WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

HUNS' HUMAN AVALANCHE. • 'RUPPRECHT'S DESPERATION. THE BRITISH CONFIDENT. Received Dec. o, 0.40 p.m. London, Dec. 4. Obviously the Britisl! guns have knocked out the Prussian guns, or the latter have been withdrawn. The situation to-day, apparently, is that. Prince Rupprecht's sword arm is pctuated 'by Hindenlmrg, and the latterwill wage battle as long as be can find troops to respond. Every British officer and Tommy h most confident that Prince Rupprecht will be unable to make much headway, regardless of the amount of strength be develops, and despite the advantages of fighting out from a chain of fortresses, with undisturbed roads and railways, against, the British, who are fighting",in the open, and belfind whom lies the devastated Somme battleground, roadless and railwavless save for the soldier-built toutes. i * The Huns' human avalanches have been checked, and if Prince Rupprecht persists in fighting, he may find that the bulge which he is prodding is a hornet's nest. ENEMY CONCENTRATIONS 1 BROKEN. BEFORE ATTACK GOULD DEVELOP. ACTIVITY OF GERMAN ARTILLERY. Aus. and N./. Cable Assoc. and Reuter Received Dee. 5, 9.45 p.m. London, Dec. 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our artillery broke up concentrations eastward of Gouzeaucourt and in the neighborhood of ■Moeuvres before the attack could develop, The enemy's artillery has been active in the neighborhood of La Vacquerie, and there has been considerable hostile artillerying northward of Armenfcieres, south-east of Ypres, and in the Passchendaele sector. CRITICAL TIME PAST. BUT HARD FIGHTING EXPECTED, Received Dec. 5, S.lO p.m. London, Dec. 4, The United Press correspondent believe? that the most critical moment in the Cambrai battle is past, but does not think that Marshal Hindenburg will allow matters to stand where they now are. Severe fighting is most probably ahead. Hindenburg undoubtedly will fling more men over the barricade of German corpses strewn around the Cambrai bulge.

Thus attempt to flatten out General Byng's jump towards Cambrai has been a total failure. Prisoners declare that Uhlans were held in readiness to exploit the hopedfor break through. * Reinforcements continue to arrive, and artillery is increasing, this being fetched from other parts. It was in Flanders on Sunday at the time of the local advance in the region of Passchendaele. The enemy counter-barrage was nine minutes late, and much lighter than in previous flghtin in this area. A LIEUTENANT'S BRAVERY. COUNTER ATTACK STOPPED. London, Dec. 4. The captain of a tank was killed in the recent fighting, and a lieutenant took command. The tank received a direct hit, but he ordered tho crew to hold the trenches a short distance awiay with a Lewis gun while the tank drew tho enemy's gun fire. Remaining alone lie alternated with several Lewis guns from the tank until all became red hot and the ammunition exhausted. He then found a German machine-gun, ami with this he stopped a counter-attack, holding the trenches for hours until the infantry arrived. ENEMY'S NEW< OFFENSIVE. ON UNPRECEDENTED SCALE. Washington, Dec. 4. A communique from Mr. Baker, Secretary for Wjir, records that the tiermans are preparing for a new offensive on aai unprecedented scale. They are resorting to a policy of desperate assaults, because of the attrition on the weßt front. The closing of the Swiss frontier means that Germany is transporting troops and guns westward. FEARFUL HECTACOMBS OF DEAD. RESULT VERDUN TACTICS, Paris, Dec. 4. M. Marcel Hutin' writes that Prince Rupprcehfc is apparently repeating against the British the methods employed by tha Crown Prince at Verdun, vvit.% the same result—fearful hetacombs of dead in order to gain a few inches of. ground. Mass attacks continue, end will continue so long as it pleases the German staff to throw into the furnace fresh divisions from the reserve or drawn from calmer sectors. I MUTUAL ARTILLERYING, t —— 1 London, Dec. 4, A French communique says: There is great mutual artillery activity in Champagne, especially in tlie regions of Tanure and. Maisons-de-Champagng,

TERRIFIC ENEMY THRUSTS WITHOUT COST. GERMANS SEEKING DECISIVE BATTLE, PROMISED PEACE IP THEY WIN. Received Dec. 6, 12.55 a.m. London, Dec. 5. Mr. Philip Gibba writes: Throughout Monday the enemy continued his thrusts between Marcoing and La Vaequerie. He flung in at least six divisions on a narrow front, not counting the cost, never weakening the pressure, even where he made no advance. We have thus forced upon the enemy a battle more decisive than any of those preceding. In view of Germany's weakening manpower, the Germans seem to be fprcing decisive fighting in the open country, possibly for political reasons. Prisoners state that they had been promised peace if they.won this battle. The struggle is as fierce as the second battle of Ypres. The enemy has taken the offensive, is forcings the pace, and fighting all out. Our men yield ground only after a butchery of the Germans. The most desperate resistance is where a body of Britishers has been temporarily cut off or outnumbered. I have talked with wounded Guardsmen lying in trucks, the railway tarpaulins and blankets being tlieir only protections against the frosty blasts. They told how they fought through the houses, over broken walls, and in dark cellars. In sUch fighting some todies of troops must necessarily be cut off, and must fight to the last to enable the others to fall back safely. ENEMY VILLAGES BOMBED. AVIATORS CO-OPERATE WITH INFANTRY. - Aus. and N.Z, Cable Assoc. and Reuter. Received Dec. 6, 1.20 a.m. London, Dec. 5. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our- aeroplanes on Monday bombed and machinegunned villages in enemy occupation on the battle front. Tljey also bombed villages west of Cambrai, and co-operated with the infantry in the fighting east of Ypres. They downed two enemy machines. Two of ours are missing*

ARTILLERYING ON FRENCH FRONT. Received Dec. 0, 1.45 a.m. I s London, Dee. 5. A French communique states: There have been violent artilierying actions on the right of the Meuse, and in ths Vosgos GERMANS TORTURE PRISONERS. London, Dec. 4. Mr. Robinson states that the Germans are using-Russian war prisoners in thd trenches at Cambrai. Some who captured state that they were"starved and systematically tortured. Many were bayoneted or shot for refusal or inability to work. In one camp 500 were thus reduced to 260. ACTIVITY OF ENEMY ARTILLERY. London, Dei). 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports that the ccnmy artillery was active during the night in the neighborhood of Bourion and Moeuvres, but. there were *o further infintr;? actions