WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 13 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

EAGER BRITISH TROOPS.

BOLDNESS OF PATROLS. London, July 1. Mr .Beach Thomas, correspondent of the Daily Mail on the British front, states that the present offensive spirit of the British has never been equalI led in the past. Over-used words sucn as morale do not give an idea of their Best to up and at the enemy. The boldness, even impudence, of the daily patrol work is symptomatic of the general aggressiveness of the army. Doubtless the Germans intend to keep control for the greater offensive. Their designs are indicated by the ■jerkiness of the artillery and the concentration of aircraft, and in other ■ways.

They gain ground in big attacks by two ways, first owing to the weight of infantry, and second by using highlytrained and separate machine-gun corps, who give the sheeplike and degenerated infantry protection and courage. Nobody is likely to underrate the force of the enemy attacks who has seen the troops which have Iborne the brunt. g POSITION IMPROVED ON THE SOMME LONDON, July 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We slightly improved our position east of Vdllers Bretonneaux. Hostile artillery is active astride the Somme. DEFEAT POPv BERNHARDT LNDON, July 1. Mr Percival Phillips, correspondent of the Daily Express, says that the British-Australian victory at Nieppe Forest was a defeat for Bernhardi, one of the idols of Germany and a favourite of the Kaiser. He is a highly-skill-ed corps commander, but he has not yet seriously attempted to recover the lost ground. Last night's attack north of Albert was one of the many recent acquisitions of ground which the future will turn to account. This is the second local advance in the same salient.. We have now acquired command of fire and observation, of which we stand in need. THE EXPECTED OFFENSIVE. IMMEDIATE RESUMPTION EX•4. PECTED. PARIS, July 11. The unanimous opinion is that the resumption of trie German offensive will immediately follow Kuhlmann's downfall, which is a victory for the German command, who must prove the fallacy of Kuhlmann's declaration that peace is unobtainable' by "a military decision. A SUBSTANTIAL SUCCESS. LONDON, July 11. A French communique states. We increased our gains during the night en the outskirts oZ the Forest of Retz, and took possession of the village of Corey entirely from Corey station to the chateau and farm of St. Paul. ALLIES' GREAT AVIATOR. KILLED WHILE FLYING IN FRANCE. J LONDON, July 11. Tames Mcldden, the Allies' iatof, was killed while flytce. He won almost every i and had downed fiftyfour >\ '/planes before March. ReCBntiy?fie claimed a totM of seventy machines.

HAIG'S AIR REPORT,

Received 11.40 a,m

LONDON, July 12 Sir Douglas Haig's air report says: Heavy showers interrupted observation We dropped ten tons of bombs in the day time on various targets. Rain prevented night flying GERMAN REPORT FIVE AMERICANS BROUGHT Received 11.40 a,m < LONDON, July 12 Wireless German official: We repulsed strong enemy advance in the night north-east of. Bethune. Lively artillerying took place between the Aisne and Marne. Enemy attacks from Forest Villers-Cotterets pressed back our posts in the region Saviers. We brought down five out of six American aeroplanes, attempting to raid Coblenz, prisonering the crews