GERMANS WELL BEHIND THEIR OBJECTIVES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 72, 25 March 1918, Page 5

GERMANS WELL BEHIND THEIR OBJECTIVES.

ARTILLERY'S DEADLY PLAY ON TROOP-BLOCKED ROAD. (Received 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 24. Renter's correspondent at headquarters, writing on Saturday evening, reports:—Captured copies of the German plan of the offensive bliow that the , enemy objectives were on the first day an avorage penetration on the whole front of c : ght kilometres, on the second day twelve kilometres, and on the third day, beyond which the scheme does not appear to be carried, twenty kilometres. The success attained hitherto falls much short of these objectives. An attempt to cross the Somme by means of four bridges, was last night detected and frustrated 'with great loss by the artillery. All the roads of the German advance are blocked by columns of troops, guns, and transport, on which we are making deadly play. Rough estimates of the casualties inflicted vary between 30 to 50 per cent of all divisions hitherto identified. I give the figures for what they may be worth.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)