The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1918. THE TREND OF BATTLE.

Taihape Daily Times, 23 April 1918, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times. AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 1918. THE TREND OF BATTLE.

(With which ia incorporated The /"*»• hape Po6t and WalDWttl-iO News).

Something is wrong from the German point of view with the second of the series of battles on the west front that were planned by Hindenburg to result in complete and final'defeat of the Allies. The Bernardti bull rush is losing power and virtue; the British soldiers are getting too familiar with it, and we are told that "familiarity breeds contempt " For several days Hun bull rushes have ended in great slaughter, the German rushers, or storm troops, as they term 'them, being mown down by British machine-gunners before the coveted objective could be reached. The Germans have not only paid heavy toll in life but they have even lost ground. History has again been made at Givenchy where it is essential the Germans should widen the gap made towards Hazebrouck. Huge concentrations of guns and picked divisions from the German army were arrayed against the British defenders. The mighty host was set moving after artillery could do no more with poison and high explosive shells. On the colossal mass moved gaining momentum as it came nearer the brave men who were coolly and confidently waiting for them; then an outburst of British machine-guns took swathe after swathe of them, carpeting the ground with their dead bodies; then every section of British gunnery poured a deadly hail into their ranks. Their losses were staggering, yet, build up the bloody holocaust with recklessness and desperation to whatever extreme they were capable of, not one inch of the high, dominating British position could they reach. Hindenburg suffered the first great, undeniable defeat of the series of battles he has instituted. The Hun hordes were beaten; as ,a, battle it was definite and .victory— _ clean, clear, uamistakeable victorylay with the British. Numbers of Germans were glad to surrender, and many actually swam across a canal to give themselves up as prisoners to the British. At various points on the long front successful Allied attacks were made and the Germans were driven back from several important positions. There is now a lull in the fighting; it may be that the second great battle of the series is finished. German officers wagered with Hindenburg that they would separate the French from the English, and=->at present it looks as though they would like to "edge off" just a little. In the n.ext phase the curtain is likely to- rise on a swing round of offensive tactics,.. and to-day's cables may apprise us of .an attack in great force by General Foch's reserve array, on the tired, dishevelled, disorganised, demoralised German divisions before their commanders have had time to replace them with new or those that have been rested. With almost breathless anxiousness the world is waiting to know from whence Foch will move. " Will he attempt something big, such as an effort to roll up a flank; will he rather endeavour to cut off an important limb of the German line, or will it be Something merely local to better the Allied positions to withstand the third great onrush of the enemy to separate British and French, and prevent him reaching the British channel? We may be certain that Foch will attempt the maximum without laying his men open to any serious disaster. At present Allied soldiers are confident .of success, while a great fear has been driven into the very heart of the enemy. Nothing proclaims the knowledge of failure more loudly than the mutinies strikes and riots in Germany and Austria. The presence of large numbers of Italian troops in France demonstrates Austria's admission of the failure of German plans in France. It is yet much too early to expect Foch to bring about a complete collapse of the German effort, but it must be very alarming to Hindenburg to be unable to prevent two hundred thousands of Italians going to interpose their guns and bayonets between his glorious troops and the British channel.