WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 7 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANS' DESPERATE ATTACKS.

EVERYWHERE REPELLED

WITH SANGUINARY LOSSES,

5800 PRISONERS AND SEVEN GUNS

CAPTURED

LONDON, May 5,

The High Commissioner reports; — French official: —Northeast of Soissons the Germans during the night made numerous heavy counter-attacks oa positions captured yesterday. The fighting was specially desperate in the region of Laiioux, north of the farm Froidmem, and north of Brayc cu Laonnois and Cerny. Everywhere the efforts of the enemy were broken. The waves o fthe assault were repelled by our fire or the bayonet. We wholly maintained our gains. The German sanguinary losses in the combats yesterday, as well as in the counter-attacks last night are confirmed. The prisoners hitherto counted reach SSOO, including 150 officers. We also captured seven cannon, including several heavy ones.

TRENCH OFFENSIVE

GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS RE

PULSED

LONDON, May 5,

The High Commissioner reports: — French official: Northwards of the Aisne the Germans violently counterattacked at Craomic and positions we captured yesterday. All efforts were broken against the resistance of our infantry. Our machine-guns and artillery inflicted heavy losses on the enemy who failed to roach our lines at any point.

The total prisoners taken here number over one thousand. Northwards of Rueims the enemy violently reacted, fighting being particularly stubborn: Wo repulsed several counter-attacks made by large effective forces during the night. Important German reserves were withdrawn in the battle defending Agailcourt by making powerful efforts. Our heavy and light guns broke down the attack with heavy losses.

THE FRENCH SUCCESS. DOMINATES THE AISNE VALLEY GREAT NUMBERS OF GERMAN DEAD. Received 9.30, LONDON, May 6. Reuter’s correspondent at headquarters says: The French successes at Craonne assure the mof definite possession of the long rock crest dominating the Aisne valley, and make another breach in the defences at Laou. He mentions that airman, flying at great heights, saw great numbers of German dead, which was quite of feature of the landscape.

BRITISH REPORT. STILL MAKING PROGRESS. LONDON, May 5. The High Commission cables:-—Gen-eral Haig reports that eastward of Lovcrguiaur we carried out a successful raid during the night and prisonered a few. Northwards of Havrincourt wood and in the neighbourhood of Fresnoy we made progress. Thrice the enemy counter-attacked our new positions on the Hindonburg line. The first our artillery broke up, the other our infantry drove oil after sharp fighting. At Messines hostile raiders were repulsed in the early morning.

A DING-DONG STRUGGLE

IN THE SCARPE AREA

LONDON, May 4. A correspondent at headquarters of

the war says be lias seen no harder fighting than that occurring north and south of the river Scarpe. The Germans are fighting as they never fought before; but, despite the most violent counter-attacks, and ding-dong, hand-to-hand struggles, the situation is unchanged. The Germans are using artillery vastly more than formerly.

GERMAN CLAIMS.

BRITISH ATTACKS FAIL,

ADMIT CAPTURE OF FRESNOY

LONDON, May 4. A German; official communique states: A fresh English attempt to break our lines between Achieville and Queant, with 16 or 17 divisions, faihed. Repeated attacks "from dawn until night broke down. The enemy only succeeded in entering Fresnoy, and small portions of our trenches near Bullecourt remained in the enemy’s hands. We inflicted heavy losses and made prisoner a thousand of the enemy, who had assembled a strong cavalry force southward of Arras. The battle continues. Several French attacks broke down near Braye and Winterberg. The enemy lost ten aeroplanes. The Russians unsuccessfully attacked northwards of the Susita Valley, in Roumania.

SACRIFICES TO SAVE HINDENBURG LINE. DEADLY STRUGGLE FOR BOTH SIDES. FIGHTING FOR LIFE. LONDON, May 5. Mr Gibbs writes: Even since our great attack on the Vimy Ridge, the enemy has fought desperately and ferociously, flinging great forces into the battle in order to keep us away from the Hindenburg line between Drocourt and Queant. Fresh divisions of troops and guns travelled across Germany, including many who were recently fighting on the Eastern front. Specially trained sturmstruppen have been hurled on our lines opposite Gcmappc and Gavrellc, dying in heaps, but there arc masses behind, and other masses behind them. The gruesome business goes on, particularly around Gavrclle. The windmill mentioned on Saturday has now changed hands eight times. At present we hold it. There have been scarcely less bitter struggles at Oppy and Roeux, where picked enemy troops hold the villages, suffering most bloody losses under bombardments. South of the Scarpc the enemy loses amounted to a real massacre" This is no figure of speech, but utter truth; yet other waves were ordered forward with Oriental recklessness of human life. The enemy have greatly increased their gun power of all calibres, machine-guns and trench mortars. Thus our men are fighting the hardest battles. It is a deadly struggle for both sides. The seem & to be fighting for life, knowing they must now win or die. Theii nun were so hard pressed that they were obliged to send three pioneer battalions to the fighting line until reinforcemuts of fighting troops arrived. Our shells are devastatng the defences of Oppy Wood, but the enemy are bringing many new batteries, including long-rangers. Our aeroplanes are spotting the new gun positions. Already a number hav<* been knocked out by direct hits.

GERMANS’ HUGE LOSSES.

100,000 SINCE APRIL Ist

HALF OF PRISONERS -AGED 19,

LONDON, May 5

It is estimated that the Germans since April Ist have brought against the Anglo-French thirty-three divisions, fifteen of which have were shattered and withdrawn, after the battle of Arras. At least twenty arc broken now. Allowing for the reduction of the strength of a division since the Autumn, this means about 150,000 men,., of whom 20,000 are prisoners. The casualties behind the front line must be tremendous owing to the weight of our artillery. Another notable fact is the number of youths. Half of the prisoners from two divisions were youths 19 years of age. Statements show , that half the troops already serving at the front are 19. The Germans appear to no longer employ the Guards in solid divisions, but use regiments of them to. stiffen other divisions. Apparently the Germans despite the lavish use of troops against th e British, are employing every expedient to make the most of their available man-power. On the other hand, the German artillery is greatly increasing. The British artillery is as tremendous as before, but we are more economical of men.

SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS MADE,

LONDON, May 5,

A French communique states: We brilliantly and successfully attacked north-east of Soissons and ChominBaines, despite the desperation of the Germans, who recklessly employed great contingents.

We attacked the salient of the Hindenburg line south-east of Yaux-'Aillon

and carried the position on a front of six kilometres, inflicting exceptional losses. Many counter-attacks were shattered.

German columns marching in the direction of Chearnszy and Chamomile were caught and shattered by our heavy batteries.

We have captured the whole plateau in the region of Chemin-des-Dames from east of Cerny-eu-Donnois to. east of Craonne. 'We reached the ridges dominating the valley of the Ailette and the Forest of Yauclere.

Up to the present over 4000 prisoners have been counted. An additional thousand were taken yesterday.

BRITISH STRENGTHEN THEIR POSITION.

LONDON, May 5

Sir Douglas Haig reports: On Thursday we took upwards of 900 prisoners. We strengthened to-day the position captured in the sector of the Hindenburg line and progressed eastwards along enemy trcuches.

In air fighting on Thursday, eleven enemy machines were downed. Two of ours arc missing.

i OPEN WARFARE DEVELOPING. LONDON, May ti. Mr Beach Thomas says there is open fighting on the whole front. The British arc rapidly regaining this forgotten form of warfare, but find it difficult to shake off trench habits, numbers still preferring bombs to rifles. The Germans ar e desperately fighting with storming troops, special machine-guns and automatic rifles, units at the same time digging hard over the whole breadth of a strong line from four to five miles behind the present fighting. Correspondents pay a tribute to the Australians’ dashing work at Bullecourt against picked German troops. Though wo do not yet possess the whole village, we hold ground to the north and south, and trenches on the Hindeuburg lino front. They repulsed nine counter-attacks by fresh troops. Prisoncred German officers admit appalling losses, in some instances fifty per cent.

Ten German aeroplanes were downed yesterday.