WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ENEMY SUFFERS A DISASTROUS DEFEAT. In First Phase of Battle. Attack After Attack Smashed. Flanders a Graveyard for German Manhood.

Received April 30. 9.30 p.m. London, April 20. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: The battle continues, but the first phase has been decided in our favor. The Germans have still many unused divisions, but if they are spent like to-day, the enemy's plans for a decisive victory will be thwarted for ever. Surely to God the German people will tire of making the fields of Eranee and Flanders a graveyard for their youth. Mr. Gibbs, in a later message writes: "It, becomes clearer every hour that the enemy has suffered a disastrous defeat. Our artillery and infantry have smashed attack after attack. The enemy did not capture a single foot." THE NEST OF HILLS. Their Capture Ordered at All Costs. The Allies Yield No Ground. t German Dead Lie Thick.

United Press. Received April 30, 3.20 p.m. I-ondon, April 29. The German artillery is roaring from Ypres to Meteren, but low-flying aeroplanes report that the infantry Attack is less furious than this morning, when wave after wave broke against the Allied resistance. The German high command lias ordered the capture of the nest of hills from' Mont Kemmet to Mont des Cats, also Ypres, at all costs, but the French and British have not yielded ground. The German dead lie thick on Monts Rouge, Noir, and Scherpenberg, testifying to the French tenacity. Similarly farther north the British took a terrible toll of the attackers around Voormezeele. The Belgians also threw back an attack on their front.

ENEMY REPULSED AT LOCRE. A POST RECAPTURED. London April 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The hostile attack reported in the neighborhood of Locre yesterday was repulsed by rifle and machine-gun lire. The enemy opened a heavy bombardment with high explosives and gas shells this morning on the whole. front from Meteren to Voormezeele, and infantry attacks are now developing. Hostile artillery was very active during the night from the Sc'arpe to Lens and between Givenchy to Nieppe Forest. We recaptured last night a post taken by the enemy on the night of April 2C-27.

TREMENDOUS BOMBARDMENT ENEMY PUSHING WESTWARD. London, April 29. Renter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing last night, 'says there is an almost ceaseless hostile bombardment in the north. A great concentration of howitzers and field batteries maintained hurricane bombardments on wide sections practically all the way from La Basseee to south of Houthulst Forest. The Germans also kept up a furious fire for nearly three hours on theHront from Vimy to Lens. This moning the bombardments were renewed on our line south of Voormezeele. French positions in the vicinity of Loere were plastered with high explosives and shrapnel. Our troops around Ypres several times signalled for artillery support. After dawn there was a tremendous bombardment, which points almost with .certainty to a wild attempt on the part of the Germans to advance here. Enemy airmen were very active yesterday over Mont Rouge, from which it seems certain the Germans intend trying to push westward from Kemmel. GERMANY'S DESPERATE GAMBLE. London, April 2!). The Daily Telegraph's Milan correspondent says that, according to the Stuttgart Gazette, the new (Jeriuan offensive will be decisive. Ludendorff :i Hindenburg are prepared 1o sacrifice one-third of the available German armies in order to break through the Franco-British front.

ENEMY'S INTENSE BOMBARDMENT . London, April 2!). There is an intense bombardment and artillery concentration from La Bassee to south of Ilouthultit forest and from Vimy to Lens. HOLD ON YPR.ES WEAKENING. London, April 2!). The British hold on YprSs is weakening and the German efforts have redoubled. AMERICAN TROOPS AT AMIENS. Washington, April 29. American troops are holding a portion of the front before Amiens. .