SOUTH OF THE SOMME.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 March 1918, Page 5

SOUTH OF THE SOMME.

THE EXE.VIV CHECKED. OPPOSING FORCES NEARLY EQUAL. TWO CRITICAL PERIODSREMARKABLE AIRMEN'S WORK. Received March 28, 7.30 p.m. ( London, March 27. A high military authority states that the enemy lias been checked south of tile Solium-, but that wo may expect fresh attack*. The attacks round Roye and Xovon are likely to be renewed, but our fresh reserves are coming up every hour.

Regarding the situation as a whole, -->ne cardinal fact is that the opposing forces are as nearly equal as possible. The enemy having taken the initiative, got up his reserves first, but. this doesn't mean thev have more men. We require time to get up ours. Every day the enemy is cheeked or no material advance is of enormous value to us.

In the present battle there were two critical moments. The first was on Saturday, when the enemy crossed the Tortille, and there was danger of separating our forces. The second was when Martinpuicb and Courcelette were taken, but the gap was filled, and the line is now complete. The battle is far from over. Ho would not like to say we would not be faced with a month's crisis, but time is on our side. As the enemy gets further from the railhead the process of getting his reserves becomes more difficult, while our reserves are nearing the battle-field. The situation now is much less critical than in the past three days. Tiie most remarkable feature has been our airmen's work. They dropped 22J. tons of bombs on the enemy, causing enormous losses, without any resistance from the enemy aeroplanes. Referring to the losses of material, the authority says the enemy usually makes a high estimate. Our total loss of guns captured or destroyed is about six hundred. The same remark applies to the enemy's claim regarding prisoner?- His claims to have captured abo"ut a hundred tanks is probably!true.