HUGE GERMAN LOSSES

Evening Star, Issue 16409, 27 April 1917, Page 6

HUGE GERMAN LOSSES

INCURS!® IN DESPERATION TO HESTOEE BREACHES IN LINE. J Press Association—l 3 v Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

LONDON, April 26. (Received April 27, ( .at 10.40 a.m.) Tho ‘ Morning Post’s’ correspondent dates that the German counter-attacks were delivered with reckless courage, unparalleled since the' early days of the war, indicative cf the enemy’s affairs approaching a supreme crisis. Priuce Rupprecht’s Stall wasted men lavishly in the attempt to restore their left flank to a position of vital importance. Tloop trains continue to unload fresh regiments of Wurtombergers and Prussian Guards on the far side of the Douai Plain, „ while divisions have been withdrawn from other Points to strengthen the breaches in Hindenburg’s line south of the river Scarpe. Hill No. 70 (two miles north of Lens), Gavrelle, Monchy-le-Preux, and Fontaine are the four storm-centres which involved exceptionally heavy German losses. A TERRIBLE HAMMERING. TEN DIVISIONS WITHDRAWN. OUR AIRMEN’S DARING. LONDON, April 26. (Received April 27, at 11.25 a.m.) The Gormans apparently thought it posable that they might break the British barrier between Gavrelle and the Douai railway, and thenco to the Scarpe marshes. Their infantry waves flowed over the ridges and through their corpses between Fresnes and Plouvain in solid lines. No gunner could ask a better target, and appalling destruction was wrought by our explosives. This, however, did not affect the German observers beliind Fresnes, and the surviving Brandenburgers, who managed to regain their shelters, where they sorted themselves out, prepared for another attack. Fresh battalions wore summoned, only to undergo the same ordeal. The British garrison at Gavrelle simply sat tight behind their machine guns and killed the Germans in companies with their aitilIsry. The fields in front were covered y?ith corpses, and the entire countryside ajound Monchy and Fontaine is strewn v;ith dead. Never before have tho opposing air fleets been so heavily engaged in battle as during Monday and Tuesday. Airmen grappled each other above the contending armies; aviatiks whirled down in dizzy spirals, pursued by British airmen, who saw them crash in blazing wreckage on the battlefield. Then our planes swept low and riddled with bullets the wavering line of advancing grey figures. Our airmen everywhere fought German batteries, lino regiments, and transport columns, and did not give the enemy any rest. “ Tanks,” aeroplanes, gas, and shells were wielded by usjn this modem battle. Altogether 10 German divisions have been withdrawn from one part of the front, and 10 new ones are already undergoing a similar hammering. BERLIN’S VERSION. Australian and K.Z. Cable Association and Router. Admiralty per Wireless Press. LONDON, April 26. (Received Ax>ril 27, at 12.15 p.m.) Gorman official; Attacking waves thrice ''termed our positions southward of the Scarpe, and thrice they were compelled to withdraw. Our position at Gavrelle is now situated on the eastern boundarv of the village. Our advances have improved our position. At Chemin-des-Damcs the French attacked on a three kilometres front last evening, and were sanguinarily repulsed. THE BRITISH LOSSES RELATIVELY SMALL. PARIS, April 26. (Received April 27, at 10.25 a.m.) The newspaper ‘Le Matin’ states that the enemy trenches- on the Scarp© battlefield aie full of dead, their losses amountmg to per cent, of their effectives. The Pomeranian Division was almost annihilated, and one Prussian regiment was mown down to the lust man. The Prussian Guards’ units were replaced hr exhausted Bavarians. The British losses were relatively small, me majority of the casualties beinv minor wounds. °