The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 2. HAIG'S THIRD THRUST.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1917, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, MAY 2. HAIG'S THIRD THRUST.

Though the British have not lately made tho progress they did at the commencement of the Great Push, there is little doubt but that their plana are succeeding. The main purpose is to kill as many of the enemy as possible, and so reduce his last reserves. There is plenty of evidence that they are doing this. We are told that Hindenburg's reserve strength on the West front consisted of 43 divisions, of which 33 are more or lessjmt out of action already. The reports all agree that the fighting has been of tho severest description, even surpassing that of last year on the Somme, and that the German losses have been colossal. As for the British losses, little is said, though Mr Philip Gibbs declares that our casualties are much lighter than those of the Germans. We are forcing tho fighting, and Hindenburg is -growing anxious. He has seen the flower of his army cut down in swathes before the guns of the British; he has seen his men fail in their, counter-attacks; ho can see tho amateur British avenging army ever surging forward. Tho strongest position on the Vimy ridge had to yield to its pressure No wonder the callous old Hnn i 3 furious, and venting his feelings upon the commanders. But nothing tha,t either ho or his commanders can do will more than momentarily affect the result. The British will see it through, at whatever cost and 1 whatever price, and it is evident they are now exerting their maximum force in order to bring about a. favorable decision at the 'earliest possible moment. There is every reason to believe that wo have now a vast superiority in heavy artillery, the value of which is increased by our having now regained the mastery of tho air.' This is Illustrated by a,-recent statement of Mr Philip -Gibbs that our airmen discovered 4000 Germans in the Bois d-u Sari;, east of Monchy-le-Preux, massed: ready to attack the British batteries. Our batteries filled the wood with gas shells], iind the German casualties were horrible. Mi- Thomas says our airmen have never before hit the Germans so hard, harassing them day and night. Tho enemy losses im purely fighting machines are enormously, greater than ours. The airmen are the eyes of the gunners, and so long as they are able to direct the latter all is well. The fighting that is now taking place has been described as the most terrible 'known to history, and with the many engines of destruction ir action one can readily believe it. }Jut apart from the guns; the in-flghting was never more savage tha in this, Haig's taird thrust. The story related yesterday iy Mr Thomas is an instance in point. A Bavarian battalion, 700 strong, got into one of our captured trenches, and the Lincolns, turning round, waded in. The comba., we arc told, became one of elementary savagery, for scarcely man thought of shooting; ii;s rifle became a spear and a club. Xot a Bavarian escarped. It is a terrible story, yet the battles that have takeii place during the past week or 3 have no doubt been full of such incidents, only they have not come under the eyes of the pressmen at the front. It is truly a bloody battle, or series of battles, yet it is the only way tho Germans can bo beaten and an enduring peace assured.