WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

STORMING FLEMISH HILLS. A GHASTLY FAILURK .ALLIES' FRONT IMPROVED. London, May 1. Mr. Percival Phillips writes:" Complete and disastrous failure rewarded the German attempt to storm the Flemish hills on Monday. It was undoubtedly the severest reverse since they began the drive seawards. Continuous fighting all day by picked divisions did not yield a foot of the desired ground, and the day ended with the Allies' front improved instead 01 weakened. The Germans by morning had been hurled back more than a quarter of a mile from their high-water mark around the base of the hills, while the British, eastward of Loere, advanced a portion of their front some hundreds of yards. The battlefield was covered with German dead. The German infantry did their best and the artillery gave " t them all the support that could be desired. The enemy also had a favoring fog, innumerable machine-guns, masses of men and a limited objective. Yet they failed. The French drove them from the Bailleul road like sheep, and the British broke three large and many small attacks on their front, which proved as unyielding as a wall of stone. It was a day of steady slaughter. The batteries and machine-guns did not slacken until the light faded, when all movement ceased and the broken German regiment returned to their impromptu trenches. A quiet night, followed by the morning's fog, revealed no fresh surprise.

The British share in the victory involved the defeat of at least five German divisions between La Clytte and Zillelieke. There was hard fighting at Ridge Wood and Voormezeele. The enemy worked up to the edge of the wood, ivhich is treeless, and advanced with fixed bayonets led by officers. They attacked with determination, but had little opportunity for bayonet work, the English battalions being thoroughly screened by their machine-guns. A few Germans blundered in among the blackened tree-tops, where they were shot down.

The German barrage did not help the succeeding waves of men. Our riien charged with bayonets and chased the stragglers across No Man's Land.

The French fought with the greatest dash and enthusiasm at Locre against about six divisions. The Germans aimed at a drive between Scherpenberg and Mont Rouge, in order to envelope them and then push through Locre against Mont Rouge. The pressure bent the French line back as far as the important road junction at Hyde Park Corner. For a moment the situation was critical, but the French counter-attacked with irresistible force. A French captain led the charge, cleared Loere, and drove the Germans pell-mell across the fields. The French were only stopped by their own barrage laid down in front of Dranoutre to hold the enemy reinforcements. Hyde Park Comer was re-taken with a litter of maehiue-guns and German dead. The French line swung forward gradually during the afternoon, and every hour the enemy's effort slackened, until there was no fight in the survivors. Some English battalions who had been fighting continuously for three weeks had taken hard knocks uncomplainingly and suffered defeat in silence. They are content to-day. There is no tonic like victory. ALLIED TROOPS CONFIDENT. GERMANS' CHANGED METHODS. London, May 1. Mr. Robnson writes: The result of yesterday's fighting added immensely to the confidence of the Anglo-French troops. At the Ridge Wood successive waves of Germans came on with fixed bayonets. The adoption of this unusual method availed the enemy nothing. He never reached hand-to-hand fighting, Lewis guns and rifles breaking each wave. As the Germans still advanced the British obliged them and dashed out with fixed bayonets, got well home, and drove them off pell-mell. The savageness and duration of the battle lifted the Ridge Wood into terrible fame equal to that of the Delville or Polygon Woods. ENEMY'S STRENGTH MEASURED. ALLIES' WHOLE LINE READY. London, May 1. Renter's correspondent, summarising the newspaper comments, says it is pointed out that the public is apt to reckon victory in terms of an offensive suecess, but a defensive victory like that of Monday may contribute equally towards the ultimate object of the campaign. From this viewpoint the Germans, despite their spectacular successes, can be regarded as having had the worst of it on the balance of the six weeks' fighting. The Anglo-French troops have now got the measure of the new enemy divisions. Other strokes doubtless will come, but we can be confident that wherever the enemy tries he will find the Allies ready. The enemy has been broken in a sheer trial of strength, where the ground was none too favorable, by a thinner Allied line. There ia hope that Ypres will not be abandoned. FRENCH CASUALTIES LIGHT. COMPARED WITH ENEMY'S. Paris, May 1. The Echo de Paris states: Our losses since the beginning of the battle are not one-tenth of the enemy's.