THE CRISIS

Taihape Daily Times, 13 April 1918, Page 5

THE CRISIS

* OUR BACKS TO THE WALL Haig's Appeal to Troops NO MORE RETIREMENTS FIGHT TO THE LAST MAN Desperate Figlitiivg in Flanders.

v.: WESTERN FRONT.

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, APRIL 11. Wireless German Official: Between Armentieres and Testuber we stormed Bois Grenier and Neuvechappelle. We crossed the Lys at Bao St. Maur. We captured Hollebeke yesterday. We stormed Messines height and pushed forward as far as Ploegsteert Wood, We reached the PloegsteertArmentieres road. We reached the Lawe and the region north-east of B'ethune. Prisoners now total over 10,000 including a Portuguese gcnreal. SLIGHT GERMAN PROGRESS. Received 8.55 a.m. LONDON, April 12. The latest war bulletins states the British have retired from the outskirts of Neuve Eglise. The Germans have captured Merville. TERRIBLE SUFFERINGS OF NONCOMBATANTS. "'■"■ WOMEN AND CHILDREN GASSED. Received 10.10 a.m. LONDON, April 12. Mr. Philip Gibbs says the British holding Araientieres drew back northwards,- leaving a dangerous gap on the left of the Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Scots, but the gaps were filled and the thin lines were supported by trench mortar ' companies and cycle corps. The battle spread northward in the afternoon. There .was fierce fighting around White Chateau and Hollebeke, the enemy's chief objective being Wytschaete and Messines. The sufferings of non-combatants, stricken by the enemy's ruthless methods were beyond description. The enemy flung thousands of gas shells into Bethune, which was crowded with civilians. Many women and children are in our hospitals suffering from gas poisoning, and many others who were wounded by the harassing fire of shrapnel and high*"" velocity shells, which were flung on remote hamlets.

BEITISH RETAIN MESSINES. RIDGE. LONDON, April 12. Mr. Philip Gibbs. reports: Yesterday afternoon .and to-day the enemy exerted all Ms strength of men and guns between the Lys river and Wytschaete, our troops fighting without respite to hold him on our main defensive positions, while thrusting him "back from important ground by repeated counter-attacks. Once again we were outnumbered. Only the courage and stubborn will of battalions weakened by casualties prevented the enemy from making rapid progress, Instead he was flung back at Wytsehaete and Messines with most bloody losse, "We have with most bloody losses. "We have given ground along the Lys Canal, south of Armentieres The Germans put temporary bridges which we shelled to pieces. "We have also given up Armentieres, with its gay little restaurants and tea-shops. The- enemy yesterday reached Wytschaete and Messines, where the Britishers' dame -up 'at a ; great pace and drove off the crest of the ridge and ' dealt him- a deadly blowl Gerifcn dead now lie thick on the ground, which English, Irish and New Zealandera won in June. The Germans came oh wave after wave. At the end of a-day's agony they had not gained a yard of the crest, but had been beaten back to the reserve side of the slope: • - After'the reevrse at Givenchy, the enemy'attacked'the Lys Canal north and south of Estaires. Sometimes.it was shollow enough for the troops to wade, but Scotch machine-guns caught the enemy in the ditch and heaped it with their bodies. Some Northumberland Fusiliers and Royal Scots, after desperate fighting against overwhelming odds, were forced to abandon Houplines. DESPERATE ASSAULT .PARRIED. LONDON, April 12. Mr. Pereival Phillips states: Holding Messines Ridge, we have been able for a year past to hound the enemy J s traffic off the roads in daylight as far *s Menin. Two German divisions on Wednesday morning made a desperate thrust for the ridge. We held a line between Ploegsteert and Hollebeke with, strength, including the famous S&ottish and English battalions After a bombardment, including manytrench mortars, attackers advanced along the flats towards Ploegsteet, the movement very gradually spreading northward, an attack developing at Hollebeke and Gheluvelt. In the afternoon, small parties of machinegunners crept southward from. Ploegstreet, entering Nieppe, and- endeavouring to junction with the force which on Tuesday pushed southward round Armentieres. We cleared Nieppe without difficulty Capturing Messines and Wytschaete, and advancing at midday northwards of White Chaeau, and the famous Damstrausse, which further points were reached before night, the enemy were.swept back from Wytschaete and tie nighest parts of the ridge and the western portion of Ploegsteert Wood. In the morning we firmly held a line east of Wytschaete and the backbone of the ridge." The enemy used 12 divisions to attack the Portuguese centre. Ai magnificent fight by the 55th Division at Givenchy saved a rather serious disaster. The Germans attacked the 55th in repeated masses. Our rifles-and machine-guns did dreadful execution. As the Portuguese retreated tho Germans sought to fling great niffipei* into the- breach, but the Battalion and other troops ■gnJl&mffi stemmed the tremendous odds until the-linc was reformed belrfnd. ' __ I

THE FIGHT FOR MESSINES AND WYTSCHAETE. DESPERATE GERMAN ATTACKS. Received 9.55 a.m. LONDON, April 12. Mr. Perceval Phillips writes: While Ploegstreet Wood was full of the contending infantry, the Germans rushed up Messines slop against a destructive fire, gaining a foothold in the ruins of the village upon the crest. Our fire swept the ridge and we gained the ruins at nightfall. Fresh Germans rushing up from Warneton sought to make good the first gains, but many were caught in the barrage as they rushed to Messines. After nightfall hand to hand fighting among the ruins ended in our favour. The Germans attacked at Wytschaete with even greater frenzy, resulting In a ding dong battle all night long for this higher ground. To-day the Germans again had a lodging In the cellars at Messines, but remained further down the slope on Wytschaete, failing to gain the coveted view over the western plain. The enemy in the afternoon held half of Ploegstreet Wood. While attacking on Tuesday eastward of Bethune, the enemy artillery drenched the town with mustard gas shells, which fell among the helpless, sleeping women and children. Our ambulances made the rounds, gathering victims to the casualty station through a heavy bombardment. 11 any stimulus was needed to spur our men on it was the sight of these poor people, victims of the new terror.