GERMANY’S GREAT BLOW.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 4827, 26 March 1918, Page 5

GERMANY’S GREAT BLOW.

NINETY - SEVEN DIVISIONS FLUNG AGAINST BRITISH. Fierce Battle Continues Along the Front & THE ENEMY CAPTURE PERONNE AND HAM BRITISH EXACT. A FEARFUL PRICE

United Press Association -Copyright LONDON, Mrch 23. Heuter’s correspondent at headquarters. telegraphing to-day, says: There is no doubt that the Germans are making their supreme effort against the British. Fifty enemy divisions have already been flung into the battle, whilst probably twentyfive more are in close reserve. The Germans are pushing on, regardless of the cost. Under the tremendous onslaught our troops in man v places are falling back voluntarily in excellent order, and maintain an unbroken front to dense enemy masses. Yesterday and throughout the night the battaefront continued to extend southward. I hear that the French are now engaged on our right. i’he most intense fighting is around Roisel and Tincourt, where with indomitable valour foot of ground is contested. The slaughter of the enemy is appalling. For twelve hours every . available gun in this area has been concentrated upon solid masses of Germans-' Northwards the enemy is pressing hard upon the defenders of Hermies. They got into Mory, but a most dashing counter-attack drove them out, and a large party were surrounded and probably captured. The enemy is advancing in both north and south towards St. Leger. Dense columns, are. reported to be marching from Lagnicourt down the Bapaume-Lagnicourt road, through Yaulx-Vraucourt. In the afternoon bodies of cavalry were seen moving down the HamMatigney and Ham-St Quentin roads and it is rumoured some infantry crossed the Somme Canal. , Y.'e are confident the Germans tremendous- and probably despairing effort has failed, but the test is a supreme one. News comes out of the thunderous vortex in disjointed scraps, winch are difficult to pierce together. If the news is correct it suggests that the Germans are attempting a turning movement, pivoting on Ham. In case they swing the masses _or troops at their disposal, the situation here may prove less promising than along the rest of the line of withdrawal. Meanwhile the weather remains brilliant. Terrible slaughter of the enemy hordes continues from the ground and the air. BRITISH RESISTANCE SOLID. SATURDAY NIGHT ATTACKS REPULSED. GERMANS NOT UP TO TIMETABLE. United Press Association—Copyright LONDON, March 24. Latest messages are reassuring. The British resistance throughout is solid. Numerous attacks during the night were repelled and several enem v attempts to advance in Peronne district were decisively defeated. The whole situation is unchangedReuter’s correspondent at headquarters on Saturday evening reports :—Captured copies of the German plan of offensive show that the enemy objectives were on the first da v an average penetration of the whole front of eight kilometres; on the second da v twelve kilometres; on the third day, beyond which the scheme does not appear, it was to be carried twenty kilometres. The success attained so far falls much short of these objectives. An attempt to cross the Somme by means of four bridges was last night detected and frustrated, great loss being caused by our artillery. j All roads of the German advance j are blocked with columns of troops, guns and transport whereon we ai’e making deadly play. Rough estimates of the casualties inflicted varv between' 30 and 50 per cent, of all* divisions hitherto identified. I give the figures for what they may he worth. CANNON FODDER. HUNS’ FRIGHTFUL. SACRIFICE. ENEMY CASUALTIES OVER 200,000. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON. March 24. Saturday’s news indicate that the reckless attacks continue, but the phrasing of the German evening communique is significant when it states that the first stage of the great battle has ended. Critics are divided in opinions as to whether the enemy will persist in attacks at this point. They believe the German casualties are already over 200,000, but only further stupendous sacrifices will enable the Germans to widen the gap in our forward system. Nothing has yet happened to cause roal anxiety. If the enem v . continues his losses on the same scale for an v length of time it will bring the war much nearer to an end. . FRENCH LEADERS SATISFIED. ANOTHER VERDUN FOR THE ENEMY. UPSHOT AWAITED WITH CONFIDENCE. Anstralian and N.Z. Cable Association LONDON, March 24. M. Clemenceau has expressed saU isfaction with the results so far. French experts predict another Verdun, with the same lack of success for the Germans within a muen shorter period. . , - , , Our men behaved With the utmost gallantry offering the most stubborn resistance. .There were never greater examples of cool courage ainst overwhelming odds. Ihe machine gunners continued mowing down swaths of the attackers until 'practically surrounded. The morale will be such that lie will be unlikely to attempt a'serious attack. The presence of German tanks has - ? not been confirmed, tile enemy relying- upon '> artillery and mixing gas . shells with high explosives. . lossesMn prisoners are possibly 'kodnsiddfable," but wo . exacted and en- - ormofisly'heavy toll. ”-'d ’ '.'•••• iV-' ' The - :.upshot of uthe . impending . battles is awaited with confidence-

BRITISH COUMTER-STROKE GAS ATTACK AT LENS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Asscxia-Uon LONDON, March 24. The Canadians have launched a gas attack against the Germans in the neighborhood.' of Lens. RECORD GAS ATTACK. United Press Association—Copyright (Received March 25, 7.20 p.m.) LONDON, March 24. - Reuter’s Canadian headquarter’s correspondent reports the greatest gas bombardment in the world’*: history by the Canadians on the night of the 22nd against the enemy positions between Lens and Hill 70. We released 5000 drums simultaneously from the outskirts of Lens. A favourable wind carried the gas to the enemy supports and reserves in the assembly areas. Nine mintues later, the Canadian guns opened a 40 minutes’ bombardment with an intensive creeper barrage. BRITISH GOMMANDER’S REPORT. INTENSE BATTLE CONTINUES. NO MATERIAL CHANCE IN POSITION. TRIBUTE TO TROOPS’ GALLANTRY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association Beuter's Telegrams. LONDON, March 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The •fettle is continuing with the greatest intensity on the whole front. Southward of the Scarpe river our troops have taken up their new positions southward and westward of St. Quentin, and are heavily engaged with the enemy. Strong hostile attacks during thenight in.the neighbourhood of Bussu were repulsed with great enem v loss. On the northern portion of the battle front the enemy’s attacks were pressed with the utmost determination, regardless of losses, but our troops maintained their positions on the greater part of this front, after a fierce and prolonged* struggle. Great gallantry was shown by the troops engaged in fighting in this area, and southwards. The Nineteenth and Ninth divisions distinguished themselves by the valor of their defence. In one sector six attacks, in which German cavalry participated. were beaten off bv one of our infantry brigades. The enemy’s attacks continue with great violence. There was no material change on the battle, front during the night, though further fighting occurred at a number of points. We are holding a line from the fcvomme river to Peronne. Small patries of the enemy endeavoured to cross in the neighborhood of Pargny, but wer e driven back. We are in touch on our right with the French. Southwrd of the Somme river oiir troops ot Peronne hold their positions after beating off , a number of attacks at different points on .this front in the early part of the night. Heavy fighting must still be pectedSir Douglas Haig’s report on aviation work says: We brought down 2/ and drove down 20 enemy machinesEight of ours are missing. Our night fivers dropped 14 tons of bombs on billots, dumps and areas where the enenv’s attacking troops were concentrated. All our machines returned. THE GROZAT CANAL. ENEMY’S DESPERATE BATTLE. PHILIP GIBBS’ GRAPHIC DESPATCHES. HEROIC BRITISH DEFENCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association (Received March 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 24. . Mr Philip Gibbs, the Daily Clironi- . cle’s correspondent on the West front reports:— The enemy, continuing bis attacks all day along the whole battle front, progressed at various points, despite the heroic resistance. We are greatly outnumbered owing to the enormous concentration of enemy divisions, which are constantly reinforced and are passing through each other so that fresh regiments mav pursue the assaults. Our men, fighting gallantly for three days, inflicted severe losses at every point of the battle line, thus the enemy when he advanced passed through thousands of .his dead and wounded. , , This movement has been covered by the most glorious, heroic deeds on the part of small bodies of men, • sometimes sacrificing themselves to the last in order to gam time for. their comrades, and though entirelj surrounded in some cases they defended the redoubts and outposts for many hours, pouring machine gun fire upon the advancing enemy waves and raking tlieir ranks. So it was yesterday round Henin, Hill, for which the enemy fought with desperate obstinacy. He sent forward column after column at Lagnicourt and Croisilles under our artillery fire, which slaughtered them in large numbers. ' “OUR DEAR MEN.” Our infantry did wonders in defending the bill, which guards the way to -the Scarpe Valley, and here there was long and intense fighting vesterdav and to-day, in which our dear men withstood the repeated "onslaughts of vast numbers, holding out. and counter-attacking with unconquerable spirit, to the death. So it was also on the right and centre of the battle front, right from the beginning of these tremendous actions three mornings ago m the & °TTie er hattle began along the whole sweep with six hours’ bombardment and intense gas shelling of our batteries: Afterwards an attack was launched by overwhelming numbers of storm troops. Our line was held

ENEMY PLANS THWARTED

by some three divisions from a point south of Pontru to Hinacourt, south of St. Quentin. Ganah Previously the enemy had held the line with three divisions, bub the night before the battle he was reinforced until eight divisions were massed, while at one point on the frontage of two thousand yards the enemy had a division against our one battalion. A TIMELY DISCOVERY. By splendid work our Intelligence Corps learnt of the attacks. We poured a heavy fire over the enemy lines and drenched the town of St Quentin, which was crowded with enemy troops, with gas, causing liim heavy casualties, though it did not suffice to break up his organisation and plans. 'The positions of some of our batteries were slightly changed to avoid the German bombardment. This proved effective as the enemy poured a frightful deluge of high explosives on the empty emplacements, but a number of field batteries were left to cover any withdrawal of the outpost lines and these heroic gunners served the batteries to the last until the enemy swept over them. On this section of the front, north and south of St Quentin, and opposite our line further south, the enemy’s intentions, as learned from prisoners, was to reach the line of St Quentin canal on the first day; then to advance by quick stages westward, the rate of advance to be eight miles the first day, twelve the second, and twenty on the third.

in spite of intense gunfire froi , the massed enemy batteries, supported by Austrian howitzers and a largo number of heavy trench mortar*, the enemy plans were thwarted >*s far as rapidity of progress is concerned. A heavy fog on the morning of the 21st threw his assault troop/ at some points into wild confusion

His first line of assault, thr-mgh which were interspersed m achin' gun companies at intervals of a hundred yards, and then heavy machine guns and artillery, sometimes oejjame hopelessly mixed with the third and fourth lines, while right battalions were confused with left battalions in the thick fog. Our machine gun fire caught their waves and checked the pace of the onslaught and- caused; ' the enemy heavy losses. The enemy troops wer,, ignorant of the line, having been . brought up during the night from long distance behind and even the officers had only sealed orders and i>■ scrap of map marked in green lines showing the objectives. . The German High Command relied entirely on weight of guns and manpower to break our resistance and the driving power of the whole monstrous machine in movement. To this, the enemy ■ owes much of his progress. TIDE OF BRUTE FORCE. Our line was not strong enough to hold all its old positions against such a tide of brute force. Our men served the guns as attack followed attack and 1 column followed column and our losses increased as the hours passed. They were ordered to give ground at certain points and fell back fighting those heroic rearguard actions from one position to another. The main attack, just south of St Quentin, was directed against Urvillers and Essigny. The enemy forced his way through these places by great drives. Our garrison there was partly destroyed by his stupendous gunfire. He seems to have gained possession of- Essigny before midday on the 21st, and captured Conlescourt. This gave him important high ground, which he used to the full and succeeded by this in bending our line at the right.flank of the Ulster Division north of the Crozat Canal, which he crossed hereabouts and, by means of advanced field artillery, was able to bombard the line to which our main body troops bad withdrawn down from Maissemy and Holnon Wood: to Savy and Roupy. Hd pressed forward against this line, but meanwhile several detached companies of oar men were holding out in redoubts entirely surrounded by' the enemy. They were defended by machine guns find had a 48 hours’ supply of food. One was near St Quentin, another near Grugies and many others southward and past Fort Deliez to La Fere. These companies of the English, Irish, the Buffs and Londoners "held out. HEROIC TROOPS. They saw- the enemy streaming past them and 1 knew that they were cut off, hut would not retreat. Some of them maintained their fire until evening, when their, ammunition was' spent and then tried to fight a way through. I fear many Aid not succeed in this heroic adventure, hut tlieir services, which will always oo remembered, checked the enemy’s progress and gave their comrades their greatest chance.

Later on in the first day of the battle, the enemy reached .the village of Grand Seraucourt, on the high ground south of St Quentin, which dominates the positions on the other bank. He was fighting there all night and yesterday morning with his eight divisions against our splendid hard-pressed three, while he had in support two further divisions.

The main enemy attack was betWeeen Roupy and the canal. All day yesterday he fought us ceaselessly. \ The enemy forced his way east the villages of" Artemps and , S't Simon and made a desperate < rdeavour to gain the canal crossing. About midday yesterday the. enemy directed a column against Tiigny, eastward of Ham, to capture the bridgehead. Meanwhile, further north the vr--curity of our three division in this sector was threatened by an enemy advance on the left and we withdrew further back. One body of troops was sent to hold the Tugny> bridgehead and two other units of the same division covered the diviVcm as they fell back. They did this with glorious gallantry and late last; ••.night their last rearguard returned ~ after any hours of battle.