WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 June 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

A REAL BATTLE. ASSAULTING COLUMNS I , MASSACRED. ! London, June 11. Mr Perris quotes a French staff officer, saying:—"This is a real battle," meaning to contract tlie present iierctt lighting with tiia attack oil Chemin-des-Dames, The Allies' line between Noyon and Montdidier is stronger, while the reserves are nearer tlian at the Cheiitiu-des-Dames. The French batteries aro so effective that at many points it amounted to a massacre of the columns of :■ -;iu!t. There is unanimity among the prisoners, as wj.'ll as among our own combatants, that tbe enemy's ranks were torn and ploughed with shot and shell. Never, perhaps, lias the German army paid so dearly for an advance which nowhere exseed's five miles.—Aus.-N.Z. Caible Assoc. . , . VICTORY OR EXHAUSTION. TERRIBLE CARNAGE. London, June 11. Heater's correspondent at French Headquarters repoTts:—On Monday evening the last despatch runners who got through from Plemont before its fall say that thej; themselves saw fourteen unsuccessful German attacks on the hill, j and there were others after they left. It is estimated that the Germans engaged comprise 20 to 30 divisions. Up to the evening the enemy's advance was so slow that he was able to bring up light artillery while the heavier guns were still firing from their old positions. The artillery strength accordingly was pradically equal. j The fierceness of the fighting and the j inflexible determination with which th 9 enemy accepts shocking losses show that he is determined to continue until complete victory or complete exhaustion. The enemy in the course of the day, at immense cost, succeeded in pushing Lis advance from a mile to three miles deep on our front- At Macqueglise, the southernmost point of his salient, ho is about seven miles from his startingpoint. Yesterday morning the fighting was of almost unprecedented fury. The Germans continue to attack in compact masses, which are mown down by gunfire Others and still others follow, and when the position is finally taken by the enemy as often as not it is promptly taken back by the French. In these counter-attacks the French invariably find the ground littered with German dead, often lying in heaps The little height oalled Plemont, south of Lassigny, must be paved with enemy dead,—Router, DING-DONG FIGHTING. HEROIC FRENCH DEFENCE. iLondon, Juno 11. Mr. Perris writes:-—The smallness of the enemy's gains are merely a sign that General von Hulier hag found his adversary prepared and able to contest every yard. The fighting is of the most sanguinaiy character There were terrific hand-to-hand comlbats amid the ruins of every village. Violent straggles occurred at Couroelles, only two miles from the old front. The French lost, re-took, lost, and again recovered the village. Similarly there was dmg-dong fighting around Plemont all day long on Sunday. Although encircled and covered with fire, the French defended the hump j of ground till the evening. Sines then no carrier pigeon has arrived, and it must be presumed tihat the handful of men has been overcome. Their countrymen will not forget them. The rainstorm on Sunday night was | rather in our favorj Paris correspondents point out that the new battle is the first the Germans have launched on a Sunday The newspaper Journal says that, in order to avoid giving the alarm, the Germans brought no troops up till the last moment, but there is a point at which troops must pass from marching formation into the formatitons of attack, and must deploy on each side of the road, an operation that requires several hours. A good barrage fire dropping on them during this period renders tha operation most difficult. We do not know exactly what happened, but our counter-artillery efforts have been well directed, and it is clear the advance has been stopped on both wings with losses which H is claimed put out of action the equivalent of five divisions. —Aus.-N.Z. Oalble Assoc. ATTACK BY AUSTRALIANS. GERMAN BATTALION DESTROYED. Received June 12, 2.55 p.m. London, June 12. Mr. Philip Gibibs states that the Australians attacked on a front of 4000 yards to a depth of 700 yards Afl soon as the attack was launched the Germans knew they wero lost- The Australians killed many with bombs in the trenches, and practically -wiped out an entire German battalion, taking prisoners 300. Press Assoc. BRUTALITY T9 BRITISH Geneva, June 11. Eight French prisoners who escaped from a camp near Mannheim state ttot the num'hi-i' "I' German reprisal camps lias greatly increased in the last three j month*. TK> Hritisli are treated most (harshly, ami their treatment is more severe after each air raid on th® Rhine jftTOrriii AllTiiMii? Affirm •

ENEMY THROWN BACK. Some Lost Ground Recovered. Brilliant Work bf Native Africans Received June 12, 8.30 p.m. London, June 11. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters, writing on June 11, states that during the evening and night of the 10th the Germans attempted to enlarge the salient carved out of our front, by pushing forward both wings as well as the centre. On the left the enemy made 110 progress, being driven back m places between Mery and Vignemont A magnificent counter-attack by native Africans, supported by tanks, enable us to retake Porto Farm, west of Coaipeigne road, with the high ground north thereof and the neighboring farm. The enemy was checked and even thrown back on the right and centre. The Germans have thrown fresh masses on the left wing, with a view to reaching the Oise. —Reuter. SITUATION NOT DISQUIETING. Ground Gained Without Strategic Value. The Enemy's Intention. Received June 12, 5.5 p.m. Paris, June 11. The situation is not disquieting. The ground gained, is without strategic value. The south-westerly wind favors the French gas attacks. Rain is delaying the enemy advance. M. Marcel Hutin writes: Two fresh divisions of Prussian Guards, and two Bavarian divisions lent by Prince Rupprecht participated in yesterday's fighting. The attacks were directed towards Ribecourt on the right, and Estrees and St. Denis on the left, with more fresh divisions which were seen to be echeloned behind the waves of assault, and indicate the enemy's intention not to relinquish his effort, which, if successful at these points, would menace Clermont, Creil, and Senlis with ail over-running manoeuvre from the forest of Compeigne by the west.—(Press Assoc. THEIR WHOLE STRENGTH. GERMANS ENXffiAVORDCG TO FORCE 'A DECISKM. GERMAK NAVY MAY: CO-OPERATE, Keceived June 12, 55 p.m. > Paris, June 11. The Echo de Paris states that the Germans are throwing in their whole strength, hoping to end the war by the end of June, aiid that it will not be surprised if the enemy throws in his naval strength simultaneously with a great attack on the British front. —Press Assoc. London, June I I (4 20 p m ) A French communique states: —The enemy last night continued his pressure in the direction of Estrees, Saint Denis, and Ribecourt. On the left our resistance was effective The enemy was unable to capture Leplayron or Courcelles. We recaptured the village.—Aus.-N.Z. Oalble Assoc. and Reuter. AIRMEN'S ACTIVITY. Behind Enemy Line. Received June 12,10.20 pjn. London, June 11. Sir Douglas Haig""s aviation Report states: Our airmen on the French battlefront, despite the cloudy weather, worked early and late, dropping eight tons of bombs on troops, transport, ammunition flumps, and troops in trenches Direct hits were obtained on the railway at Roye-sur-Matz, and on concentrations of infantry in the triangle of Montdidier, Ricquebourg and Roye. Low-fliers machine-gunned every target offered along the roads behind the fighting lino with immense numbers of rounds and with good effect. We shot down in this area sis aeroplanes, and drove down seven uncontrollable. We lost two machines. Our night-fliers dropped seven tons of bombs on Cambrai and Bapaume. All returned.—Press Assoc.

Germans Claim Successes. Received June 12, 8.30 p.m. London, June 11 (11.30 pjn.). Wireless German official: The enemy attacked in the evening between tlie Ancre and the Somme, effecting a local break through on the Corbie-Brav road. Our counter-attack stopped the advance. We maintain our lines captured southward of Assainvillers against a violent counter-attack Wo are fighting in the neighborhood of Coureelles and Mery. We captured the ridge eastward of Mery, breaking through the fourth enemy position, and threw back the enemy on the Aronde. We fought across the Matz, despite stubborn defence, stormed the heights of Marque Eglise and Vignemonl Hill, and pressed forward as far as Antheuil. We advanced as far as Rubecourt. Our prisoners have increased more than ten thousand since May 27. The Crown Prince has prisonered 75,000. Renewed enemy attacks north-west of Chateau Thierry broke down with heavy losses. —Aus. N.Z. Caible Assoc. and. Reuter' Japan's Faith in Allies. Tokio, June 10. 'While the lesser newspapers comment on the German offensive gloomily, the better-informed journals express the utmost confidence in the Allies' strategy. The Niehinlchi declares that the Allies' tactics nr ■ i. lexceptional. It is clearly their dutrfl •' await the development of America® trength. The latter's participation m fores all doubt as to the outcome ot the war.—Am.- ItZ. - Cable """ " ' . J

MAGNIFICENT COUNTERATTACK. Restores the French Line. Fierce Fight on Wooded Hills. Received June 12, 7.30 p.m. London, June 11 (4.30 p.m.). A French communique states that the chief German efl'ort is directed on the Belloy-Marque Eglise front. A powerful attack by a large body of effectives succeeded in driving us at first as far as Aronde, but a magnificent counter-attack threw kick the enemy on the whole front and restored our positions on the line south of Bel Joy and ■Syaiir, south of Marque Lglisc-Vandeli-court. On our right a fierce fight occurred on the wooded hills north of Dreslincourt. The enemy, who had accumulated a great force in this region, had been able to reach Antoval, compelling us to carry our line of resistance to west and south of Ribecourt. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. PARIS OPTIMISTIC. Germans' Supreme Effort. Stupendous Wastage of German Effectives. Received June 12, 7.30 p.m. Pans, June 11. Paris is still the most optimistic city in Europe, stoically regarding the paign and prolonged effort for the destruction of the French armies. L'Homme Libre says critical moments will recur. LudendorfT aims at a distant objective, in which Paris is only an incidental. The Petit Journal warns the public of the seriousness of the present fluctuations. The present objective is not Paris but Compeigne and Villers Cotteret, as preparations for a supreme effoTfc converging on P*aris. The fighting indicates that. the Franco-American reserves are entering the battlefield. ■ The Matin declares the enemy efforts cannot continue.—Times Service. Henry Bidou, writing in Des Debate, bases his hope of Allied success on the stupendous wastage of German effectives. In the first two offensives the enemy employed equivalent to sixty divisions, and then threw in an equivalent number, besides a further fifty-three in the offensive commending on May 28, and a further fifteen in the present attack. M. Bidou maintains that tliis prodigious effort cannot be kept up inde> finitely, and calculates the time is approaching when the German army will reaeh a state of dangerous fatigue, which will synchronise with the final preparedness of America's young and vigorous army Marcel Hutin states the advance in the centre is due to the large number of tanks that were suddenly launched, and which the artillery had not succeeded in destroying. The enemy's object is clearly to establish a straight front from Montdidier, Compeigne, and Chateau Thierry, outflanking the Villers forest. — Reuter. CONTINUANCE OF ATTACKS. MEAN BVBRYTEEN'G TO GERMANS. OOMjMENTS OiN THE STRUGGLE. London, June 11. Mr. Campbell, writing on the 10th, says that, except in the centre, we have merely given up an advanced and liglitlyheld zone of posts. The enemy attacked in close formation, and would not have attonrpted the venture without considerable superiority of forces. It seems impossible to prevent certain territorial gains even without the element of surprise. It is worthy of note that the extent of the offensive fronts is diminishing. It was 60 miles in March, and 30 in May, and now 20. On the whole, they must be disappointed with the' first day's effort. The ground over which they advanced had ibeen carefully studied by French artillerists. The continuance of the attack with the greatest energy and desperation is expected. It means everything to Gernnny So far the enemy has only begun to ascend the heights which form the main defensive line. Further progress will compel a French retirement from the Xoyon salient, but that would not be serious- The road to Bans is faced by the Forest of Compeigne, and then by the threq forests of Halatte, Ermenonville, and Chantilly. General Maurice writes:—General von Hutier has again taken the offensive, though it is too early to judge whether it is the beginning on a grand scale of an attempt to advance to Paris or merely a local effort to draw in more of the Allied reserves. It s estimated that von Hutier used a force of 10 divisions on his attacking front between Chiry-Oursoamp and Avencomi, a distance of aibout 20 miles, but made little progress, except in the centre sector of 10 miles front, where he penetrated four and a-half miles down the Matz Valley to the south of Ressons. Ho also gained a footing in Thies-' court Wood. It remains to be seen whether Prince Ruipipreeht will resume the offensive , against the British or participate in the direct advance towards Paris.—Aus.-NVZ, Calble Assoc. Americans Advance Their Position. Received June 13, 12.20 a.m. Spills: i London, June 12. An American communique states: of Chateau Thierry we againadvanced our positions at Bellea wood, tailing prisoner 250.—iA.us. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

FRENCH TURN ON ENEMY. And Drive Him Back.. •>., ■ I I' I Americans' Brilliant Capture. Aeroplanes Harry the Enemy. Received June 12, 11.50 p.m. London, June 12 (2-30 a.m.). A French communique states:—The 'battle continues. To-day, from Montdidier to the Oise, on the left, our troops, supported by tanks, counterattacked during the afternoon on a front of twelve kilometres between Rubescourt and St Maur. Notwithstanding desperate resistance, we reached the southern approaches to Le Fretoy, and captured the height between Courcelles and Mortimer. We carried our lines over two kilometres cast of Mery We also recaptured Belloy Tioisgenles, and reached tlio southern outskirts of St. Maur The enemy lost heavily, and left a thousand prisoners and several guns in our hands. In the centre, the Germans, who succeeded in pushing to the south of Heges Farm and Antheul, were driven back beyond both points. On our right, tha enemy, by accentuating his pressure, sought to gain the Matz Valley Several violent attacks at Checineourt were repulsed. The) enemy gained footings at Maehement and Bethancourt, which are bitterly dis-1 puted. J The Americans, south of the Ourcq, brilliantly captured the Belle Eau Wood, taking 300 prisoners. Our day-bombing squadrons continued wortc on Monday Despite the bad weather, groups of aeroplanes, flying low over exposed points of the battlefield, dropped projectiles on enemy concentrations dispersing reinforcement* and mflicting heavy losses. Several crews made several trips. Eight tons of explosives were then dropped with the 'best resultThe enemy's rear was actively bombed on Monday night, twenty tons of projectiles being dropped on convoys, cantonments and stations. Two munition depots were blown up. Four enemas aeroplanes and captive balloons were felled on Monday bv chasers.—Aus.-N.Z. Oaible Assoc. and Reuter BRITISH OPERATIONS. ADVANCE OF HAOF-MILE. London, June 11. I The British east of Amiens advanced half a mile on a front of one and a-half miles south of Morlancourt. The Australians on the Morlancourt front advanced their line half a mile, and captured 230 prisoners and 2(1 gunsSir Douglas Haig reports:—We jtia<l |! successful raids north-westward of Mor- i lancourt, southward of the Scarpe and eastward of the Niepipe Forest- The ! enemy raided one of our posts in the Aveluy Wood- Active hostile artillery fire and gas shelling is in progress westward of Lens.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.