SPLENDID STAND OF THE BRITISH

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 74, 27 March 1918, Page 5

SPLENDID STAND OF THE BRITISH

ONLY RETIRE WHEN OUTNUMBERED THREE TO ONE, ■ ' ~ ■■ ) ' GERMAJIS LOOSE TIDAL WAVE UT XKESPEBATE GAMBLE. .(ReceiTed-11.45 a.m.J LONDON, March 26. Mr. Fercival Phillips writes that the second battle of the Somme is being fought in the open acroes dead country converted into hills and valleys by three years of trench warfare. The struggle, which may decide the fete of nations, haa raged for five days and nights. By sheer weight of numbers the Germane are trying to overwhelm us, but nowhere have they succeeded. They have gone forward slowly, but the aim. of their Emperor is still unachieved. The situation is exacting and aerioun, but not ao critical that tbe fate of the British armies hangs in the balance. The stand made by our troops everywhere is splendid. They are resisting fresh corps and divisions, and they have only given ground when outnumbered by three or even six to one. Unee which were momentarily taken have been re-established, counter-attacks by handfuls of Britons have dammed the flood and pushed it back, for it is nothing but a tidal wave which-the Germans have loosed in a desperate gamble. The Germans on Sunday night attacked north of Bacaume. Constant fighting occurred on the Arras road, and the enemy disclosed fresh chock formations at dawn and renewed their blows on both sides of Bapaume. In order to understand what took place on Monday east of Neele it is necessary to recall four days of fighting. When the Germans attacked between Gouzeaucourt and Villaret on Thursday they utilised five divisions in tho first assault, and three in two others. Later they managed to get up in a fog without being seen, and by Thursday night we were behind Villeret and Hargieourt. There was intense fighting on Friday about Le Verguier, the enoiny winning the high ground before the end of the day. We again fell back, and when the Germans broke our new line at HerviUy we counter-attacked with tanks, but finally retired acroes tho Somme, blowing up all the bridges except St. Christ, and aieo destroying the causeways across the marshes and tho derelict canal. The Germane brought up rafts, and small detachments tried to pole themselves across the Somme. They were scuppered by machine-guns almost before they embarked. A similar fate befell the bridging expeditions at St. Christ. Meanwhile ten German divisions were in action between Nesle and plery. Two of the beet German divisions, including the crack Brandenburg Corpß, were ordered <to cross the Somme on Monday. They managed to get a footing on the west bank by means of rafts and pontoons supported by * very heavy bombardment. They thus made a dent in our line at Morchain. Our counter-attacks partially restored the situation. The Germans, however, kept Wcadily llowing across the Somrae in great numbers, and by eleven in the morning got a footing in. our line, between Marchielpot and Licourt, south of the Somme. There was hand to hand fighting at some places. The Brandenburgcre fought with great determination, and appeared quite fresh. The result of the Nestle fighting was still in doubt when the dispatch left. Tho German casualties were much heavier than ours in the last two days. The majority of, British wounded are walking cases. All say that the Germans are trying to smother ue by weight. They come on in greater numbers than we can kill. A remarkable feature of the German advance is the rapid movement of the heavy guns. This phase of open warfare has been carefully rehearsed for months. Our airmen see howitzers lumbering along the roads and endless columns of motor lorries bring shells to new battery positions. The guns come into action anywhere in the open fields. Batteries are seen galloping boldly across rieing ground within a mile of our troops. Behind the advancing armies is another array of workmen repairing the railway bridges and erecting hospitals and aerodromes. Tho latest report is that the Germans captured Rove, and that British, Americans, and French are engaged in bringing up fresh reinforcements. — (A. and K.Z. Cable)