BRITISH DISPOSITIONS ALTERED.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 March 1918, Page 5

BRITISH DISPOSITIONS ALTERED.

gNEMY PLANS DISCOVERED. \ HEECttSM OF GUNNERS. • Beceived MarA 25, 5.5 p.m. London, March 24. ®ir. Gibbs adds: Our infantry did wou•era m defending the hill which guards w way of the Scarpe valley, and here WW long, intense lighting yesterday and to-day, in which our dear men withstood repeated onslaughts of vast numbers bolding out and coanter-attackiu./ „ith Unconquerable spirit to the death. Ho WW it also on the right and centre oi too battle-front right from the xiigiuRing of these tremendous actions. ° Three .mornings ago, in the southern part, the battle began along the whole sweep with a six hours' bombardment and intense gas-shelling of our batteries. Afterwards the attack was launched by overwhelming numbers of storm troops Pur, line was lield by some three diviBions from a point south of Poutruet to Inancourt, south of St. Quentin canal. Previously the enemy held this line with Wee divisions, but the night before me battle he was reinforced until eight divisions were massed, while, at one point, on a frontage of two thousand yards, the enemy had a division against our one battalion. By splendid work, our intelligence corps learnt that the attack Was coming, and we poured a heavy fire over lines and drenched the town oi St. Quentin, which was crowded With enemy troops, with gas, causing lum heavy casualties, though it did not suffice'to break up his organisations and plans. The position of some of our batteries was slightly changed to avoid the German bombardment, and-this proved effective, as 'the enemy poured in a frightful deluge of high explosives on the empty emplacements; but a number of Held batteries were left to cover any withdrawal of the outposts on the line, and these heroic gunners served their batteries to the last, until the enemy swept over them on this sector of the front north and south of St. Quentin and opposite our line further south. The enemy's intention, 'a# learned from prisoners, was to reach the lir.es of the St. Quentin eana! on the first day, anil then advance by q"iek stntres westward 5 -', the rate of advance to be eiwht miles 'the first day, twelve the second, and twenty on the third.

ENEMY MAKES PROGRESS. BRITISH GREATLY OUTNUMBERED. GLORIOUS HEROIC DEEDS. Received March 25, 5.5 p.m. London, March 24. >- Mr. Gibba writes: The enemy is continuing his attacks all day along the whole battle front, ami progressed at various points, despite heroic resistance. We are greatly outnumbered owing to the enormous concentration of. enemy divisions which are constantly being- reinforced and passing through each other, so that fresh regiments may pursue the assaults. Our men have been fighting gallantly for three days, and have inflicted severe losses at every part of the battle line. Tims the enemy, where he has advanced, has passed through thousands of his own dead and wounded. In accordance with the general plan, we have methodically fallen back to new defensive lines under continuous and increasing enemy pressure. This movement has been covered by most glorious and heroic deeds on the part of small bodies of men. sometimes sacrificing themselves to the last in order to gain time for their comrades, ami. though entirely surrounded in some cases they have defended redoubts nnd outposts for many toourn, pouring machine-gun fire upon the advancing enemy waves and raking their ranks. So it was yesterday round Kcnin Hill, for which the enemy fought with desperate obstinacy. He sent forward column after column at Lagnlcourt and under our artillery fire, which slaughtered them in large numbersWEIGHT OF GUNS AND MANPOWER. WHAT THE GERMANS RELIED UPON OUR MEN FALL BACK FIGHTING. HEROISM OF DETACHED GROUPS. •Received March 25, 5.40 p.m. London, March 24. Mr- Philip Gibbs continues: In spite of the intense gunfire from massed batteries, supported by Austrian howitzers and a large number of heavy treach mortars, the enemy plana were thwarted as far as the rapidity of his progress is concerned. The heavy fog in the early morning of the 21st threw his assault out of gear. Through his assault were interspersed machine-gun companies at intervals of a hundred yards, and then heavy machine-guns and field artillery, ■which sometimes became hopelessly znixed with the third and fourth lines, while the right battalions were confused ivith the left battalions. In the thick fog our machine-gun fire caught their waves and checked the pace of the onslaught and caused the enemy heavy losses. The enemy troops were ignorant of the line having been brought up during the night from a long distance behind. Even the officers had only sealed orders and a scrap map marked with a green line showing their objectives. The German high command relied entirely on the weight of guns and manpower to break our resistance and the driving power of the whole monstrous machine in the movement. To tbhi the enemy owes much. of,'his progress. Our line was not strong enough to hold all its old positions against such, a tide of l>rute force. Our men served their guns as attack followed attack and column followed column, and our losses increased as the • hours passed. They were ordered to give ground at certain points, and fell back fighting. Those were heroic rearguard ■• actions, going from one position to angtiMb

ENEMY'S GREAT DRIVES.

i The main attack, just south of St, Quentin, was directed against Urvillera :and Essigny. The enemy forced his way through these places by great drives. Our garrison thero was partly destroyed by his stupendous gunfire- . He seems to have gained possession of Essigny before midday of the 21st and captured Condeseourt. This gave him important high ground, which he used to the full. He succeeded by this in bending our line at the right flank of the Ulster division, north of the canal, whieh he chose hereabouts, and by advancing his field artillery was able'to bombard the line to which our main body troops had been withdrawn. HEROISM OF DETACHED BRITISH GROUPS. Down from Maisseny, Homon, Savy, Ronpy he pressed forward against this line, but meanwhile several detached companies of our men ivtu holding out m a redoubt entirely surrounded by the enemy. Th ey We ;. e defended bv ma-chine-guns. They had forty-eight hours' food supply. One was near St. Quentiu; another near Grugies; many others southward and past fort Deliez to La Fere. These companies oi' English and liish Hud's and Londoners held out. They saw the enemy streaming past them, and knew they were cut off, but would not retreat. Some of them maintained their lire until the evening, when their ammunition was spent. Then they -tried to fight . their way through. I fear many did not succeed in thi« heroic adventure, but their service, which will always be remembered, checked the enemy's prepress and gave their comrades the greatest' chance. ENEMY GAINS HIGH GROUND. Later on, in tlie first day of the battle, the enemy reached the village of Grand Serancourt, high ground south of St. Quentiu, which dominates the positions en the other bank. He was lighting there all night and yesterday morning with his eight divisions against our splendid, hard-pressed three" while he had in support two further divisions. The main, enemy attack was between Roupy and the canal. All day yesterday he fought us ceaselessly. The ene:r.7 forced his way past the villages "of Artemps and St. Simon. A DESPERATE ENDEAVOR. A ile.-perate endeavor was made upon the canal crossings. About midday yesterday the enemy directed a column against Rugny, eastward of Ham, to capture the bridgehcas. Meanwhile, further north, the security of our tiiree divisions in this sector was threatened by the enemy advance on the left. We withdraw further back. One body of troops was sent to hold the Tugney bridgehead. Two other of the same division covered the division as they fell back. They did this with glorious gallantry. Late last night their last rearguards returned after many hours' battle.