WEST FRONT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4815, 12 March 1918, Page 5

WEST FRONT.

HEAVIEST FIGHTING OF YEAR. FIERCE GERMAN ASSAULTS MAGNIFICENT BRITISH DEFENCE. CHARGE OF THE YORKSHIRE MEN. Renter's Telegrams. ~ LONDON, March 10. ilouter s correspondent at British Headquarters states:— Yesterday’s fighting was the heaviest of the year. On the sPasschendale salient the enemy the whole of the-, previous night heavily bombarded our front from Warncton to Langemarck, freely employing gas shells. Iroops were employed in a subseattack on -j, mile front south of liouthulst forest. Our men met the enemy with such vigorous resistance that the waves broke and retired in most places. On the right flank, however, an attack by fiammerwerfer forced the garrisons of some posts to withdraw to the supports. A little later the Yorkshire Light Infantry counter-attacked with great dash. The enemy was very strong, but the fury of the onslaught created a panic. The enemy broke and 1 °ur men pursued them three hundred yards from the spot where the enemy attacked, inflicting considerable casualties. The line was completely restored. ! Heavy artillerving all day long astride the Menin road was "succeeded by the advance of a large body of infantry covered by an intense barrage.. The infantry deployed three thousand yards.- Furious fighting ensued at twilight. The struggle was most confined. The enemy succeeded in establishing a few posts, which were submitted to our artillery fire all night long. The weather is ideal. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH RAIDS. HOSTILE ARTILLERY ACTIVE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter’s. LONDON, March 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We made successful raids north-west of St. Quentin and south-west of Cambrai. Hostile artillery is active at Armentieres, eastward of Wytschaete, and in the neighborhood of the Menin road. DISASTROUS GERMAN FAILURE. ATTACKERS CHASED INTO A SWAMP. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 11. S p.m.j LONDON. March 10. Mr. Pereiyal Phillips states: — The German attacks with picked troops on Friday were a disastrous failure and resulted in a heavy German casualty list and the demoralisation of their storm troops. Our men do not fear these elaborate drives, and our spirit of confidence was never higher. The purpose of the attacks on Houtliulst Forest and Polderlioc-k Spur was to remove local salients and give better observation for the Germans. It was meant to be a surprise, but the stormers were badly shaken bv the British artilery before their barrage moved. About 230 men on a front of 800 yards occupied six of our posts in South,!. c t Forest and forced back the British occupation for a hundred yards Flame machines assisted the Gormans, but our machine-nams prevented reinforcements coming up until the Yorkshire Light Infantry and Royal Fusiliers chased the Gere, ans into a swamp. I GREAT BRITISH BARRAGE SHOCK FOR- THE ENEMY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 11. S p.m.> LONDON. Marin 10. Mr. Philip Gibbs -eitorts • The attacks ou Fridav w t -.~ frustrated owing to our barrage making an assembly of Germans impossible. German officers at Ponlerhoek believed that their plans had been revealed and paraded the men nn 1 said the attack was postponed owing to deserters carrying news to the British. GREAT BRITISH AIR ACTIVITY. RAIDS FAR BEHIND THE LIVES. FACTORIES AT STUTTGART ATTACKED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter’s. (Received March 11. S p.m.) LONDON. March 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— A hostile raiding party, under : cover of a heavy bombardment, at- , tacked our positions eastward of Armentieres. A few British are miss- , ing. ■ ' [ We repulsed tlie attack. j Artillery activity is markedly in- ■ creased between La Bassee Canal and Ypres. We dropped 600 bombs on dumps, billets and aerodromes and also on an important rail centre north-east | of St. Quentin. A large number ot j our machines carried out a particu- , larly successful attack from a low j height on three aerodromes, directly , hitting hangars and machines, in the' open at each of the aerodromes. j Returning at a height of 100 feet, j our planes machine-gunned favorable j ground targets, causing casualties and scattering a company of infantry in all directions. . . , Air fighting is heavy. We brought | down 10 enemy machines and drove j down 10 others. Two of ours are j missing. , , , J We to-dav dropped 1:} tons ot bombs on the Daimler motor uoiks at Stuttgart in broad daylight. Several hursts were observed at the railway station, where a stationary train was set afire. There were three hursts at a munition factory south-east of tlio ton n and other hursts at the Daimler works and buildings. Hostile machines withdrew after weakly attempting to attack our formation. One of our machines did not return owing to engine trouble. GERMAN AIR STRENGTH. 10S0 MACHINES ON WEST FRONT United Services. LONDON. March 9. The Daily Express’ Paris correspondent states that there are led squadillas of German aeroplanes on the West front, totalling KteO machines.

THE FRENCH FRONT. AIR RAID BEHIND GERMAN ' LINES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association /i. and Eeuter's. (Received .March 11. 9 p.m.) PARIS. March 10. A French communique reports reciprocal artillery activity at Bancfisapt and Violu. Our aeroplanes dropped 14 tons of bombs on enem'v Porks behind the lines. SUCCESSFUL FRENCH RAIDS. ENEMY WORKS DESTROYED. Australian aDd N.Z. Cable Association and Eeuter’s. (Received March 11, 8.10 p.m.) PARIS, March 10. A French communique reports:— Wc repulsed raids south of Bethany, on the left of the Meuse, and in the Vosges. Our detachments penetrated the enemy lines east of Auberive and in the region of Badonvillers and destroyed several works.