WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

FRENCH REPULSE ATTACKS. LONDON, April 29. ‘A French communique reports: The Germans during the night attempted several attacks on Hangard Wood. Our fire stopped all attempts. There is great reciprocal artillery activity from Yillers Bretonneux to the Luce, and between Lassigny and Noyon. Our detachments penetrated enemy lines in the region of Corbeny, and towards Courcy, on the right bank of the Meuse, Upper Alsace. r ftere is very lively artillery work on the front of Fosses Wood and Caurieres Wood. FIGHTING WEST OF KEMMEL. GEEMANS GAIN NO GROUND. Eeeeived 8 45 a.m. LONDON, April 30. Mr. Percival Phillips writes that the three days’ lull is receding.' To j . .day’s attack is obviously due to an .interchange of German divisions, ; ,thq (l of Artillery jand -'th® necessity, carefully planning the next st<fp in the . offensive against the coast; It is apparent the enemy cannot afford flfo hold the line on Hemmel while we hold the neighbouring heights. He must have them without delay. Locre : was the first day ’s objective. The enemy gained. ground on the plain, but was unable to push beyond the villagej The.. French counter-attacked .in the morning and restored the original •.line. .The Belgians, through, hard pressed gave no ground. The enemy here were confronted by marshes,( making movement difficult and costly.' The Germans are pressing the attack everywhere with the greatest deter-, mination. During early fighting around the canal eastward Vooremezeele the tnemy tried to drive northwards, but completely failed. The Borderers repelled four attacks before an order arrived not to give a foot of ground. The Germans made an effort to drive a wedge between Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge and reached the cross-roads northward of Loselle, hut the French drove him back. The enemy’s artillery fire is more intense than in previous attacks. Evidently new heavy batteries have come into position.

FRENCH RECAPTURE LOORE, r 1 a COMPLETELY. BRITISH ADVANCE SOUTH OF SOMME. Received 9.20 a.m. LONDON, April 30. The French have recaptured Locre eompletely. The British have advanced east of Villers Bretonneux. (Within the angle formed by the Somme, the Avre, and the Luce stands a broad-crested ridge/ the highest point of which rises about 320 feet above the river valleys. The importance of Villers Bretonneux is derived .from the fact that it marks the western edge of this high plateau, and bars the way to the falling ground and the valley of the Somme.) " badly DEFEATED BY FRANCObeittsh LONDON, April 29. Renter’s correspondent at the British Headquarters, reporting on the evening- of the 29th says: An enemy in. fantry attack developed over a wide front extending from north of Vooremezecle nearly to Meteren. The strategic object was apparently a crabdaw movement converging upon the |)sain towards Mont des Cats. This was held by the French in the centity and our divisions on the flanks. The enemy’s failure to pro-

gress at Locre undoubtedly influenced him to resort to crushing tactics. The news so far is eminently satisfactory. Up to this afternoon the day has been in our favour.

The infantpy attack (begap at 6 o’clock with an attempt to advance toward Scherpenberg. This was. completely held up. During the morning' the battle extended above Yoormezeele. Though Yyrea, was not attacked,, the bombardment extended thereto. Enemy reconnaissances in force against the Belgians were repulsed. Everywhere on /the battle-front,* terrible punishment is being inflicted on the enemy, who threw in divisions with lavish disregard of sacrifice, once again paying the full price for no result. The Germans, realising they were maknig no progress, modified their crab-claw idea and the fighting developed into direct attempt against Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge. The Germans are making intense use . of their great • artillery strength, but the French garrison on thewhills! .have splendid cover. Their, j seventy-fives and .-our field ; guns-.fuTiouslyhffjepUedj •The air is f nil j. of :vaeroplanes, ••mostly observing, the ..aH a, beingb..Abundantly ; clear,' ; The : day’s story,' when .. -told, will be' all to the glory of the French and British'arms,-j :. ; Hi,-.-!}; <A . The batte is,not yet over,.but As.for the attack, which: has npw been. progressing seven or: eight hours-without any headway, it;js not premature , to say it has failed, ; The German army will be weaker by many thousands by sunset to-day,-for they a have been fighting all day in the open, while the French and British have scarcely anywhere left their prepared • defences . . ! -7 a i :<■;.>!>'; ! FIRST .PHASE .ENDS IN ALLIES’ -5 / . LONDON;-Aprib 29. ; Mr. Philip Gibbs .writes: The battle continues, but the first phase has been decided in our favour. The Germans have still many unused divisions, but if they are spent like they were today, the enemy’s plans for a decisive victory will be thwarted for . ever. Surely the German people will,,tire of making the fields of France and Flanders a graveyard for their youth. FRENCH, BRITISH AND BELGIANS SUCCESSFUL. LONDON, April 29. At 11.30 this evening Sir Douglas Haig reported: Following an intense bombardment, strong enemy forces violently attacked the French and British positions from the neighbourhood of Metercn to Zillebeke. The enemy also attacked the Belgians north of Ypres. the whole Allied front. The Twentyfifth, Forty-ninth, and Twenty-first British divisions completely repulsed all attempts to enter positions, despite a constant succession of determined attacks in great strength, maintaining their line intact. The enemy losses were very heavy. The French repulsed heavy attacks on the hills about Scherponberg and Mont Rouge. At points where the enemy penetrated a short distance he was quickly driven out. The greater part of the ground was regained by counter attacks. The Belgians repulsed all attacks after sharp fighting, inflicting severe casualties. Fighting is continuing at certain points along the Allied battle-front. Owing to bad weather, aeroplanes dropped only a few bombs on various targets The Germans, have been repulsed on all , fronts. ALLIED ANVANCE NEAR KEMMEL AND IN THE SOUTH. Received 11.10 a.m. LONDON, April 30. The Allied line has been advanced between Zachytte and Kemmel, as well as making some progress in toe

GERMANS SUFFER DISASTROUS DEFEAT. IN FIRST PHASE OF BATTLE. BLOODIEST LOSSES OF THE WAR. GOOD WORK BY NEW ZEALANDERS. Received IoTIO am LONDON, April 30 Mr Pirie Robinson writes that large, ly owing to the New Zealanders’ efforts the enemy totally failed to advance at Hebuterne. They were several times beaten off with heavy casualties.

Correspondents agree that the Germans suffered nothing less than a disastrous defeat in the first phase or the battle consequent on their desperate attempt to capture the line of hills, the Allied hold of which endangers their possession of Mount Kemmel? They probably used thirteen divisions from east of Ypres southwards, with two more north. The violence of gunfire on both sides was never greater. The successful defence made the day the bloodiest hitherto for the enemy, as attack after attack was smashed. The Germans had already suffered heavily on Sunday when concentrations of troops were caught. and shattered by gunfire. Their waves yesterday were mowed down, and the British wings and French centre neither "broke nor bent. .BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. ENEMY’S HEAVY REPULSE. Received 11.45 a.m. LONDON, April 30. At 12.35 a.m. Sir D. Haig reports: French counter attacks yesterday afternoon and evening drove the enemy from the remainder of the ground he gained in the morning, in the neighbourhood of Locre, and prisonered numbers. We secured the whole village. After the heavy repulse inflicted on the enemy, the night has been comparatively quiet on the northern battle front. Our line advanced slightly during the night eastward of Villers Bretonneux. 'GROUND COVERED WITH GERMAN DEAD. LONDON, April 29. The German artillery is roaring from Ypres to Meteren. but low-flying aeroplane reports show that the infantry attack is less furious than this morning, when wave after wave brbTfe against the Allied resistance. The German High Command had ordered the capture of the nest of hills from Kemmel to Mont des Cats, also Ypres at all costs, but the French and British have not yielded ground. The German dead lie thick on Monts Rouge, Noir, and Scherpenberg, testifying to the French tenacity., Similarly, further north, the British took terrible toll of. the attacks around VoormezeelO, and the Belgians also threw back an attack on their front.

Mr. Gibbs, in a later message, writes: It becomes clearer every hour that the enemy suffered a disastrous defeat. Our artillery and infantry smashed attack after attack. The en. emy did not capture a single foot.

Wireless German official. —The total prisoners taken at Mont Kemmel was 7100. We also captured fifty-three guns and 233 machine guns.