ENEMY DISORGANISED.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1918, Page 5

ENEMY DISORGANISED.

SI.'U'ESS!' I'L ALLIED o'l'jillATlON;.:. I'OWITTONiS ADVANCED. FRENCH C.UIRV STUUNGLY-HELI) BfjJLDLNGS. Received May (i, 11.50 p.m. London, May 5. Router's correspondent at British headquarters stales that some disorganisation is indicated among the enemy troops., who are hindered by heavy rains.

The Franco-British, in the course of a successful operation between Locre and rJernancourf, advanced their positions on a H)00-ynnls front to an average depth of live hundred yards. We drove the enemy from two ruined farms, and took some high ground near Koudepkot. The French, continuing the operation ou our flank, carried some strongly held buildings in neighboring sectors.—Router.

ENEMY CEASELESSLY HARASSED. RELIEF WEAKENED AND DEMORALISED. POUNDED DAY AND KIGHT. UNABLE TO LOCATE UNITS. Received May 7, 12.50 a.m. London, May C. Mr. Pereival Phillips writes: Harassing lire upon the German trenches and communications for the past three days has had the desired effect. Wherever enemy infantry and guns were assembled, the liritish guns punished them so terribly that movement has been impossible. The annihilating bombardment of the German forward area continues day and night, pounding the reliefs coming up to take over the broken trenches from the remnants of exhausted divisions. The reliefs thus arrive at their destination greatly weakened and demoralised. Prisoners admit that the reliefs have often lost their way and drifted hopelessly over a wide area, being unable to locate their units.—Press Association.

| NO ILLUSION AS TO ENEMY PLANS. Every day's delay adds to the enemy's loss and difficulties We have not any illusions about the Gcriuan plans. Despite their enormous casualties, they Must try to take the chain of hills behind Keminel. I am convinced their plans would have alrea/iy materialised but for the British gunners. WATER-LOGG E1) FLANDERS. Baiu ha* added to tee difficulties of the offensive, working havoc on the roads and fields. In water-logged blinders it takes a long period of steady Mmshinn to stiffen the crust enough to bear infantry and giaiH. ENEMY LINE A LIVING BO& The. Fourth German Armv is now inhabiting broad patches of impassable ground, the streams having overflowed the shallow banks, have now become lagoons. The Germans' present front line around Yprcs and Schcrpenberg is a iiviiyf bogKEPT IV STATE OF TENSION. British foray* keep the enemy iu a state of tension ARTLLLERY ACTIVITY. Received May (J. 2.3,") p.m. London, May 5 (4 p.m.) A French communique reports reciprocal artillery activity north and south, of the Authe, also in the DouaumontFlirey sector.—Aust.-N.Z. Cable- Assoc. THIRD CRISIS COMING. ALLIES' TRUST IN FOCH.

i NO RISK OF SECOND SURPRISE. London, April 23. Mr Garvin, editor of the Sunday Observer, states thai the British Army [ withstood the second full storm even better than it did the first. "There is/' he says, "evidently coming for all the inter-knitted allied forces a third crisis, greater than those through which we have passed, but every day's delay means the better grouping of the allies. I have a definite and reasoned belief that the blow will fail, whether it strikes on the right or the left, or in the centre. The Germans will try with all their thoroughness, the diligence, and the fibre which make them redoubtable, but they have, missed their chance of smachiug the allies' line." The Times in a leader saj's: The Germans are waiting until operations may be renewed on a grand scale. The lull will be soon over, and even forcer conflicts are brobable in the next phase. It is certain that Amiens and Abbeville still figure in the enemy's inflated plans, as well as Ha/ebrouck and Soint Oiner. Anticipations on both sides have already been upset concerning the duration of the battle, which may very well last all the summer. The British people trust I'oc'i, and ibis trust is undoubtedly fully shared by our commanders. He regards the allies' interests as one, and his decisions are actuated by the truest spirit of comradeship. The lull in the battle is not expected to last long, despite the very inclement weather, which is windy and rainy. The Germans, who are licking their hurts after the recent thrusts, evidently do [not mean to attack again until ready to do so on a great scale. They are being openly and enormously reinforced, but (he allies have also strengthened their forces, and it is not likely that the Herman thrust will be more ell'eetive in achieving a decision than that of a month ago, when the German people were told to expect a speedy triumph. One thing is henceforth impossible, that the Germans will benelit by a. strategic surprise similar to that, of March 21, when he attacked on a front of fifty miles. All ]iis onslaughts have hitherto failed to attain their object, owing to the impossibility of using his reserves, and have resulted in the bottling up of 1,-500,000 wen in the triangle of Haze-brouck-Amieris-Noyon.