WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 12 April 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

FLANDERS BATTLE. VIOLENCE UNABATED. j LONDON, April 10. Headquarters reports that the "battle which began, yesterday continues with, unabated violence. The artillery duel has extended southward to Arras. The enemy is also attacking between Armentieres and Messines. The big gun- , fire is so terrific that the earth trembles as though under an interminable volcanic spasm, i The enemy has a tremendous concentration of artillery, and is throwing in his inf antry in dense masses. He is plainly making another bid for a clean break through. Although the enemy bent pur line to some extent. At Axmentieres and Bethune, we are putting up a superb fight for every foot of ground. The retirement is most orderly and ’at heavy cost to the enemy. av; r/ y tf z tank battalion. •' -WELLINGTON, April 10. '■ The New Zealand Government has authorised the formation of a tank battalion of 700 men . > ENEMY DRIVEN OUT OF ■ > ■* -MESSINES. •a' V - ' LONDON, April 10, fvm- At '.midnight -Sir Douglas Haig re- ~. .ported: Following the bombardment . r.already reported, the enemy this morning attacked in strength, between Arif mentieres and the Ypres-Comincr. canal. There was heavy fighting all ‘ day in this sector, also on the whole front. Yesterday an attack was made north of La Basee Canal. The enemy north of Armentieres pressed us back to the line Wytschae-te-Messines Eidge-Ploegstreet. The enemy, who forced his way into Messines, was driven out by a counterattack. After a prolonged struggle south of Armentieres the enemy established himself on the left bank of the Lys at certain points cast of Estaires and in the neighbourhood of Bach St. Mawr. The enemy this morning crossed the Eawo at Lestrem, but were driven out of village and across the river by a counter-attack. We maintained our positions between Estaires and Givenchy. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG’S REPORT, LONDON, April 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Mist yesterday morning hindered flying. When •the weather improved our airmen machine-gunned the enemy on the La Bassee and Armentieres. We downed five. Two of ours are missing.

GERMAN" OFFICIAL REPORT. « . LONDON", April 10. Wireless German official: Between Armentieres and La Easseo canal we attacked the Anglo-Portuguese. We took their first line and captured 6000 prisoners and about a hundred guns. German Evening Official: We penetrated the English lines astride Warneton. ./* .. PORTUGUESE LOSE MEN AND GUNS. *' ; LONDON, 'April 10. A high military authority, reviewing the position, says It has Improved locally, south of the Somme. ■ Australians are covering the of Bouzancpurt, near Ha- ;. meL ■ ~ ■ The French, on the east of the old battlefield, carried out a small with-. . drawal where they were left by the retirement of our Fifth Army in an m-'Z ' -

awkward angle north of the Oise. The enemy, however, cut off two battalions, securing a couple of thousand prisoners. The French fell back on to a strong line of the Ailette. The general position on the main battle front has not changed. The enemy is faced north of the Somme by the stonewall Third Army, against .which the Germans battered without material result, while south of the Somme he was blocked by the arrival of French reinforcements. The Germans therefore changed the scene to the old frontjbetween'Armentieres and Bethune, wjhere the Portuguese held the ground!in the centre, with a British division jon either flank. The main attack fell on the Portuguese. The enemy gained an area of little tactical advantage. Nevertheless, he made an awkward salient "in our lines, from which may:develop an attack on Armentieres in the north, and Bethune in the south. Our recovery of Givenchy, whichl is .the. gateway towards Bethune, lis of great importance. The Germans advanced in tile centre to a ; depths of 5500 yards along a front of : 15,000 Wards. . They were brought. up ■ by- tin» river Lowe. .It is quite certain that jthe Portuguese lost some artillery . and, a considerable number of prisoners. The enemy attack was in considerable force. The weather was foggy and, overcast, so. that aerial work was almost impossible. Five divisions were identified,. They probably used as many as eight. The Germans .this .morning attacked north, of Armentieres as far as the Messines front. . -Thdy entered our first line betweei. the Lys and the Douve, and captpred a considerable port of Ploegstreet Wood, but were repulsed on the Messines front. ;They turned Armentieres into a very awkward salient. The town itself ha* long been a heap ; of ruins. " Its loss would not be vital, although we hope to retain it. The enemy is simply carrying out another part of his original programme of trying -to exhaust the British 'Army by hammering at it where there is a favourable 'Chance.

FURTHER PARTICULARS OF THE FIGHTING. ONLY THE BEGINNING OF A BIG OFFENSIVE. Received 8.50 a.m. LONDON, April 11. Mr Pirie Robinson says tbe second phase of the German offensive seems more threatening in the north than in the south, where after a stubborn stand on the flanks the enemy only succeeded in advancing on a narrow salient as far as Lys and north-west of Laventie, a maximum of four miles. He overran the advanced line "north of Armentieres, near Warneton, Forcing his way up the south end of Messines Ridge, he reached Messines, where he was driven back. Fierce fighting continues. Southward ,the enemy penetrated Ploegsteert and Nieppe, the maximum advance being three miles, and a bit of ground of tactical importance endangering the possession of Armentieres. Prisoners affirm the second great blow intended ■ to end the war to destroy the British army and this. The immediate brunt fell on the Portuimmediate brunt fell on the Portuguese -in the centre, who, though in considerable numbers, were quite able to maintain the position under massed attacks. According to prisoners the Germans await meteorological experts’ prediction of misty mornings before attacking. ■ Yesterday’s mist enabled the attackers to approach unseen, cut the wire, and even surround and attack adanced posts ’ with flammenwerfer before being detected. Under the tremendous weight of the impact the Portuguese first line was forced back, sole units continuing to fight desperately and hopelessly till surrounded. The lines were similar-

ly rushed, ahd battalions of Portuguese clung to the position at Lacoutcour till a large proportion was killed. Portuguese artillery was excellent, but lost considerably in men and guns, though the majority of guns were smashed by enemy fire. Many continued firing at close range till the masses were close. The majority of the gunners were disabled, the remnant escaping after rendering the guns useless. British artillery officers are loud in their praise of the way they stuck it. 'Although the Portuguese positions were well advanced in the battle zone, the breach in the centre threw the enemy straight on to the Fifty-fifth British Division on the extreme right, holding the Givenchy positions. The Lancashires threw back the left flanking attack on that side, and then began the defence of Givenchy. Thrice the Germans forced an entry, but were thrown out by most dashing counter attacks; The Lancers prison jsred seven hundred. We retained Givenchy and a majority of the original line. The Germans reached Laventie at eleven, compelling the troops on the Fifty-fifth’s left to swing round and front north, where they held the enemy line west of Laventie, Estaires, Lys, Sailly le Bac, and St. Maur. Yesterday the Germans pene-' trated Estaires and Lagocourt, but counter attacks threw them out. Further up, close to Lys, he reached Croix du Bac, but was driven back to Gennea on. the east sdie of a little stream, by troops thrusting southwards from Steenweacke. From here to below Armentieres the lines are held intact. Captured maps show the enemy aimed at the capture of Bethune. Captured aviators say the operation is only the beginning of a great offensive on a forty kilometre front. Information from the north states the enemy entered the village at Messins, but was thrown back down the eastern slope of the Ridge. Fierce fighting continues in this sector. The heaviness of the bombardment here makes sleep impossible; it has not ceased night or day.

A COMPARISON OF FORCES ENGAGED. Received 9.10 a.m. LONDON, April 11. Regarding numbers on the West Front, the actual facts are that there are a few more German divisions than Allied ones, but the Allied divisions are larger, and probably have a superiority in men. The Germans in their concentrated attacks have an enormous superiority fully 140,000 in the First Army at the front. The forces of the Third Army at the front are apparently approximately • equal. GERMANS CAPTURE MESSINES. Received 8.40 a.m. LONDON; April 11. The German attack upon the front extending northwards of yesterday’s fighting includes the Messines-Wyts-chaete sector, where the Australians spent the winter strengthening the defences. They put in a prodigious amount of work, and were convinced they could make the sector one of the tidiest on the front. Frequent Australian raids kept the enemy on tenterhooks. The Australians were certain if the Germans were foolish enough to attempt an attack on this front from their low positions they would give the attackers a terrible-re-ception. But the conditions had changed during the past three weeks. The Australians had evacuated the sector to take with the New Zealandent fighting where the pressure was en tfighting where the pressure was greatest. Doubtless the Germans were compelled to pay heavily for the recapture of the high ground at Messines, which is hallowed and sacred ground to New Zealanders and Australians.

MESSINES RECAPTURED BY BRITISH. * Received 10.30 a.~m, LONDON, April 11. Sir D. Haig reports that strong German attacks took place at Lys, and our line was pressed back at Wyschaete and Messines Ridge. The enemy were driven out of Messines, THE FIGHT IN THE NORTH. DESPERATE GERMAN 'ATTEMPTS TO GET THROUGH. LINE STILL INTACT. LAVENTIE RECAPTURED. Received 8.55 a.m. "LONDON, April 11. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: It is now clear that the battle around 'Armentieres Is a new" formidable offensive, with large objectives. It is certain the German High Command decided to throw the full weight of its armies against the British instead of dividing its efforts by striking also against the French. Their plan is to edge off as much as possible from the French, 1

holding them in check by defensive fighting in order toi concentrate their , men and guns opposite the British lines, hurling them in a series ot blows, now on the right, now on the left, following up each success as far as possible. We admit this menace calls for a supreme effort by the Allies. Yesterday the enemy made the flat ground oposite Neuve Chappelle the centre of their thrust to-day. The attack was on the Messines Ridge. He succeeded in pressing hack .parts of our first defensive systems, the attacks being most vehement Tn the neighbourhood of Messines. Our counter attacks have since driven the enemy back part the way. The bombardment throughout was paused less. Our great achievement was the magnificent stand by the Lancaster Fifty-fifth Division, who held our flank firm against fierce and repeated attacks, though outnumbered fourfold. Our line at Givenchy is still unbroken. To-day the enemy’s waves have been shattered before it. The Portuguese suffered the heaviest blow. The bombardment annihilated their outposts and smashed their front and forced them to fall back to their second system, which was attacked by enemy assault troops. By eleven the had taken Laventie. The German advance at Laventie put a severe strain upon the Fifty-fifth at Givenchy. The enemy attacked In crow’ds and captured the village in the morning, but were hurled out by bombers and riflemen, who regained half the village; then the Lancastershire lads attacked again and drove the enemy back to their original positions. German, prisoners are very crest-fallen, particularly as a captured document showed German day’s orders were read to the men. The German Army Orders read out before the battle was as follows: —“The 55th Division is very w r eak and tired, and the capture of Givenchy will be no trouble.”