GALLANT COLONIALS.

Taihape Daily Times, 4 April 1918, Page 5

GALLANT COLONIALS.

* TEACH THE HUNS A LESSON. Terrific Slaughter of Germans. DISCONTENT IN GERMANY. Ansry Crowds Demonstrate. New Rassiaa Army in Two Months

' ¥3?WES'fi'ERii FRONT.

- IN FLANDERS SECTOR. '", LONDON, April 2. The United Press Association reports that the enemy carried out a heavy bombardment with gas shells at Saint Emilie, near'Lens, last night, but an infantry action did not develop. German artillery fire is fairly heavy on the Scarpe to Souchez, and heavier still northward. An unusual amount of shelling is. in progress in Flanders. The enemy long range guns are busy against the back areas. The weather is showery. . "A FORCIBLE PEACE." HLNDENBURG'S THREAT. LONDON, April 2. It is estimated that the German casualties total 400,000. Some units /have been three times in the battle ' line, and have been virtually wiped out.

;I ' : General- Hindenburg telegraphed to r the Reichstag: "The British and " Frejjjth must not believe hew sacrifice of blood they are forcing upon ~T&l& will -be -made in vain. The Reichstag, with the army, now desires - 'a* forcible German peace, which will pre--.;■■vent' war 4n future." I ON THE FRENCH FRONT. ; V ENEMY'S WEIGHT SHIFTED.' ... - , LONDON, April 2. fj a Reuter's correspondent at French % Headquarters says: "The enemy hav■i ing failed yesterday in his attack on - the Lassigny-Montdidier line, shifted . iis weight, according to his tactics of alternate strokes, to the line of the Avre, from Montdidier to Moreuil. In consequence of the capture of Montdidier the Germans were able to dig a pocket into our line west of the river bank, where they are persistently seeking to enlarge. Having captured the village of Malysart, a mile west of the Avre, and three miles north of Montdidier, the Germans on Sunday renewed their attack with the object of extending their position west of the river Remkire. The enemy incessantly assaulted the village of Grivesnes, five miles north-west of Montdidier, on the high road from Montdidier to They used the J r best troops, andVought with great fury. The First Guards Division, which, is the very elite of the German Army, -after terrible hand-to-hand fighting, took the village. Two hours later a splendid French counter-attack retook the village at the point of the bayonet^

The Germans returned to the assault with extraordinary fury. armoured cars, with their machineguns, were brought up, and drove back in disorder the assaulting waves of the First Grenadier Regiment and Prussian Guards. The battle is not concluded.

FRESH BLOWS. PREPARED BY GERMAIN'S. LONDON, April 2. The comparative lull on the west ": front fe interpreted as covering preparation for fresh German blows, but the fact must not be overlooked that ; the Allies will equally !take advantage" of the quieter state of things. ■OpiT">- j- str~"' T t?l«ninsr that though a too «n"c 4 —""tion most not bo."out- on the improved note of the battle it is apparent from, the reports of the last two or three days, that it is justifiable to look forward to the jlftuture'with less anxiety. This more a spect is assisted by Presidenl"!Wilson's decision, to permit the ."brigading of American troops with British and French units.

DISCONTENT IN GERMANY. ANGRY CROWDS DEMONSTRATE. DEMAND THE WAR SHALL CEASE Received 8.50. THE HAGUE, April 3. The beginnings of dangerous popular discontent are visible in Germany as a result of the growing conviction that the offensive has failed, combined with the knowledge of heavy casua:ties. One thousand five hundred stretcher cases arrived at Frankfurt Hospital in a few hours. An angry crowd demonstrated, demanding that the slaughter in order«to gratify one man's ambition should not continue. A neutral observer from Germany and Austria -states the people are gravely dissatisfied and sceptical. There is a widespread inclination to favour an early peace. Austrian newspapers largely share his and state that actual starvation in enna is causing an -enormous death rate, attributed to s a mysterious form of hunger typhus,-, baffling doctors. " \,Y. M. C. A. LOSSES. Received S.SQ. : & ; . LONDON, April 3. . The Y. M. C. A. lost eighty canteens and recreation huts during the retreat. The staff destroyed the stores when they were no longer able to use I them. The losses total £IOO,OOO,

THE .ANZACS TN ACTION. TERRIFIC SLAUGHTER OF ' ... .... GERMANS. . jv>. PILING TJP HEAPS- OF GERMAN DEAD. J '■■ \ * * Received 8,50. LONDON, April 3. Australian and New Zealand wounded in London relate stories of the terrific slaughter of Germans. The Australians at Hebuterne, after capturing German patrols, took a position in the trenches, where they remained undisturbed for 24 hours. They were then attacked by thick waves of men, who presented a magnificent mark against the setting sun, and the first wave was decimated. The Germans repeatedly reformed and re-at-tacked in waves,, and the dead and wounded were piled up in ghastly heaps. The fight continued all night. It is estimated there were 2000 casualties when the enemy retired. The New Zealanders, who were holding the flank, were similarly successful in beating back attacks.

RAWLINSON COMMANDS FIFTH ARMY. Received 10.50. , , LONDON, April 3. The "Daily Chronicle" states that General Rawlinson takes command o. the Fifth Army. General Go\igh is at present unemployed. GALLANT MAORILANDERS. BRILLIANT SURPRISE ATTACKS. ENEMY'S PLANS FOILED. PRISONERS AND MACHINE-GUNS . TAKEN. LONDON, April 2. It is now permissible to say it was the New Zealanders who made the attack at La Cigne Farm, prisonering over 200 and taking 109 machine-guns. The New Zealanders made a successful counter on Sunday. Unsatisfied with their positions, they decidea to rout out the enemy on a thousand yards front between Hebuterne a Auchonvillers. A surprise attack was made at 2 o'clock in the afternoon after a short field gun barrage. The a: fair lasted seven minutes, when the New Zealanders gained practically their whole objective, taking 290 prisoners (including three officers; anc 110 machine-guns. They killed 300. These represented four divlsToHS, in dicating that the enemy were pl.t: ning a coup at this particular point, and were about to launch machinegun detachments, massed troops following behind.

The New Zealanders on Monday extended their gains, bombing along an entrenched road on the left. They captured prisoners. It was altogether an extremely dashing and successful episode. The Australians did equally dashing work on another part of the front, suddenly attacking and capturing a section of the enemy's line before them. Although the affairs were not on the largest scale, they show the spirit in ; which the Australasians confront the enemy.- - r |?

OVER HALF A MILE OF ;,.,;,;.,,, BROKEN COUNTRY. '.:'. ■"') ::<",'!.■' • ''■'* ' . "' U.V .;-.,- . ....,,.;. ■ LONDON, April 3. The newspapers give prominence to the' New Zealanders' neat and dashing coup at Hebuterne. : Fuller' '' details show that the New Zealanders rushed German positions across more than half a mile of broken country, rafter a short field-gun barrage. It is estimated that the number of Germairkilled equalled toe number of'prisoners; but the disproportionate number of rriachme-guns captured, together'with the fact that the prisoners' belonged-to four divisions, probably indicates that the timely raid broke up a 'preliminary concentration and -nitJp'ed'ih the •bud a big effort: ;

y GALLANT BRITISH TROOPS. ' * ULSTERMEN AND IRISHMEN FIGHT MAGNIFICENTLY. LONDON, April 3. Mr. Robinson, describing the break through, west of St. Quentin on March 23rd, says: The Ulsters received the first intimation at 11.45, the right wing reporting that the Germans, taking advantage of a thick mist ,cut the wire,, isolated the forward positions and penetrated the battle zone at Urvillers and Essigny, threatening Conteseur, which speedily., enveloped the gunners and compelled them to blow up their guns and cut their way out. The Ulstermen scraped up all the miscellaneous units and non-com-batants and the troops commenced a long week's retreat, always fighting face to the enemy. The Royal Irish fought magnificently. The InniskillJings brill!ian*ly countered and drove back the enemy. They gained a short respite on the night of March 24th. Men who expected to be relieved, and were prepared to go into billets, were called out, all hands, including orderlies,, being compelled to fight grimly all night The commanding officer, reported, stated, "I am writing this with one hand and fixing a rifle with the other." They were compelled to again turn out on the night of the 27th and fight all night. They were so tired that they were hardly able to move, yet they •went in singing "Tipperary." The enemy pressure was very great. Cavalry patrols passed up close to brigade headquarters. An enemy patrol c ap . tuired a motorcar containing officers of the staff of the second in command The Royal Irish, during a patrol fight, captured an ambulance dirver and hitched their own car to the car from which the officers were taken, and brought both away. The Ulsters' formidable retreat equalled their splendid | Jof attack on |the Ancre and in Flanders. Despite the terrible test, they never lost heart or allowed the Germans to break their front.

AMERICA SPEEDING UP. DESPATCH OF TROOPS. Received 10.25. WASHINGTON, April 3. The President has resolved that reinforcements shall go to France at a faster rate. The United Press states that America will send her best trained divisions to France direct, others to England for the completion of their training. BRITISH RECAPTURE AYETTE, Received 9.35. LONDON, April 3. The British have recaptured Ayette and repulsed the Germans. There is bitter fighting round Fampoux. VERSAILLES CONFERENCE. THE OFFENSIVE A FAILURH. LONDON, April \ It is reported that General Rawlinson has left the Versailles command, and has been succeeded by General ■; .: ...I:■:.,;:J'lmmm

LONG RANGE GUN EXPLOD I Received 10.50. I PARIS; April 3. j Prisoners report that one of the j long-range guns has blown up, killing five German gunners. —.— SITUATION PRACTICALLY UNCHANGED. LONDON, April 2. Router's correspondent at *ESritisih Headquarters reports: During the past twenty-four hours there have been only comparatively minor affairs, with the balance of success very largely on our side.

The general situation momentarily is the main movement of new and moderately fresh enemy divisions towards the zone between the Sonvme and Montdidier, whilst south of the Somme we tempofarily in establishing our line. It is noteworthy that there have been a considerable increase in enemy artillery fire at' Passchendaele and Gouberg Spur, but he is so heavily committed to the present battle front that it is not easy to believe he will ±ry an offensive elsewhere. The Press Bureau reports: The day was quiet on the whole British front There was no serious fighting on the French front.

Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured a German post in the neighbourhood of Sevre.

Wireless German official —The, position is unchanged. Stubborn enemy counter-attacks near Hebuterne and between the Luce and the Avre broke down heavily.

The French continued shelling Loan There were numerous civilians victims.

We downed 22 aeroplanes and five balloons

BRAZIL'S CO-OPERATION. WELCOMED BY THE ALLIES. LONDON, April 2. The Press Bureau reports: Beplying to the President, of Brazil's announcements of the early departure of warships to Europe, the King says ,the Navy is anticipating their co-Opera-tibn with profound satisfaction. He adds. The Brazilian airmen 8X0" receiving ail enthusiastic welcome from, the Royal Air Force. '"'- ; '- 1 - BRITISH AERIAL ACTIVITY. VALUABLE WORK REPORTED. LONDON, April 3. This morning our ."jow fliers dropped seventeen tons of bombs and fired a thousand rounds at infantry and other targets. Some low-flying hostile, two-seaters in .the southern portion of our front machine gunned . our men, j ~ .We downed sixteen,. . The infantrydowned another within our lines Eleven of ours are missing. . Our night fliers dropped 'many tons' of bombs on rail stations at Cambrai and south-east of Douai, also billets and transport A Fr-ench. communique, dated the 3rd states: There is a somewhat lively artillery duel, specially between Montdidier and Lassigny. Batteries caught under fire enemy concentrations east nf Cantingy. Strong German reconnoitring parties attacked but were repulsed on the left bank of the Oise, south-west of Gervais.