WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

OPENING OF OFFENSIVE. APPARENTLY AIMED AT PARIS. London, May 27. The Germans are apparently driving towards Paris, and a new offensive has begun between l.ocre and Voormezoele, the Germans gaining several points.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ATTACKS ON WIDE FRONTS. OFFICIAL REPORTS. London, May 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Strong hostile attacks, preceded by a bombardment of great intensity, developed on , the morning of the 27th on wide frontß against the British and French, between Rheims and Soissons, and against the Frsnc h between Lccre and Yoormezeele. There was considerable hostile artillery fire on Sunday night on the British front. A French communique reports: There is active artillery fire north and south of the Avre, but no infantry attacks. A Belgian communique Bays: During the night, after a violent bombardment, German shock troops attacked the Belgian advanced positions between the Ppssehendaele canal and St. Georges. Thav momentarily penetrated our trenches, but were ejected. An attempted'hostile attack in the region of Boesinghe failed under our barrage.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ARNIN'S ADVANCE. ALLIES FIGHTING BRILLIANTLY. * London, May 27. General von Arnin's infantry advanced at dawn under cover of a ground haze, following furious artillery fire. The object of the Seherpenberg attack i 3 to neutralise the French success at Locre. The United Press Correspondent, writing at 4.30 p.m., says that the Germans made some progress in the direction of Seherpenberg. The Allies are fighting brilliantly, it is too early yet to know the result. — Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Cortcspondenis report that both attacks were preceded by hurricane bombardments. The southern was extensive, but the northern, which was launched at 4.30, was apparently localised. GERMANS GAIN A MILE. London, May 27. The Germans have advanced a mile on the Chemin-des-Dames.—United Service. SUPER-GUN AT WORK. * London, May 27. The German super-gun is again bom barding Paris. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc Paris, May 27. The long-range gun resumed the bombardment of Paris, and shells have been dropping regularly every quarter of an hour since tlie morning.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

MAURICE'S VIEWS. FOCH NURSES RESERVES. London, May 27. General Maurice, in the Daily Chronicle, says that one of the lessons of the numerous attacks on entrenched positions is that if the defences are resolute and the reserves adequate the limit of the advance bears a definite relation to the length of the attacking front. The British victory at Arras on a tenmile front advanced five miles, and the British at Wytschaete on a seven-mile front advanced three miles. The Germans in 1918 on a seventy-mile front advanced about 35 miles. General Foch has been nursing his reserves carefully and we need not fear the worst, though it would be contrary to experience if the enemy does not ?uake some gain. The Germans in their latest attacks adhered to the practice of employing massed infantry and paid a heavy price, but it was mainly justified. The only new features of the March offensive were the short bombardment and the use of fog. The former, by sparing the ground beyond the British front lines, enabled the German infantry and reinforcements to push ahead with huge loads of food and munitions, thus obviating other forms of transport. General Maurice points out that the British have sometimes employed artificial fog, but nothing can equal Nature's fog, under cover of which the Germans broke our lines when the machine-guns and artillery were blanketed, but they are unlikely to have this advantage in the coming events.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.

STEELING THE ANZACS' THE MURDEEROXJS BOMBING OF A HOKPfTAL. . Received May 28, M.40 p.m. London, May 27. Australians and Xew Zealanders have a fresh reason for steeling their hearts against the barbarous enemy, owing to the bombing of a base hospital in France on the 19th. A considerable number of Australian and New Zealand wounded were among the hundreds under treatment at the hospital when it was bombed. Some were killed, others, again, were wounded, while several who were already in a low state through wounds at the front, died from shock.—Press Assoc. ARRIVAL OF AMERICAN AEROPLANES. New York, May 27. The New York Times Correspondent mi the American front says that the first American aeroplanes equipped with iiberty motors have arrived on tlio West front.—Aus N.Z. Cable Assoc.

AIMING AT RHEIMS. HEAVY GERMAN MASSING. THROWING EVERYTHING INTO THE THIRD PHASE. Received May 29, 9 p.m. Loudon, May 29. Mr. Gibbs states that the increased German artillerying on several sectors from Flanders to the Somme was intensified this morning, as though preparatory to infantry attacks ui force. Warning signals were sent up to our troops in some, sectors, but infantry attacks have not followed tlma far. The German assault commenced at dawn upon the French beyond the Hospice of Locre, with the object of regaining the ground which the French won on May 20, but it would be unwise to exaggerate the importance of the fighting, which, perhaps, is designed to divert attention from the main Wow. The weather remains good. There is universal activity in the air. Our fighting planes are going eastwards in flocks. The United Press correspondent says that the long delayed German offensive seems at. hand. They attacked, this morning, the- British along the Aisne, westward of Rheims, and the French on both the British flanks, simultaneously with thrusts against the Alii;-.-. hi (.lie region of Montdidier, and a mo: •;the hills south-west of Ypres. The :-r slightly progressed at some jilacheld up at others. Apparently t-;e ' i <;nididier attack was stopped easily. (he Crown Prince's thrust between Novon and Rheims seems to have been heavier. The British are reported to be helding the line Connicy—Bouffingnureaux— CourcevTeaux, on the Aisne, a little to the south of the old advanced line. The French, apparently, are holding the line along the Aisne in a north-westerly direction, while the Franco-British on the right of Connicy are reported to have taken up their appointed battle positions. Tlie French re-established t-ho line of the Lys battle front, where the Germans penetrated early in the morning. The fighting continues. The Germans, south of Dickebusehe, apparently still hold 800 yards of French trenches, also part of the front system in the same region, but the French are fighting vigorously. The French have already taken a hundred prisoners. Fine weather prevails, and the aeroplanes are very active. The eneiny are heavily massed around Peronne, Roye, Ham, Nesle and Noyon. There is every indication that the enemy is prepared to throw everything into the third—perhaps the ultimate—phase of the offensive. —Press Association.

ATTACK ON A WIDE FRONT,

ANGLO-FRENCH RESISTING GALLANTLY. Received May 28, 7.10 p.m. London, May 27 (3.45 p.m.). A French communique states: During the latter half of last night the Germans very violently bombarded the entire region between the forest of Penon and Rheims. The enemy this morning attacked on a very wide front. The Franco-British troops are resisting with their customary gallantry. The battle is progressing. There is lively artillerying at nighttime in the Champagne, on the right of the Mcuse, in the forest of Aprement and in the Woevrc, and local enemy attacks in the forest of Apremont, in the region of Rimey, north-east of Badonvillers, were repulsed.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.

A METHODICAL RETIREMENT. MAKING ENEMY PAY DEARLY. Received May 28, 11.50 p.m. London, May 27. Franco-British troops, in echelon, are retiring methodically and in perfect liason, making the enemy pay very dearly for his first inevitable success, and assuring, by resistance, inch by inch, the efficacious use of the reserves. Artillery activity continues very lively on both banks of the Meuse and in the region oi the St. Mihiel and Lorraine front-—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. ATTACK ON SCHERPENBERG. VON AKNIM'S POWERFUL BLOW. Received May 28, 7.15 p.m. London, May 27. The United Press correspondent states that General von Arnim this morning struck a powerful local blow towards Schcrpenberg, which seems a determined further attempt to regain the lost ground. The battle began with a heavy bombardment from the canal bank near Ypres. The German infantry advanced at daw. Meantime the German artillery was furiously pounding several sectors more southward, between Arras and Albert, but all was quiet there at seven this morning, and also quiet in the Somme area, except some gas shelling about Corbie and Fouilloy.—United Service.

NOT ON A BIG SCALE. GREAT EVENTS MUST BE NEAR. Received May 28, 8.15 p.m. London, May 27. Mr. Philip Gibbs states: The German attack in the neighborhood of Locre is not a battle on a big scale, but great events must be near.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

INTENSIVE FIRE. GERMANS COME OX IN CLOSE FORMATION. MIENOH PRESSED BACK. SITUATION WELL IN HAND. Received May 28, 015 p.m. London, May 27. A British Headquarter's correspondent, writing on the 27th, in the evening, states that Gel-man bombardments this morning were scarcely less violent than those preceding the attack on March 23. Gas shells were periodically employed, a northeasterly wind diffusing the gas widely along the Allied front. There was an intensive fire between the Ypres Oanal and Dieppe forest, while an area west of Lens, in the SCarpe Valley, was also heavily bombarded. The enemy is heavily shelling far j ba/Ok areas with high-velocity guns. His airmen are unusually venturesome. The British on the French flank have been engaged. The Germans came in their familiar formations in dense waves, keeping close to their lifting barrage Against the first shock the French stood stoutly on the left and eentre, 'but were pressed back slightly in the vicinity of a farm on thedr right- During the morning the Germans, with characteristic recklessness of cost, continued to push fresh troops, and the French were obliged to yield more ground, but, subsequently counter-attacking, they restored their line in most plaees. The Germans have a footing in the French front-line south of Dickelbusch for a distance of eight hundred yards, and also have some hold at another point of the front-line system in this region. The situation, however, appears to be well in hand. Reports from the battlefield breathe confidence. Ours and the French artillery are barraging the German positions intetnsely, and the enemy casualties must be very heavy.—Reuter. HEAVY FIGHTING. ANGLO-FRENCH RETIRE TO SECOND LINE OF DEFENCE. Received May 28, 10 p.m. London, May 27Sir Douglas Hoag, reporting at 3.30 a.m. on the 27th, states:—The British division holding a sector of the French front astride the Aisne, at Berry-au-Bac, between Bermericourt and Cravonelle, were heavily attacked. At the same time hostile attacks in great strength were made against the French divisions on our riglit, and also against French divisions on our left along the high ground traversed by the Clhemin-des-Dames.

In the British sector, the enemy's attacks were supported by tanks, accompanied by an intense bombardment with gas shells- Our troops on the right maintained their battle positions and wero in close touch With the French on our left. The enemy succeeded, after 'heavy fighting, l n pressing us hard to our second line of prepared positions.

SEVERE FIGHTING CONTINUES. STRONG HOSTILE ATTACKS REPULSED. GREAT ENEMY LOSSES. FRENCH REGAIN GROUND. Received May 29, 12.15 a.m. London May 28. Sir Douglas Haig further reports: Severe fighting continues all along the front. Strong enemy attacks this morning on the Locre-Voormezeele front were repulsed by the French after fierce fighting, in which the enemy sustained great losses. The enemy penetrated a short distance into French positions in the neighborhood of Dickebusch Lake. Fighting is continuing. Other localities, into which the enemy penetrated in his first attack, have been regained by the French coun-ter-attacks, and a number of the enemy taken prisoners.

AVIATION REPORT. RAILWAY STATION BOMBED. Received May 29, 12.45 a.m. London, May 28. Sir Douglas Haigfs aviation report states: Owing to low clouds and mist on the 26th, little flying was possible until evening, when aeroplanes dropped four tons in the neighborhoods of Armentieres and Fricourt. We brought down six enemy aeroplanes. No British are missing. Our aeroplanes dropped twenty heavy bombs on, Bensdorff railway station on the 27th, bursts being seen on the rail sidings. Hostile scouts heavily attacked the bombers over the objective. One of our machines was seen to go down under control, but all the others returned. A GERMAN REPORT. CAPTURE OF RIDGE CLAIMED. Received May 29, 12.50 a.m. London, May 28. A wireless German official message this evening claims the capture of the whole of the Chemin des Dames ridge.

START OF OFFENSIVE. | ' $ ALLIES HAVE SITUATION W 1 . HAND. Received May 29, 1.55 a.m. : London, Maj? 28. Router's correspondent at Rcenek headquarters, reporting at noon on the 27th, describing the German renewal of operations, says the Crown Prince's forces are probably commanded by Generals Franz von Bulow and von Boehin. They started at dawn and launched their attack after a liberal bombardment throughout the first part of the night. The Allied commanders have the situation well in hand, and are waiting to see whether the attack is purely a demonstration in force, or will develop into a general battle. Possibly the en-' emy is merely endeavoring to attract the Allied reserves, while concentrating forces for the main attack elsewhere— Router. NEW ZEALANDERS MENTIONED, FIGHTING CONTIGUOUS. ENEMY DISREGARDS LOSSES, Received May 29, 1.50 a.m. London, May 28. Sir Douglas Haig mentions In despatches New Zealanders, seventy officers, 28 non-coms, and men and one nurse. A Belgian communique states: Lingrange guns fired on our back areas yesterday. A French .communique states; Xhft battle was continuous throughout the day, with extreme violence on a front of over forty kilometres, between the region of Vaux-Aillon to the outskirts of Bremont, enemy masses coming to grips with the front line troops, and regardless of losses pushed on towards the valley of the Aisne, and some of their elements, reached the neighborhood of Pontarly at the end of the day.— Press Association.