TERRIFIC FIGHTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 April 1918, Page 5

TERRIFIC FIGHTING.

* ( TANS MEETS TANK. 1 BRITISH COUNTER-ATTACKS. Received April 26, 8.45 p.m. London, April 25 (p.m.). The United PreßS correspondent states there was territic lighting all night on the heights eastward of Amiens. Tanks were used by both sides for the first time in history. The situation at Villers-Bretonneux ridge looks better to-day. A counterattack drove the Germans out of Aquenne Wood, westward of Villers-Breton-neux. The situation in the town ia uncertain, the fighting being a touch-and-go, and it is impossible momentarily to tell the respective positions, but it is definitely known that the British advanced fighting began in this region yesterday morning after a hurricane bombardment of gas and high explosive shells, lasting over two hours. The first attack was hurled back, but subsequent ones took Villers-Bretonneux. The storm reached the wood westward, the British successfully countering at noon. They used several tanks against the German ones. The latter were driven off, whereupon two British tanks crawled up and down the lines, mowing down the exposed infantry in straight lines. The enemy poured out of Vaire Wood at dawn to-day, but were stopped, with heavy losses. General von Arnim's hill-stormers on Wednesday re-attacked the French towards Dranoutre unsuccessfully, and were flung oftfc after a tremendous struggle in portions of the first-line positions in the Kemmel sector, where they temporarily had penetrated. The situation was completely restored. The Germans vat two 'o'clock this morning put down an intense gas barrage on the French and British. A heavy attack fol-' lowed between three and foul- - LATEST NEWS. FIERCELY PRESSED. ENEMY GAIN FOOTING ON MOCJNT KEMMEL. COUNTER-ATTACK IN PROGRESS. Received April 27, 12.43 a.m. London, April 20. Heavy fighting is proceeding at Villers Bretonneux, the Australians being engaged. ' The Germans advanced to Dranoutre, and stormed Mount Kemmel. A coun-ter-attack is proceeding The Press correspondent at Headquarters states that the northern offensive is being 'fiercely pressed, and that the Germans Vave alvanced to the slopes of Mount Kflmmei. Received April 27, 12.50 a.m. London. April 26. The French were holding Kemmel village. They are being driven back at Villers Bretonneux. CONFIDENCE IN VICTORY. GENERAL ROBERTSON'S FAITH. An optimistic speech was made by General Sir Wiliam Robertson at Lincoln early in March. "When you are thinking of the war," .he said, "you should try to look on the blight side of the picture as well as on the dark side, because undoubtedly there is a bright side. Think of the many difficulties of the enemy. Think of what the navy does for us day and night. It ceaselessly and silently guards these shores from the terrors of invasion. Think that there is not a single German soldier on British soil after three and a-half years of war with an enemy who came into the field witli the greatest army the world has ever seen, and after many years ' preparation. Think that our Dominions have sent their men from every quarter of the globe to assist this country. With not too great encouragement, we have every : reason to be confident and to be satis- [ Bed with much of what has been done. More might have been done, but there is nothing to complain of in the conduct of our own people, so I suggest that this side of the picture be more frequently looked at than it is. "This is not a war merely between armies and navies, but between nations. Every effort therefore must be made to sustain tthe moral of the nation. I suggest thas matter ought to be definitely and systematically taken up in all parts of the country. We have every ground for confidence in the result of the war if we only make up our minds to continue as before, resolute and determined to see this thing through to a proper finish and to gain the kind of peace which we want. Do not think that I am either a blMptwmir or a „

Pharisee when I say. lot lis never fois ' 1 get in all we do. that the measure of'.a our ultimate success will bo governed -3 largey, if not mainly, by the strength l I with which we put our religious convic* -m tions into our actions, and hold firmly and fearlessly to the faitfy of out '1 forefathers." (Cheers). " il , GERMAN PRESS Dls« APPOINTED. ;i ■" , A WITH THE RESULTS OF THE | OFFENSIVE. ' ."1 ■ ' — : - -i Loudon, April 9. J Renter's correspondent at Amsterdam f. states that practically all the ; German war correspondents are taking great '! pains to explain that the interruption of ,*» the offensive is not due to losseß, but to.> 3 "normal causes." Some newspapers, « however, openly display disappointment. ";i , For example; the "Frankfurter Zeitung"' has reiterated that the British and.' | : French front is nowhere broken, and' j hints that the next blow, to succeed < ! must be heavier. ' ' , The German Press generally is busy counselling its readers not to expect too |? much. The "Kohnische Zeitung" says M that extraordinary rumours are prevalent in Germany regarding the extent the German victory. These are inspired by the enemy, who is exaggerating German successes for the purpose "t £jj depressing the masses through subse* '.ji quent disappointment. 3 The war correspondent of the "FVank-| -J furter Zeitung" says that hitherto it % has been impossible exactly to estimate ,® the German losses, but it is unnecesi Vaj sary to jump to the conclusion that they 'M are enormous because the victory wag 'jf difficult. He states that the resistance is hardening, and is favour- m ed with stormy and rainy .weather, 3J which is hampering the offensive." •".» A German expert, in the Swiss "Zuri« - | eher Post," says that the Germans aro .5 unable to hinder the carefully-planned ■ < deployment of the British and FroncX ' i reserves, and the continuance of violent M attacks demands immense sacrifices. vjj The "Frankfurter Zeitung" attacks Hindenburg for attempting" to override ife the Reichstag. It appears that Einden- 18 burg telegraphed to the vice-president ' T «| of the Reichstag:—"The fresh sacrifices . k of blood which have been forced upon us have not been made for nothing. I know that the Reichstag understands -'J this, and that it will champion a strong Jjj German peace." M The paper's comment is:—"With all'% respect and admiration for the great commander, we feel that Hindenburg*! intervention in politics is most serious $ for the Fatherland. He is encouraging ,-J the Pan-German annexationists, who al- ~!j ready are exploiting the western offensive for the purpose of alterire; the Reichstag's war-aims policy." ■'-$ — 1 AMERICAN TROOPS. J -a "I LARGE NUMBERS TO BE SENT T<J T PRANCE. <j i • /I Melbourne, April 11. The following wireless message wSi. 1 to-day received from Honolulu:— ' Washington.—The military chiefs and the nation's Press rejoice in the War $ Department's reported decision to Bend to France by August all soldiers still in V: this country, except about 15 per cent. which are required to assist in training this additional camp this summer. TheUnited States forces awaiting transportation abroad are regarded as suffl-^, ( | ciently trained for immediate effective fighting. Dispositions for the parts ] whence they will soon sail have already >a been made. Several hundred thousand -'.B men will perhaps reach Europe in time,,' jj to participate in the recent great battie if the fighting is protracted like ,j Verdun. The Army Corp of General'•'j; Pershing, it is stated, is already actively. , ; j co-operating with the Allied Annies';■« against the German offensive. Dispatches note the American made armoured cars were highly valuable in. -1 checking the German rush and inflict- oS ing enormous losses. A semi-official'',!! French estimate states that 300,000 German losses is regarded as low. ' is The Press expects President to mention international questions at ,-j£ Baltimore next Saturday. The Prcsident, writing to the Methodist (Rev. T. H. Henderson) stated: "You | are perfectly safe in using the words you mentioned from my message as expressing my unaltered thought and un- 1| broken purpose;" Bishop Henderson's |j letter cited the following words from ;*j the President's message: —" German • power, a thing without conscience, Mour, or capacity for covented peaee, • . must be crushed. Our present immediate task is to win the war. and nothing shall turn us aside until it is aecom- j plished." The President's letter will be read in all the Methodist Churches next : 1 Sunday. , J While the nation faces the total cessation of the use of wheat, flour, so .I,*, that the Allies will be supplied, over- • V sea restrictions on some other i om- ■ modities are being relaxed, The lood administration has given permission to purelmse 251b of sugarsbliHm ' ' canning fruit. The former limit was , 21b. The people are learning to use . vegetables instead of flour, pork, etc., ' which are needed abroad. Millions of 'i " war gardens " have been started. 1 ' ****" '