WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

BRITISH AIR SQUADRONS. CARRY OUT VERY SUCCESSFUL ATTACK. STUTTGART VISITED AND BONDED. Received March 11, 7 p.m. London, .March 10. Si.- Douglas Haig reports: A hostile raiding party, under cover of a heavy bombardment, attacked positions eastward oi Araieutleies. A Jew British are mis3iiig. We repulsed tlie at tuck. Artillerying lias markedly increased between La Bassee canal and Ypres. We dropped six hundred bombs on dumps, billets, and aerodromes, also upon an important rail centre north-east of St. Quentin, A largo number of maeliii: ; carried out a particularly successful attack, at a low height, upon three aerodromes, directly hitting the hangars and machined in the open at each aerodrome. Returning at a height of a hundred feet they machine-gunned favorable ground targets, causing casualties and scattering a company ox infantry in all directions. Air lighting is heavy. W'c brought dowu ten enemy machines, and drove down ten others. Two of ours are missing. We to-day dropped 1 ! 4 tons of bomb., on tile Daimler motor works at Stuttgart in broad daylight. Several bursts wore observed at the railway station, v.hwe a stationary train was set afire. Three bursts in a munition factory, south-east of the town, were noticed, whilst there were other bursts from the Daimler works and buildings. Hostile machines withdrew after attempting a weak attack on our formation. One of our uiacnines failed to return owing to engine trouble. .V French communique states: There is nciprocal artillery activity at Bandisaut and Yielu. Our aeroplanes dropped fourteen tons of baiiibs on enemy works behind the iiuea. A further French comnxmique, statfs: iVe repulsed raida south of Betheny, on the left of the Meu.se, and in the Y<isges. Detachments penetrated the enemy lines east iii Aubsrive, in the region of Kadcnviller*, and destroyed several works. Wi.velnsL- German official: We repulsed •.•troiio- reconnoitring thrusts southward of Moneliy. Strong fresh detachment* penetrated the foremost trenches between Anerewi'ler and P.adonvillens. Counter-thrusts drove them out GERMAN STORM TROOPS si?!n' with wa?.m receptiox. Received March 11, 8 p.m. London, March 10. i Mr. Percival Phillips states that the, attacks of the picked German troops on Friday proved a disastrous failure and resulted in a heavy German uasualty. lint and demoralisation of their storm troops. Our men do not fear these elaborate drives. The spirit of confidence was never higher. The purpose of the attacks upon the Houthulst forest and Polderhoek spur was to remove local salients and give better observation to the Germans. The attack was meant to be a surprise, but the stormera were badly shaken by the British artillery before their barrage moved. About 250 men on a front of 800 yards occupied six of our posts in Houthulst forest, but w'ere forced back by tho British occupants a hundred yards. The flame machines assisted the Germans, but our machine-guns prevented reinforcements coming until the Yorkshire Light Infantry and Royal Fusiliers chased the Germans into campMr. Philip Gilbs says that the attacks on Friday were frustrated owing to our barrage making the assembly of Germans impossible. German officers at Polderhoek believed their plans had been revealed, and paraded the men and said the attack was to be postponed owing to deserters carrying news to the British. FURIOUS BRITISH ONSLAUGHT ENEMY BREAK IN PANIC. London, March 10. A correspondent at British headquarters states that yesterday's was the heaviest fighting of the year on the Passchendaele salient. The enemy the whole of the previous night heavily bombarded the front from Warneton to Langemarck, freely employing gas shells. The troops employed in the subsequent attack on a mile front south of Houthulst Forest met with such vigorous resistance that the waves broke and retired in most places. On the right flank of the attack however, flammcrwerfer forced the garrisons in some posts to withdraw to their supports. A little later the Yorkshire Light Infantry counter-attacked with great dash. The enemy was very strong, hut the fury of the onslaught created a panic, and the enemy broke, and our men pursued for 30j yards from the spot where the enemy originally attacked, inflicting considerable casualties. The line was complete,ly restored, There was heavy artillery activity all day long astride the Menin Eoad, which was succeeded by the advance of a large body of infantry covered by an intense barrage. The infantry deployed on a front of 3000 yards and furious fighting, ensued in the twilight. The struggle was most confined. The enemy succeeded in establishing a few posts which were submitted to our artillery fire all night | lone. The weather was ideal. KEEPING THE GERMANS BUSY. London, March 10. Sir Douglaß Haig reports:—We made successful raids on the west of St. Quentin and south-west of Cambrai. Hostile artillery is active in Armenticres, eastward of and in the neighborhood of the Menin Road. READY FOR BATTLE. BBRITISH CONFIDENCE. GERMAN TROOP? NERVOUS. .The Times -'colffesp. mt> nt gfc The ■ ■•'■ states that a vc-'i-ii / ned neuvho has returned from (jcrmany, /. r ;rts that soldiers and civilians are

keenly debatiii;' the chances of the offensive. The majority expect it to begin ,early in March, mainly against the British front. Officers are making every effort to cheer up the troops, using faked reports of English pacificist speeches and political dissensions. British and French military comments are circulated in the army with a view to showing that the Allies are afraid and dubious. German military leaders themselves recently were nervous. They doubted the courage of a section of the troops, and feared that they might refuse to advance. The weak spots have since been reinforced. Reuters correspond":!' states that great patrol, raiding, and aerial activity constitute the only news daring tile present period of waiting for the Germans to begin the attack. "The whither continues wondorfujly fine, and along the greater pa/t of tiie front the condition of the ground is good enough, .to render offensive operations on a large scale quite feasible. "I heard a dozen reports yesterday," says the correspondent, "to"the erfect that the German effort had begun both north and south, also that the French and Americans had taken the oll'ensive. These and like rumors will probably be repeated daily. "From Passehcndaele to our southern flank we are everywhere prepared to meet whatever is coming." Mr. Hamilton Fyfe, the Daily Mail correspondent, who is visiting the which it is expected the Germans will attack--between Arras and St. Quentin —says that the 'Tommies are happy and in the finest fettle. They are making the most of the springlike weather. A dark smudge 1200 yds away represents the German line. The intervening area is difficult and dangerous, am! the Germans may well dislike the prospect of crossing it. No wonder, Mr. Fyfe says, 1 that orisoners state that (ho spirits of the troops ere dismal, and that the men need much encouragement from their ofiieers. The Cnnans have plenty of guns, and generally start gas-shelling the Brit'sh lines at sunset. The Tie-res correspondent at British headquarters slates that the artillery fire has been abnormal. Our airmen had a brilliantly busy and successful week. Stocktaking shov-i an interesting evolution of trench warfare. This time two years ajjo mine-blowing \iar, proceeding everywhere daily. To-day it is rare. A system of outpost's has 'supplanted the continuous trench 'h-fpr.res.* Erervthing is becoming more elast:.', i;v-:-n There the iinos have not ch.t:.ger.l for three months. The enemy is whir.;/; and strengthening 'lit defence; i.i various i;.-,rb of th* line. SWEDEN. SOVIETS' DELEGATES BLOCKED. Received March 11, 7.10 p.m.Petrograd. March 10. Sweden has refused to allow tho Soviets' delegates to lajid for the purpose of arranging fin international congress. IN THE AIR. GERMAN PLANES ON WEST FRONT. London, March 10. The Paris correspondent of the Daily Express states that there are 180 squadriilas of German aeroplanes on the West front totalling 10SO planes.