WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 6 April 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

UHLANS MOWN DOWN . I KILLED TO A MAN. MACHINE-GUNS' FULL FEAST. LONDON, April 4. The "United Service correspondent at French headquarters reports that the commander of: a maehine-gun section says that "Uhlans charged us solidly at full gallop opposite Montdidier. We . allowed them to approach to close range before we fired, and then the whole brilliant cavalcade wsa destroyed—not a single man remained. Two squadrons of cavalry were similarly wiped out the previous day. My guns had their biggest meal since the beginning of the war." ENEMY'S STRENGTH ONLY HALF YET USED. : ' :•""' LONG" OFFENSIVE POSSIBLE. aj- writing in the Journal Wj&a Debats;" says that an expert associated .w:iith r headq;ua/rt'ers states that the enemy's strength is ''sufficient to carry on the offensive for a long time. The;enemy will not fail, to use it. He has seventy-five divisions along seventy miles, and. also **' fresh troops not' yet concentrated and % additional divisions from Russia. It - is possible that others will be avail- \ able after resting. The total at least i equals- the masses hitherto used. SITUATION COULD NOT BE BETTER. PAEIS, April '4. M. Marcel Hutin, writing in the • Echo de Paris, says that in view of i the sacrifices involved in reaching • Paris, via Amiens, he believes the Germans will now attack another front, probably towards Arras, or' to the northward. , :> M. Clemenceau has returned from the front. In an authorised statement he says: The situation could not be better. The battle will still be hard, but we will win." HEAVY ATTACKS AGAINST ANGLO-FRENCH. It' -miTISH FORCED BACK AT HAMEL. ' V \ ". LONDON, April 4 The Press Bureau states: North 1 of the Sorame, the position is unchanged The enemy south of the Somme launched heavy attacks eariy this morning ■' against the Anglo-French. They progressed on the British front in the direction of Hamel and Vaire Wood, but the British beat attacks elsewhere with considerable losses. Fighting continues. The enemy gained ground against the j French on our immediate right in the angle between the Luce and the Avre. FINE WORK BY CANADIAN CAVALRY LONDON, April 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy this morning, after heavy artillery fire, strongly attacked on the whole front between the Somme and the Avre. They were repulsed upon the right and the centre of the British front, but upon the left the whole weight of the assault succeeded in pressing us back a short distance in the neighbourhood of Hamel .where fighting continues. , ' , An. enemy attack this afternoon west mm Albert was completely repulsed. The ■Canaan cavalry brigade greatly disitselfduring the past few! Ays' heavy fighting southward of the ; T "\ ■ '

Luce. They were engaged in many successful actions, mounted and •. dismounted. \ Several flights have been made despite unfavourable weather. A fight occurred during a clear interval between two very large formations. We downed twelve. Five of ours are missing. Wireless German official—Fighting activity was revived south of the Somme. The enemy, means of a surprise after strong artillery fire four times vainly endeavoured, early this morning and afternoon, to Tecapture last heights south-west of Moreuil. These attacks heavily broke down. FIGHTING SIMMERS DOWN. LONDON, April 4. Fighting simmered down until •'it i became reminiscent of ordinary r trench-1 warfare before the offensive. -'LOealr clashes, more like raids' than battlea;? sharp attacks, and counter-attacks ■ fOrethe' possession of the high ground jso about all that is An overcast sky witblow clouds hamper,'With-: out altogether stopping, flying, • ; Tbjo•Germans are still digging-in 1 along British front, while bringing up fighting material. This is no easy .job': -Who"; British guns keep a harassing fire'oil. £>ads across the old Somme ' strewn with the carcases of horses, > wrecked trucks and other transport material. American air forces, with the British, Australians and have done splendidly. The British highly praise the American squadrons v air mechanics, who have' been working' day and night during the greatf'batfSle.- ' 'AMSTERDAM,' Ipfir 4. | -- i: The Neue Frei Presse states; 'Before' the beginning of the offensive. General' Wilson and Mr. Lloyd George tried to induce M. Clemenceau to accept the principle of opening pourparlers with Germany of a private and unbinding character. M. Clemenceau refused, and threatened to resign. Finally General , Wilson mnd Mr. Lloyd George accepted M Clemenceau's viewpoint. (General Wilson succeeded Sir Wan, Robertson as British military representative"at "Versailles)^ "MACKENSEN IS COMING." AMSTERDAM, April 4.s German telegrams state that the German troops have been told that Mackensen is shortly arriving with an army to bring about a decision on the WeStem front. This has been told to woundeds en route to Germany in oroer to encourage civilians. Telegrams also state that the lull in the offensive is owing to lack of reinforcements. Telegrams add: The British have a great quantity of artillery north of the Somme and at the head of the Anvre, which is most active, The French are strongly counter-attacking with fresh divisions. Important changes in the German High Command are imminent. The armies engaged in the west are being divided into two groups— one to fight the British and the other the French. Prince Leopold of Bavaria will command against the French. INTENSE STRUGGLE AT MONTDIDIER. I - . .: ; LONDON, April 4. French communique.—An artillery struggle became very intense at night-time in the region noTth of Montdidier. We penetrated trenches at several points north-west of Rheims and the left of the Meuse. Enemy raids east of Rheims, Avocourt Wood and north of St. Die were unsuccessful. , ,

DETERMINATION TO BREAK FRENCH FRONT. LONDON, April *. A French communique states: TIA . battle was resumed most violently this morning north of Montdidier, and i still continues. The enemy launched enormous forces an a front of fifteen kilometres, from Griveshes to north of the Amiens-Roye road, revealing a determination to break our front at all costs. The French recovered ground at Lassigny after defeating a terrific German attack. GERMANS' TREMENDOUS ASSAULTS. PARIS, April o. A French communique states: Up to the present we have identified 11 enemy divisions. The French intrepidly resisted shock asaulting''masses, which our artillery mowed down. The Germans, notwithstanding efforts ten times repeated, only succeeded, after most sanguinary sacrifices, in gaining some hundreds" of yards of ground, capturing the villages of Mailly, Raineval and Morisel, ' whose adjacent heights we hold.. : - Grivesnes was attacked with special fury, but was retained by the French, who shattered all assaults, then counter-attacked, and made progress at this point. | The artillery was very active be- I tween Montdidier and Lassigny. j HOW THE OFFENSIVE WAS DECIDED ON. BY A MAJORITY OF ONE. Received 8.40. ROME, April 5. A Berne correspondent says the orfensive ordered recently was done so •hesitatingly, long after preparations were made. A War Council at headquarters debated whether to make a new peace offer,, including the renunciation of Belgium and concessions regarding Alsace, or to fight to a "finish. Hindenb'urg guaranteed the vsuccess of the offensive, and won over a . majority of one.- When the Council . ended -several showed much emotion; '.' ij: ■ - ■ i fthe. Kaiser went to prayers; Hertling was very moody; Hiudenburg alone remained unmoved. -, Swiss reports , ; state the Kaiser tried to disassociate . himself from the decision uiilil the initial successes were won, when he . jtold the soldiers, "This is my own battle." ( ./ FIERCE GERMAN ATTACKS. REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES Received 8.40. LONDON, April 5. r The Germans fiercely attacked the '"British on a wide front in the neighbourhood of Demancourt, and made --slight gains, but suffered heavy ldss'es".; The Germans also fiercely attacked the French, the objective be"ing" Amiens and Eclermont railway. Attacks failed. BRITISH PRESSED BACK A LITTLE. Received 10.5. LONDON, April 5. The High Commissioner reports:— Sir D.'Haig reports that between the Luce and the Somme strong repeated enemy assaults were made until yesterday evening, but they were beaten off. We were pressed back a little eastwards of Villers and Gretonvaux, which we maintain. GERMAN OFFENSIVE RENEWED. AMIENS THE OBJECTIVE. Received 10.5. LONDON, April 5. I The progress of the renewed German 1 thrusts for Amiens on a twelve mile front are awaited with confidence owing to the recent heavy Entente reinforcements to the battle area. The heaviest blow fell on the French, who parried an attack by well over hundred thousand men, indicating the Germans stlil have a great striking force at this command. Experts arc surprised at the early resumption of "the Kaiser's battle" in view of the difficulties in bringing up heavy guns. It is generally agreed the enemy is less advantageously situated than at the beginning of the first attack. HEAVY RAIN IN FRANCE. BATTLEFIELD MUSHY. LONDON, April 4. British headquarters reports: Rain continues steadily. The ground is mushy. This affects the Germans more than the Allies, because they are moving across a battle-pounded country, honeycombed with shell craters, brimful of water, while our communications are untouched.