BRITISH FORCED BACK

Taranaki Daily News, 25 March 1918, Page 4

BRITISH FORCED BACK

GREAT CEBMAN OFFENSIVE BEGUN HEROIC BRITISH RESISTANCE BRITISH RETIRE TO NEW LINE PARIS UNDER BOMBARDMENT BY GUNS OVER SIXTY MILE RANGE

not counting trench mortars. It Is noteworthy that some of the retirements were made only upon orders received after the troops had held the trenches intact through a whole day of violent attacks and assaults. The first dense waves of yesterday's attacks were frequently held by our wire. The Germans halted and hacked their way through whilst our riflemen and gunners were making veritable shambles of the ground. ENEMY FIGHTS WITH STURDY VALOR. The eneniv fought with sturdy valor, I<■ r there were picked divisions participating. At one place eight German divisions attacked a front held by eight battalions. Our front line here had been destroyed by the weight of metal, but the supports achieved a great defence, and not only held the enemy, hut completed- the withdrawal vestcreve <v.'some of their divisions. The Germans lost a certain number of guns through enteri»;r our barrage. Gas shells have been largely used. We are employing projectors, neutralising whole batteries thereby. ONE-THIRD OF GERMAN FORCE ENGAGED. BATLE HARDLY BEGUN. GRAVE ISSUES AT STAKE. BRITISH TROOPS MAGNIFICENT. Times Service. Received March 25, 12.30 a.m. London, March 24. j Mr. Robinson states that below the main C'anibrai front an enormous number of troops were used, in all something like one-third of the whole German army being engaged. The first attack penetrated the front line on considerable sectors. At others, where we held him completely, we drew back in comfort, the retirement elsewhere being generalFighting has now been resumed on this reserve line. Nowhere have the initial successes been greater than anticipated. Maohine-guna and fieldguns decimated the solid masses at close range. Eastward of Flesquiercs the attack was a total failure. .South of St. Quentin one division beat oil' six and withdrew reluctantly, the men being worn out by mere slaughtering. There was a scene of bloody fighting at Dccieriay and Noreuil. Nine German divisions over a front of 12,00!) yards succeeded in advancing 3000 yards, but suffered enormously. The adjoining attack was wiped out in No Man's Land, the succeeding waves being also killed when, finally, our troops fell back with the right, but continued fighting, holding the advancing waves in check. Following the stubborn afternoon fight on the reserve line, the enemy advance at Fontaine wood and Sensee valley was completely checked with great losses. The fiercest battle is now raging on the front at Bcaunictz, Merchis, Vaux, and Vraucourt.

The whole battle has hardly begun. It is necessary to be very sane and temperate in attempting to arrive at a judgment on operations fraught with such grave issues. The Germans attacked with tremendous strength, gained ground, prisoners and guns. We have also taken prisoners- Our lino, if withdrawn, holds absolutely firm on the whole front, there not being the smallest sign vet of any break through. The morale of the British troops is magnificent. The enemy's losses are vastly in excess of ours- The Germans will, of course, trumpet a gigantic victory, but we are just as cool as when the attack began. We have left nothing undone to secure victory. ATTACK ON PARIS. BY AEROPLANES AND LONG-RANGE GUNS. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc- and Renter.

Received March 24, 11.55 p.m. Paris, March 23. Official: Several enemy aeroplanes flew over Paris at 8.30 in the morning, causing several casualties, but they were chased off toy ours. All was clear at 420 in the afternoon. Official: The enemy is shelling the Paris suburbs by means of a long-range 340-millimetre gnu, which is firing every quarter of an hour. A dozen people were killed and fifteen wounded- Counter-

OFFICIAL REPORTS. OPERATIONS OF AIRCRAFT. Aug. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. Received March 25, 1.50 a.m. London, Marsh 24. Sir Douglas Ilaig reports: A thick morning mist yesterday prevented our aeroplanes from leaving the ground during the early part of the day. When the mist cleared, aerial activity on the bat,tlefront became very great, the enemy's low-flying machines being particularly active in machine-gunning our forward troops. The enemy's massed troops offered a good target to our low-flying aeroplanes. The locations of large bodies of troops and transports were reported by our machines to the artillery, and successfully engaged. Kight and a half 'tons of bombs were dropped on hostile railway stations in the rear of the battlefront, also on billets, high-velocity g'ms, troops and transport A French communique states: The enemy spasmodically and fairly violently bombarded our front and rear lines norih of the Chemin des Dames, in the region of Rheims and Lorraine. We dispersed an attack in the region of Bielcrey and Woevre.