GERMAN TIDAL WAVE.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 March 1918, Page 5

GERMAN TIDAL WAVE.

I RATTLES FOUGHT IN THE OPEN. SITUATION SERIOUS, BUT NOT CRITICAL. FORCING THE SOMME. ! London, March 20. Mr. Percival Phillips writes: The second battle of the Somrae is being ; fought in the open across dead country converted into hills and ralieys by three years' trench warfare- The Btruggle which may decide the fate of j nations, has raged five days and .ligAtH- i By sheer weight of numbers the Ger- ■ mans are trying to overwhelm us, hut I howliere have they succeeded. Tiiey have gone forward slowly, but the aim of their Emperor is still unachieved. The situation is exacting and serious, but not so critical that .the fate of the -British armies hangs in the balance. The stand made by our troops everywhere is splendid. They are resisting fresh corps and divisions. They have only given ground when outnumbered by three, or even six to one. bines which have been momentarily broken have been re-established. Counterattacks by handfuls of Britons have dammed the, flood and pushed it bach for it is nothing bin a tidal wave which the Germans have loosed in a desperate . gamble. The Germans on Sunday night attacked north of Eapaume. Constant fight- j ing occurs on the Arras Road. The l enemy disclosed a fresh shock formation j at dawn and renewed his blows on both j Bides 01 Bapaume. In order to understand what took • place on Monday east of Xesle it is necessary to recall the four days' fighting when the Germans attacked between Gouzeaucourt and Villcret. Oil' Thursday (hey utilised five divisions in the first assault, and three in two others. Later they managed to get up in a f og without being seenBy Thursday night we were behind Villert and Hargicourt. There was intense fighting on Friday about Ltf Verguier, the enemy win- • ning the high ground before the end I of/tue day We again fell hack wls.-n tfle Germans broke our new line at Hcrviliy- We counter-attacked with tanks but finally retired across the Somme, blowing up all the bridges except that of St.— Christ, also destroying the causewaTs across the marshes and derelict canal. The Germans brought up rafts and small detachments tried to pole themselves across the Somino, but they were "scuppered by machine-guns almost, before they had embarked. A similar fate befel a bridging expedition at St. Christ. .\fean»hile ten German divisions were in action netwren Xesle and Clery. Two of the be*t German divisions, including the crack Brandenburg corps, were ordered to cross the Somme on Monday and managed to get a footing on the west bank by means of rafts and pontoons supported by the heaviest bombardment. They thug made a dent in our line at Morejiain. Our counter-attack partially restored the situation. The Germans, however, kept steadily flowing across the Somme in great numbers, and by 11 in the morning got a footing in our lines between Marchelpot and Llcourt. There was hand-to-hand fighting at the Somme in plaftes. The Brandeuburgers fought with great determination and appeared quite fresh. The result of the Xesle fighting was still in doubt when the dispatch left. The German casualties have been much heavier than ours during the last ,two days- The majority of the British wounded are walking cases. All say the Germans are trying to smother us by weight. They come on in greater numbers than we can kill. ■ A SENSATIONAL STATEMENT. Washington, March 26! Mr- Lodge caused a sensation in the Senate by asserting that the United Btates front in France was not supplied .with a single aeroplane, and had no guns Only two American-built ships were yet ' tonpTeted- \' FRENCH CONFIDENCE. Washington, March 26. M. Clemenceau has cabled to the French Embassy here: "The Allies are absolutely confident. We will not •heathe the sword until we have exacted full and complete reparation from Germany," RESIDENT'S MESSAGE TO HAIG. Washington, March 26President Wilson has cabled to Sir Donblae Haig: "I wisb to express warm admiration of the steadfastness and valor -with which the British troops have withstood the German onset, and the perfect confidence that all Americans feel that yon will win and seecre a final yaw •