WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMAN INFANTRY ATTACK. CLEARING THE WAY. FOR ANOTHER THRUST. Received May 0, 10.50 p.m. London, May 8. Neuter's British Headquarters correspondent, writing on the evening of the Sth, fays that, following a hoavy and cotinuou s bombardment along a wide front in Flanders, tbe German infantry this morning attacked south of DiekcVuseh Lakt- I't ivss not a very big affair, apparently only tlio divisional strength. ' The enemy penetrated our f rout line between the lake and Ridge Wood, some enemy parties being reported in the eastern fringe of the wood, the greater part of whioh we hold, and wiiieh is likely to prove very costly to the enemy if he attempt?i to push on. We also hold Kleinenstraat. Tho fighting continues. It is fine weather. The tactical objective of tlie operation was, aposrentiy. an attempt to clear the way for a thru«t toward? Sclierpenberg from the. fiorth-east, and may prove tlie beginning of further fierce fighting in this region.—Renter Service.

ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. BRITISH ADVANCE IN MINOR OPERATIONS. London, May 8. Sir Douglas Haig reports: As tho result of minor operations, we advanced our line a short distance iii three localities between tlio Somme and the Ancre, taking prisoners. Hostile artillery was activo at night between Locon and Robecq and in tlie neighborhood of St. Julien. It also developed considerable activity this morning in the Kemmel sector. ALLIED DEFENSIVE. AWAITING AMERICAN REINFORCEMENTS. London, May 8. . Mr. Churchill says the Anglo-Trench armies are prepared to remain on the defensive during the coming summer until adequate United States reinforcements arrive.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ITALIAN OPINION. SIGNOR ORLANDO'S CONFIDENCE. Rome, May 8. Signer Orlando, interviewed at an Italian port after his return from France, saul he found all the Allied military chiefs convinced that the German rush had been stopped. The Germans would neither reach the Channel ports nor separate the English and French. General Foch is master of the game. Signor Orlando emphasised the fact, that Italy has associated herself with the intimate military and political union between the Entente nations. The Abbeville conference recognised the unity of front from the North Sea to tho Adriatic as a concrete reality—Reuter. OFFENSIVE FORECASTED. Washington, May 8. The Brit:sh Military Mission forecasts the almost immediate resumption of the German offensive.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association. AMERICAN AIRMAN KILLED. London, May S. The crack American airman, Captain Hill, formerly of the British army, has been killed in a fight with an enemy machine.—Reuter. AUSTRALIAN ADVANCE. ■ London, May S. The Australians gained 500 yards at Sailly-le-Sec,'east of Amiens, and gained 300 yards west of Morlancourt. They advanced despite a heavy uarrage.—Aus. N.Z. Caiile Assoc. The United Press correspondent on tho British, front states that the Australians advanced 500 yards on a 1100 yards front north of tho Somme.—Aus. N.Z. Cablo Assoc. ENEMY RAIDS FAIL. Received May 9, 8.30 p.m. London, May 8. A French communique states: There was groat reciprocal artillerying during tho night north and south of tlio Avre. Enemy raids west of Montdidier and in the regions of Hangard and Grivesnes failed.

GERMAN OFFICIAL. Received May 9, 11.50 p.m. London, May 8. Wireless Gernum official:—ln a successful reconnoitring operation southwar of Nieuport we took some Belgians prisoner. Local engagements on the Snune resulted in our securing British and French prisoners. The enemy, after strong mining preparations, usuccessfully attacked both sides of the Corbie-Bray road. Our fire effectively rerajrht the Iroops which were being kept in readiness after a further attack at night southward of the road. Our counter-attack drove the enemv back.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. ana Reuter.

STRONG LOCAL ATTACK. JiNlijlY ENTERS i'KUN'f LiNE. OTHER ATTACKS DEFEATED. Received May 9, 11.-10 p.m. London, May 8. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—The enemy laimdied a strong local attack against the Anglo-French between La Clytte and Voorniezelc. After heavy lighting, the centre attack entered the Allied frontline at certain points. Fighting continues in these localities.* Attacks were repulsed at all other points, A successful French local operation advanced the line during tho night southward of La Clytte, taking a number of prisoners. We dropped four hundred bombs on different targets along the front. We brought down twelve German machines during tho air fighting, eight of which were brought down in one big encounter in the neighborhood of Degait. None of our machines are missing. A French communique states that there is rediprocs.l artillery activity north and south of tlie Avre.

THE AUSTRALIANS' BLOWS. TREMENDOUS ENEMY BARRAGE. WARPLANES SWARMING THE BATTLEFIELD. Received May 9, 8.15 p.m. London, May 8. The Australians' first at midnight was a feint with a heavy bombardment, the second and third blows being delivered simultaneously. Meanwhile the enemy put up tremendous •macliine-gun and shrapnel barrages, but tho Australians held on. Artiilerying has increased around BaiJleul and along the Ancre. Warplanes are swarming on the battlefields owing to the brilliant, sunshiny weather. —United Service.

AUSTRALIANS' GREAT DEED. THE RECAPTURE OF BRETTONNEUX ALLIED LEADERS RELIEVED. Lpndon, May 3. Further news shows that the recapture of Viliers Bretonneux was one of the bravest deeds in the history of the Australians. These troops were recently relieved in this sector in order to rest in reserve. Under the enormous weight of attack in a gas-poisoned atmosphere the British, and French holding the line were compelled to retire. The Australians belong to a division including men from all States. It was a desperate task at a desperate moment under conditions which none but great fighters would have dared to face. The Germans were in great strength, and they had plenty of minenwerfers and machine guns. The whole country stank with gas, but the Australians stumbled forward in their gas masks. There.was just sufficient moonlight to see the immediate objects, and compelling the Boche to meet bomb and bayonet until he was ejected. The Allied leaders were profoundly pleased. It is reported that General Foch said: "This indeed is a greater event than the loss of Kemmel." Foch'a view that every inch of country before Amiens must be held at any cost is now ungrudgingly accepted. It is the view of a strong commander, who is prepared to sell territory that is not vital in the north, provided the vital living line of the British and French be not broken elsewhere. The British leaders wore intensely relieved when Bretonneux was recaptured. Mr. Lloyd George, talking to an Australian, said: "Your men have done magnificent things since they entered the battle, but this is more. It is superb soldiering." Leaders are not abashed at the prospect of fighting retirements westwards in the north, but the Amiens line must be held. The Westminster Gazette says: "The battle of Bretonneux is more important than Kemmel, because wc have good hopes of making the enemy's check at Amiens final. Retirements from the north are not irreparable, but defeats at Amiens upset the basis of the Allied strategy—namely, the maintenance of the line until British and American reinforcements regain the numerical superiority and recover the initiative." Mr. Garvin (editor of the Sunday Observer) states that Bretonneux stands on a little plateau looking clear over Amiens. The enemy would rather have gained here than at Kemmel. For a day his hopes were high. Then came one of the finest feats of the battle. At nightfall the Australians, passing through the British troops, carried out by brilliant skill and gallantry one of the best coun-ter-attacks ever known. Dispensing with the help of a bombardment, which would have warned the enemy that a counter-attack was imminent, they swept forward in the dark and assailed Bretonneux on two sides. They encircled it, stormed it, and with savage fighting were through the streets by noon. Bretonneux's garrison was either wiped out or taken prisoners. Praise is due above all to the Australians. No praise is too high for the speed, ability, and the unsurpassable fighting which resulted in such a clean finish, to such a deed. The National News describes the taking of Bretonneux as a glorious, hardfought action, and a great feat of arms which will forever crown the Australian army with an aureole of glory. Never was plan better made or more gloriously carried out. It is the worst set-back the Germans have had since the battle begun, and it redounds greatly to the credit of the commanders and-troops engaged. WOUNDED WELCOMED IN LONDON. FLOWERS, KISSES AND CHEERS. London, May 4. Many men who were wounded at Vil-lers-Bretonneux are in hospital in London. Hundreds of women and girls gathered at Charing Cross when the men wr.yed, and threw flowers into the aru-

bitlawea, blowing ltisgoi: and cheering. The ufficeis are overflowing with admiration for the nu-n'i. lighting. It appears certain that the Aui.traliana including a. Victorian brigade and a composite. brigade, were called on In counterattack as soon as possible. Some battalions marched thither from 11 o'clock ill the morning until 5 in the afternoon, and then dug in and attacked at 10 without artillery preparation. It was regarded as a forlorn hope. Machine-gun bullets pattered like a hailstorm. Veteran officers state that they never saw anything in France to equal it, but the darkness prevented good marksmanship, the shots flying overhead. The. men did not know the ground, and trusted entirely to compasses, yet they inarched as if on parade. Tlie officers had no need to say n steadying word. A GLORIOUS JUNCTION". The Victorians worked round the northern side of the village, while the composites worked from the south, it was a glorious junction. The men knew they had caught tho garrison in a trap. A Melbourne solicitor, recently promoted from tho ranks, said: "The Boche got windy immediately he saw he was surrounded. The tanks worked down the village street. It must have been hell for the crews working in their gas .masks. Many Germans refused to emerge from the cellars, and thorofora it was necessary for bombs to make a grisly mess of these shelters." "Other 3 state that they never saw tlie boys fight more eagerly. They inflicted terrible losses. Daylight revealed the eneniy dead thick. Tho Australians take their honors modestly, insisting that the Germans didn't fight." "Well, I am convinced," said a Melbourne lieutenant who lost his leg, "that the Boche won't fight at close quarters. Many with machine-guns begged pitifully for mercy." . The Boche artillery was wonderfully powerful, and made a terrible barrage on Thursday, but fortunately it failed to get an accurate range. The New South Wales troops held tho section of the lino north of Bretonneux, and defeated three fierce attacks, the heroic defence making possible the successful counter-attacks.

SUPERB BEHAVIOUR. London, May 3. Mr. Perry Robinsou, correspondent of The Times at British headquarters, writing yesterday, said: "Since the Australians came into these battles at the end of March their behaviour has been superb." Reviewing the operations at Dernancourt and Morlancourt, the correspondent said that it is believed that the Australians killed no fewer than 3000 Germans. When the lino north of the Somme fell back to Saily and Maricourt l'Abbe, conforming with the retirement to Hamei and Vaire Wood, the Australians held the cord between the streams, and have beaten off every attack since. The Germans, in conjunction with the onslaught on Villers-Bretonneux, made two determined attacks on Sailly (further north). Both wore shattered by the Australians' steadiness with the rifle. Throughout the same period they held the line along the railway to Albert. Their rifle fire and bayonet fighting caused heavy casualties to the enemy. During the northern fighting the Australians took over the line east of Nicppe Forest to the Men-is section, which lias been continuously noted for the fine spirit of the troops holding it, and the enemy's failure to make headway. "ALL OVER THE GERMANS." There was never a moment in this fighting when the Australians were not all over the Germans. Their patrol work at Meteren has been beyond all praise, and has earned the heartiest admiration of the French who are fighting alongsifle them. « Altogether, the Australians' record is brilliant, and nobody in the army or out of it will begrudge them Sir Douglas Haig'a praise.