WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 March 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

A REVOLT AMONG GERMANS. IF. OFFENSIVE STAiiTKTX London, March 15. Mr. GilAs l'p.pr.its that the recent German procedure lias hcen a series of artillery demonstrations ami raids up ami down tl>e front for the purpose of keeping up, the nervous tension. We are replying with night raids, where success depends on leadership and the expert training and gunning of each raider. "I am convinced it is impossible for the Herman llish Command to carry out an oll'eitfivo like Verdun without risking a revolt among the troops"

Washington, March ].->. American troops captured two kilometres of trenches at Ihidunvilicr.

(Cadonvilier is south-east of Kanoy r.:ul some distance ur/.u the position of the Americans in (]■.? S|. M.ihb'l salient.)

Lond:.)i, Maivh 15. Sir .Doi:glns TTaitf report,; <>re»t activity of hostile artillery from Vermelles to south of Armenl iercs. The Portuguese drove, back a siroiy enemy party in, this neighborhocd. Our aviators dropped seven hundred bombs on billets, dumps, and railway s'idhip< at Courtrai and Demiiui, also on an aerodrome, used by the. enemy Vi fjcrlitiiiy between l;u< ; e formations we brought down nineteen aeroplane.-:. Five of ours are mbsiriy. On Wednesday, in the Freiburg raid, a largo number of hostile aircraft attached ours. A nerce light ensued until all the hostile craft were forced to withdraw. Three of ours are missing.

The United Proas correspondent at tho British front says: The spell of line weather has been brnken by rain. Tim airmen arc gkd of oven a few hours' rest. Since the Ist of March 117 German .".eroplanes have been broi'.olit down. This is in daylight fighting. Vighi. bomb. ing has not ceased. The bomb planes in one instance broke up an intended attack. The enemy was making- preparations in a certain village, and British planes in relays bombed the village from eight o'clock at night until three o'clock in the morning. The Germans were so badly shattered that tin- attach" did Hot develop. The artillery is now more active both at Cambrai and Lille. l'.,ris March 15.

The Cardinal Archbishop of Rheimj protests against the mendacious Herman communique that a signalling post was observed on the cathedral, lie quotes the commanding general's declaration that there is no military* installation in the cathedral or any church in Rheims and no guns within 1800 metres of the cathedral.

400 ENEMY DIVISIONS,

TENSION AT BREAKING POINT. Times Service. Received March 10, 7.15 p.m. London, March 15. Sokmonn, in tho Vossiche. Zeittmg, declares that 400 German and Allied divisions are about to do battle on the West front. Tho tension is almost at breaking point, and the future is dark. The Germans are animated with hope and confidence because of their unified high command, while the Allied commands are independent, all going their own way.

BRITISH OPERATIONS. ENEMY TRENCHES ENTERED. CANADIANS AND WELSHMEN ACTIVE. Ahs. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and RouterReceived March 17, 5.5 p.m. London, Mareli 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We entered the enemy's lines westward of Viersgiiisain, and repulsed raids in the neighborhood of Passchendaele and Poeleapclle. There has been reciprocal artillerying south-westward and westward of Cambrai, and southward of Armcnticres and the McssincsMenin road sectors.

In a later report Sir Douglas "Hoig states: The Canadians executed a raid south-east oJ Lens. A kr?e party of the enemy which raided Passchendaele suffered heavily. We repulsed raids southward of the M?nin road. Our aviators bombed the- railhead "near Lille, also aerodromes north-east and eastward of St. Quentin. ' One of the latter's hangars was set on fire and two were badly damaged. Welsh troops carried put a successful raid in the neighborhood of Armentieres. There has been hostile artillerying south-eastward of Ypres, in the neighborhood of the Menin road, southward of Houtlmlst forest.