ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 March 1918, Page 6

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

AN AM AGING DRAMA LONDON, March. 27. Mr Gibbs writing on Tuesday, stab Yesterday morning the enemy co: tined violent thrusts against our lii ■west of Bapaume and Petonne. Whi masses of troops, mostly Brandenbnr] ers (picked troops) were making e forts to advance in the direction < Uoye and Nesle, where the ITenc were heavily engaged, the enemy wei pushing on over the Somme from D< viile Wood, High Wood, and Maurcpa: towards the lines we had before th Somme battles of 1916. The enenr; have only paused since they began th( great offensive to bring up new divi sinns attacked three. Such odds wer« the attack or shattered by our fire while the latter reform and recuperate and come on again. Owing to the cnormuiis forces at the enemy ’s disposal, the Germans are able to pursue any advantage gained with fresh _iroops against oar hard-pressed men t. ho have been fighting without respite for days, Despite the gravity of these hours, there was never a more glorious spirit among British troops in our history. They withstood odds sometimes eight to one. Near Crois:3les nine divisions attacked three. Suchodds were unknown before. The enemy dare not remain stationary. Desperate little battles are going on, In these one or two battalions hold up waves of Germans until their own line was fallen back orderly to defensive ground. I saw our riflemen yesterday, at Pozieres bridge, using old trenches full of undergrowth, shooting Germans as in the days of Le Gateau. I saw a small party so weary of this endless battle that they could hardly walk even holding hands like tired children, but with heads up, gamely undismayed- The whole movement of the British Army is as orderly as i'u England, I can honestly say I have never seen an officer flurried. Transport lorries only leave the road when it is untenable owing to the enemy’s shell fire Camps are packed and stores removed as the Germans are reported nearer, and the headquarters’ staffs change their lodgings to another chateau or cottage. It is amazing drama, because open warfare is a new thing. Though the menace of the enemy is strong and serious, and retirement under the terrific pressure of a human avalanche is by no means pleasant, the British Army retains its self-control, will power, hopefulness and faith

' BRITISHERS’ GREAT RESISTANCE

LONDON, March 26,

Reuter's correspondent at tne British headquarters, in a message dated 26th says: Very slowly, and exacting the heaviest possible toll for every foot of ground, our line continues to withdraw before the pressure of German masses. Over a large portion of the battle zone retirement is voluntary, conducted so as to maintain an unbroken front. The weather remains fine. The ground is hard and dry, favouring the enemy in bringing forward guns. Even so, prisoners say the advance is much beliind time-table the tenacity of the British exceeding anything they deemed possible. Prisoners complain of great privations owing to lack of supplies, They say extreme weariness is telling heavily This is doubtless true of the prisoners taken, but, thanks to the dense masses of supports, the enemy are able to constantly replenish their forward line with fresh ■units. They are fighting desperately hard against time. We now know that in the first day’s fighting the •enemy's reserves was reduced to fiftytwo divisions, and by the end of the second day to forty divisions from the reserve were thrown in. Yesterday was the supremo time for Our gunners, the advance being held less intensity of -artillery fire. Their up nearly everywhere by the ceaseless massed waves received dreadful punishment.

The work of our airmen surpasses all possible praise. Last night they made a veritable pandemonium at every centre of concentration and traffic behind the German frot. Tens of thousands of rounds were fired point blank into enemy formations, whose density offered a perfect target, German observation is so restricted by day that they never can ‘do More than peep and run. On the other iand our fliers are fulfilling with deadly effectiveness their role of tk» eyes of artillery. In this direction the weather is undoubtedly favouring us.