THE THRUST AT BETHUNE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 20 April 1918, Page 8

THE THRUST AT BETHUNE.

VERY LARGE FORCES EMPLOYED

BUT ATTEMPT SO FAR UNSUCCESSFUL.

LIKELY TO BE PRESSED TO UTMOST.

United Service. (Received April 20, 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, April 19. Mr Hamilton Fyfe writes: This morning the enemy is trying by the use of very large forces to break through the Givenchy positions and capture Bethune, but has been no more successful than before, and all the essential points are steady and secure. The enemy momentarily gained a hill opposite Hinges, two miles north of Bethune, but French troops attacked them vigorously. The Germans reached the La Bassee canal and i&trew "bridges across, but no Germans crossed them except as prisoners. Many were shot while attempting to do so, and then the guns smashed the bridges and gave a bad time to the enemy masses on the opposite bank, so destroying their morale that parties who had crossed the broken bridges surrendered.

There are now ten divisions opposite us on the Givenchy front, four of which recently arrived. Three, division© attacked Hinges, using four waves, which is now the usual method, the enemy anticipating the loss of the first two and expecting the remaining two to press over the bodies. Enemy preparations suggest that the great effort here is likely to be pressed to the utmost.