WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 16 April 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT. HEAVY CASUALTIES INFLICTED ON ENEMY. N. Z. Headquarteas in France. April 11. During the last lev/ days there has been little fighting fin our front, but both artilleries have been active. Mist and rain have made observation difficult. Prisoners state that the German offensive will be renewed when the weather improves. Meanwhile we are strengthening the position we hold. As the days pass and we gain more information the more certain it appears that we inflicted very heavy casualties on the enemy. In places bis dead were thick in the trenches, and there are many strewn about the open country. The spirit of our men is simply splendid. Even when relief is due many would prefer to remain in the front line. There are instances of men suffering from trench feet asking Abe doctors to give them whale oil in so that they might hasten to their comrades in the firing line. We may not be out of the wood yet, but the gallantry and determinathe' New Zealanders is such as to justify the opinion that unless the enemy comes on in overwhelming force or under greatly superior gun power he will have a bad time in any attack on our lines. Continues to hear many instances of individual progress and gallantry. A Northern member of Parliament has again distinguished himself; after weary marches with little rest or sleep he led his company into action in splendid style, and when, several of his men were killed and wounded by shell fire he went under heavy machine gun fire to their assistance, and on his own bread shoulders car. ried one to safety. A corporal who already wears a Military Medal, held, with six men, a difficult position under shell fire until assistance arrived, and though wounded refused to leave the battlefield until ordered away by his commander. A lieutenant directing an assault against a strong position held by sixmachine guns and cAer forty men organsed thre bombing parties and led his fptn with great dash to the final assault, capturing guns and twenty, five prisoners. He then directed the consolidation of the captured position. ’Aprivate, who was leading man of the “mopping up” party, killed ten Germans in as many minutes. These are only a few of many similar deeds of heroism and initiative. The Lewis gunners had a busy time from the commencement of the fighting, and when the enemy resistance was broken had a still busier time firing into the retreating enemy. ENEMY WELL HELD. FIERCE ATTACKS REPULSED. ■C - ' l LONDON, April 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports: “After matoy hours of obstinate fighting during the night and this morning about Neuve Eglise, we remained in pos-' session of the village, though the attacks were pressed with great determination. The enemy’s losses throughout , were heavy. The enemy to-day renewed attempts against :he village, ani fighting continues. W« repulsed in the morning attacks in the neighbourhood of Bailleul and Merris. artillery dispersed infantry atto attack in the forenoon nortb-west of Merville. Hostile artillery is range active in tin? neighbour, hood of a wert, Our low-fliers recon-

noitred the battlefield, dropping 1200 bombs on enemy troops on roads leading to the front. A few air fights occurred with indecisive results. The Headquarters correspondent states that the battlefront is steadily becoming established. t TRENCH INTERVENTION. NOT YET MANIFESTED. PARIS, April 14. M. Maurice Barres, in the “Echo de Paris,’ ’ warns the public against unduly judging the situation, which is essentially local. He adds that French intervention is ready, but has not yet manifested itself. When they do intervene the world will see news which will be much better. General Foch possesses the absolute confidence of the armies and the peoplg, who entrusted their destinies to him. j WITHDRAWAL AT CQUCY A ; ,'j COMPLETE, SUCCESS, i ;- r EXTRAORDINARY GALLANTRY, OF THE FRENCH. , GULLIES FILLED WITH GREY CORPSES. j Received 8.40 a.m. . LONDON, April 15. j French headquarters, writing on Friday, says the recent tactical withdrawal upon the line of the Ailetto was a complete success, and . noteworthy for the gallantry of the troops covering a difficult movement, which was effected without the loss of ;a single cannon or machine-gun. The village of Harrises lies in the middle of the angle of the territory which was evacuated. Its dominating point was a hill crowned by the Castle Coney, le Chateau, a European specimen of medieval military architecture. While the troops were retiring the defenders of this castle were ordered to hold it at all costs. Small parties of the enemy advanced into the gullies leading to the height of Couey le Chateau dense waves following. French mach-ine-gunners lined both sides of the gully, thirty-six firing continually for forty-eight hours on the Bth and 9th of April. Over million rounds were used. When French retired the valley was grey with German corpses. A company commander was ordered to check the Germans dangerously advancing up the other ravines. He collected forty crack grenadiers pushed the enemy back one hundred yards,’ pursuing and grenading at a range of three yards, POSITION ENCOURAGING. Received 9.5 a m. ♦ WASHINGTON, April 15. The New York Sun’s London correspondent says official opinion is that the situation on the West front is en-' couraging. It is expected the most critical period will bo during the next 24 hours. ROAD TO CALAIS AND DUNKIRK barred. GENERAL FOCH WILL SOON STRIKE. WITH SUBSTANTIAL FRENCH forces. Received 9.5 a.m. WASHINGTON, April 15. The New York Times’ Paris correspondent interviewed a high military authority, who said the road to Calais and Dunkirk was barred to the Germans by the British resistance and tHat General F <>ch would ° 7be able t 0 use a substantial number of French divisions. Haig’s position corresponds to Wellington’s at Waterloo while awaiting Bluchor. The latter arrived in time, so will Foch.