The World's Greatest Battle.

Taihape Daily Times, 25 March 1918, Page 5

The World's Greatest Battle.

[ A TERRIBLE ORDEAL. I ORDERLY RETIREMENT. LONDON, March 23. Mr. Philip Gibbs reports: The enemy made no infantry attack last night, but heavy fighting was resumed after the fog lifted this morning. Our troops were heavily engaged near St. Quentin. Thursday's offensive was

ON A COLOSSAL SCALE. The Germans flung the full weight of a great army, closely crowded with supporting troops, advancing mass after mass. At least fifty divisions were engaged, whereof forty were identified. We were much outnumbered, so our troops had extremely hard fighting. The obstinacy of their resistance was a wonderful feat of courage. Their discipline was splendid under the fiercest ordeal British soldiers, have faced. Nine German divisions were hurled against three British in one sector, and elsewhere eight German divisions attacked two British. All the Germans were storm troops, including the Guards, trained for many months for~£he great assault. They wore brand new uniforms, and did not falter till shattered by our machinegun fire. It was a return to the , OLD METHOD OF MONS and le Cateau. The more Germans we shot down the more seemed to come on. If our wire was not cut the German snipers got to work, though continuously mown down by our fire. The supporting waves advanced over the bodies of the dead and wounded. The German commanders were ruthless in sacrificing life in the hope of overwhelming the British defence. They had an

EXCEEDING POWER OF GUNS, usually one gun to every twelve or fifteen yards. They had a thousand opposite three British divisions. Each German battalion was provided with many trench mortars for wire-cutting during the four hours' bombardment. They also brought a number of longrange guns from the Grand Fleet and shelled up to twenty-eight miles behind our lines. During the final hour of the bombardment the Germans poured in gas shells, and also concentrated gas. Our batteries and reserves were in the trenches all day long. The defenders bad been many weeks training with gas masks, which proved a PRICELESS HELP. Many wore them for hours and fought in them. One battalion on the left wing wore them .for..eight hours. The new respirators,.proved ; quite efficacious, there beiiig ,o ; n.ly six.cases of gassing in .one, of, the., large clearing stations, i ... "....'.. ENEMY'S MAIN OBJECT.

The main object of the enemy't attack on the.left was probably to bite off the Bulleco,urt u salient and pierce the three main lines of defence below Croiselles and St. Leger, thus turning our line, to enable him to capture Henisle, and the old Hindenburg tunnel trench, a little to the right of which lay the Bullecourt salient, smothered with flame, smoke and earth. No wire could withstand the storm, no men could hold-on; "but this eventuality liad long been: foreseen, and our outposts merely had to fall back to their battle positions, where there were stronger defensive positions, in order to rally for the counter-attack. The withdrawal was caried out IN GOOD ORDER and with magnificent courage, in view of the intense enemy barage. When the enemy followed up, bringing light artillery, our guns smashed his ranks, and he left masses of dead on the field. Our airmen say that large" numbers of GERMAN DEAD ARE HEAPED among the debris of our wire. Others came on with fanatical courage, filling the gaps. Our guns and machine guns could not kill fast enough. After hard figthing at Bullecourt, Ecoust and Noreuii, 3000 of the enemy were seen on the sunken road between Noreuii and Lagnicourt, which apparently means the defenders of Noreuii had been pushed back, and the survivors, after a strong, heroic defence, were obliged to retire to the line from Beaumetz to Morchies to Vaux.

ANOTHER ENEMY ATTACK, was made in the afternoon, in massed formation down the slopes of the Sensee Valley, from Cherisy to Fontainewood. Our guns fired with open sights, cutting them down in swathes and cheeking the assault. There was fierce fighting at St. Leger, where we took prisoners and machineguns. The fighting was equally intense from Noreuil to Lagnicourt, on the bend of the Cambrai salient. Our outposts were withdrawn in good order. The enemy, by great sacrifices, penetrated our-de-fensive system near Lagnicourt, Boursies, and Hargicourt, whereafter they were held by our tanks. We brilliantly counter attacked on Thursday evening, recapturing some ground at Doignies. Owing to our withdrawal behind the canal between St. Quentin and the Oise, the enemy is now confronted by a watery, marshy waste in that sector.

GERMAN BACKBONE BROKEN. The spirit of our troops is magnificent, despite the -hard fighting, and they are proud that they have broken the backbone of the massed attack whereon the German hopes were fastened. '

MAGNIFICENT STAND BY BRITISH TROOPS.

LONDON; March 23.

Ileuter's ..Heaaqiuuers correspon dent says: Responsible quarters are gratified by the magnificent manner in which our. troops are withstanding the ordeal. Not a single division has failed or faltered. Against one sector of 10,000 yards it has been estimated the Germans employed one gun for every fifteen yards, not counting trench mortars. It has been the German retirements were made only upon orders after the troops had held the trenches intact through a whole day of violent attacks. The assaults were first made in dense waves. yesterday's attacks were frequently held up by our/wire. The Germans halted and hacked their way through whilst our riflemen and gunners were making a veritable shambles of the ground. The enemy fought w sturdy valour. In one place eight German divisions attacked a front held by eight battalions. Our front line here had been destroyed by weight of metal, but the supports achieved a great defence. They not only held the enemy, but compelled the withdrawal yesterday evening of some of their divisions. The Germans lost a certain number of guns through entering our barrage. Gas shells have been largely used. We are employing projectors, neutralising whole batteries thereby.

FURTHER GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, March 23

Wireless German official: We stormed the heights north and north-west of Croiselles. We penetrated the second position between Fontaine les Croiselles and Moeuvres. We captured Vaulx, Vraucourt, ' and Morchies, also the heights westward of Gouzeaucourt, Hendicourt, and Villers Feucon. We stormed Roisel and Marquaix. We encircled Epehy heights from the strong counter-attacks. We stormed north and south, and drove back heights north of Vermand. The enemy evacuated positions south-west of Camhrai. We pursued the enemy across Demicourt, Flesquieres ; ' and Ribecourt. We crossed the heights at Savy and Roiipy : and* also broke through the enemy lines south of the Somme. "We drove the enemy over the Grbzat Canal! Jaegers crossed the Oise and stormed the heights west of La'" Fere. We have prisonered so far 15,000, and captured 400 guns and 300 machine-guns. ;

20,000 BRITISH PRISONERS

200 GUNS CAPTURED

LONNDON, March 23

Wireless German official:' A strong artillery duel' was continued on the Belgium, French and Flanders fronts. Reconnoitring detachments penetrated frequently the enemy lines. We attacked English positions south-cast of Arras as far as La Fere. Our infantry stormed in broad sectors and everywhere captured the first lines. The firing duel increased in intensity on both sides of Eheims and Champagne. Prisoners have been brought in from many sectors . We continued the destruction of infantry positions and batteries before Verdun.

A later report states: Yesterday's successes between Arras and La Fere have been extended Sixteen thousand prisoners and 200 guns are so far reported. POSITION BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED, LONDON, March 23.

Mr. Percival Phillips says there is good reason to believe that the position is better than was anticipated. In the north we are holding our line some hundreds of yards eastward of the villages of Vaulx, Vraucourt, Morch:jfi and Bcaumetz, the enemy's intention (indention?) varying from 2200 yards at the greatest point, in the neighbourhood of Croisselles, to 500 and 600 yards eastward of Doignies. We are occupying what was generally our front line before the November advance, except that we still hold Havrincourt. The enemy's gains eastward of the Scheldt Canal, between Goitzeaucourt and St. Quentin, include some villages behind our former front line. /

The German staff experts would be surprised to know how much we knew of their preparations, their mimic battles, intensive training of tankmen and mobile army, their long nightmarches and their promises to soldiers that success would justify heavy sacrifices. An incalculable amount of work had been done in building bridges, light railways, magazines, aerodromes, and field hospitals. Out heavies before Bullccourt were safely withdrawn, the Germans only capturing there possibly a few field batteries. One British division southward of St. Quentin withstood six German di-

vjfions' attacks all day finally with

drawing behind St. Quentin and the Oise Canal. According to prisoners, some German divisions lost fifty per cent, of their strength yesterday. GERMANS' SUPiAEIVIfci EFFORT. FIFTY ENEMY DIVISIONS ENGAGED. ' A TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT. BRITISH RETIRING, FIGHTING DOGGEDLY. AN UNBROKEN FRONT PRESENTED. (Received 8.35.) LONDON, March 23. Headquarters telegraphing, says there is no doubt the Germans are making their supreme effort against the British. Fifty enemy divisions have already been flung into the battle, while probably twenty-five more are in close reserve. The Germans are pushing on

REGARDLESS OF COST, Under a tremendous onslaught our troops are in many places falling back very slowly, voluntarily, and in excelent order. They maintain an unbroken front to dense enemy masses. Yesterday and throughout the night the battle continued to extend southward and here THE FRENCH ARE ENGAGED ■ on our right. Most intense fighting is around Roisel and Tincourt, where with indomitable valour every foot, is being contested. The slaughter of the enemy is appalling. Twelve times every available gun in this area was concentrated upon solid masses of Germans, Northwards the enemy is p'ressing hard upon the defenders of Hermes (between Bapaume and Cambrai.) They got into the town, but A MOST DASHING COUNTERATTACK

drove them out, and a large party were surrounded and probably captured. The enemy is advancing both north and south of St. Leger, and dense columns are marching from Lagnieourt. In the afternoon bodies of cavalry were seen moving down towards ' Metigny-, and the Ham, and St. Quentin Roads, and it is rumoured that some infantry have crossed the Sommo Canal. We are confident this, the Germans' tremendous,v probably DESPAIRING EFFORT will fail, but the test is a supreme one News comes out of the thunderous vortex in disjointed scraps, and it is difficult to piece it together. If correct it suggests the Germans are attempting a turning movement, pivoting on Ham, In this case, owing to masses of troops at their disposal the situation here may prove less hopeful than along the-rest of the line of withdrawal. Meanwhile the weather remains brilliant.

ANZACS NOT YET ENGAGED.

FIRST STAGE ENDED.

GERMAN LOSSE - ESTIMATED

AT 200,000,

NO CAUSE FOR ANXIETY.

Received 11.15.

LONDON, March 24.

The Australians and New Zealanders have not yet participated in the titanic struggle at Cambrai and St. Quentin. Together with every other fighting unit on the West front, they are ready to move into the thick of the conflict if necessary. Latest news indicates that the reckless German attacks, continue, but the phrasing of the German Aving communiques is significant, and that the first stage of the great battle has ended, and is critical.

There are divided opinions whether the enemy will persist in his attacks at these points. They believe the German casualties are already over 200,000, but only further stupendous sacrifices to enable the Germans to win a gap in our forward systems. Nothing has yet happened to cause real anxiety. If the enemy continue his losses on the same scale any length of time, it will bring the war much nearer to an end.

TERRIBLE SLAUGHTER OF

ENEMY HORDES

Terrible slaughter of enemy hordes continues from the ground and the air.

THE GERMAN SUPER-GUN

'BOMBARDS PARIS.

SITUATED SIXTY MILES AWAY

Received 8.35,

The German super-gun, which i s bombarding Paris has been located in the Gobain Forest.

(The Gobain Forest is situated well behind the German lines between La Fere and Laon, southward of St Quentin)

• CANADIANS LAUNCH GAS ATTACK. Received S.oo. LONDON, March 24. ■ The Canadians have launched a gas attack at Lens. ' ' • BATTLE CONTINUES, POSITION UNCHANGED. LONDON, March 24. (Received: 24th, 2.10 p.b.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our position is unchanged. The battle continues.

ENEMY ATTACKS .CONTINUE GREATEST VIOLENCE.

SUPERB HEROISM OF BRITISH

SIX ATTACKS BEATEN OFF.

GERMAN CAVALRY REPULSED

Received 9.45 a m

LONDON, March 24,

Sir Douglas Haig reports the battle is continuing on the whole front with the greatest intensity. Southward of the Scarpe River our troops have taken up their new positions. Southward and westward of St. Quentin our troops are heavily engaged with the enemy. Strong hostile' attacks in the neighbourhood of Jassy were repulsed with great enemy losses. On the northern portion of the battle front the enemy's attacks were pressed with : V greatest determination, regardless of losses, but our troops retained their positions on the greatest part of this front after a fierce prolonged struggle There was great gallantry shown by tho troops engaged fighting in this area and southward. The Ninth and Nineteenth Divisions distinguished themselves by the valour of their defences. In one sector six attacks, in which German cavalry participated were beaten off by one of our infantry brigades. The enemy's attacks continue with the greatest violence. 1 THE LATEST NEWS. NO MATERIAL CHANGE. ifeceived 11.15. LONDON, March 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was no material change on the battle front during the night, though further fighting occurred at a number of other points. We are holding a line from the Somme prior to Peronne. Small parties of the enemy endeavoured to cross in the neighbourhood of Pargney, but were driven back. We are in touch on our right with the Frencn north of the River Somme. Our troops at Peronne held their positions after beating off a number of attacks on this front in the early part of the night. Heavy fighting must still be expected. A French communique reports: Artillery action, sometimes violent, is taking place south of the Oise, also in the region of Rheims and Lorraine, between Hancourt and the Vcsges. An enemy coup-de-main was attempted at Herzdach Wood, in Alsace, but has broken down under our fire.

Sir Douglas Haig, in a later report on our aviation work, says:—We brought down 27 ; and drove down 20 enemy machines. Eight of ours are missing. Our night fliers dropped 14 tons of bombs on billets and dumps, and areas where attacking troops concentrated. All our machines returned.