipped. There is not likely to be a slackening in the demand; on the contrary, prices are likely to be brisk and rising; but as yet it is doubtful wffether the same firms will be engaged in the business. All figure on the British statutory list, one was the official agent of the German Government, and in the early days of th e war all were concerned in the attempts made to send German vessels that had taken refuge in Argentine ports to sea, as supply ships to th e raiding squadrons. It now remains to be seen whether they will continue their shipments to the United States, and thus lend their aid to the Allies, even indirectly, or whether they will suspend business and stand on the capital they have in hand.