MOST CRITICAL PERIOD OVER

Taranaki Daily News, 2 May 1918, Page 5

MOST CRITICAL PERIOD OVER

ALLIES iIAVK GERMANY'S FULL MEASURE. EVERY ENEMY ADVANCE NOWSMALL AND COSTLY. Received May 1, 5.5 p.m. London, April GO. The greatest confidence now prevails that every enemy advance will bo small and costly. Sir Douglas Haig was able to report, before yesterday's attacks, that the disposition of men and guns would enable them to take enormous toll in German assaults. The most critical period in th? north .is over. The Germans may, by heavy hammering, impose certain redispositions of forces, but the enemy now finds it more costly to take a hundred yurds than previously it was to take a mile.

THE ALLIES ADVANCE. BETWEEN LA CLYTTE AND MONT KEMMELReceived May 1, 10 p.m. London, April 80. The Allies have advanced between La Clytte and Mont Kemmel. DESPERATE FIGHTING. PR.ENCH BRILLIANT COUNTERATTACK. FEW PRISONERS TAKEN. Received May 1, 9.30 p.m. London, April 30. A British Headquarters correspondent, writing on the evening of the 30th, states: To-day all is quiet in Flanders. The French counter-attack last night was brilliantly successful, not only recovering the ground on the southern slope of Seherpenbcrg, but they advanced the line to a depth of fifteen hundred yards astride the Dranoutre road.

Locre changed, hands several times, but finally the Germans were pushed well beyond the eastern fringe thereof. Desperate struggles occurred among the ruins of the village between small parties, including much bayonet fighting. A fine bayonet charge was made by one of our brigades just as tho enemy was wavering m the face of furious fusiladcs- A brief rout ensued. The French and Britis'h took a large number of prisoners during the day, but fewer than the magnitude of the struggle would lead ono to expect owing to the desperate character of the fighting.

VIOENT ARTILLERY DUEL.

FRENCH PATROLS ACTIVE. Received May 1, 8.10 p.m. London, April 30. A French communique states: —Thera is a violent artillery duel north and south of the Avre seotor, and at Noyon, on the south bank of the Oise. Our patrols are active on the whole of this front. We repulsed enemy detachments to the of the Meuse and in Upper Alsace:

AVIATORS BUSY. MACHINE-GUN AND BOMB THE ENEMY. Received May 1, 9-25 5.®. London, April 30. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report elates that our airmen dropped 275 bombs on the enemy troops eastwards of the Locre and also machine-gunned them. We brought down eight enemy machines. Two of oures are missing.

THE ENSLAVED BELGIANS. THE MORTALITY TERRIBLE. Received May 1, 10.35 pm. London, April 30-Twenty-five thousand Belgian men and l>oya are compelled to work on military tasks behind the German lines in the region of Valenciennes and Mauberge alone or under the whip of German sentries. Tho mortality in the deportees' campa is terrible. Numbers are sent back as unfit, and replaced by fresh recruits.

GERMAN OFFICIAL. LOSS OF LOGRE ADMITTED. , Received May 1, 9.30 p.m. London April 30. Wireless German official states: —We captured several English trenches north or Voonnezeele and Vierstraat. The Frenoh captured Locre. NEW ZEALANDERS STOP GERMAN ADVANCE. London, April 30. Mr. Pirrie Robinson writes that, largely owing to the efforts of the New 'Zealanders, the enemy totally failed to advance at Hebuterne. He was several times beaien off with heavy casualties. NEW ENEMY DIVISIONS, London, April 30. General von Arnirn has thrown in five fresh dviskms during the present offensive. The onslat/iit continue! far into the night with a great slaughter of Germans. Everywhere the Allied lines are intact