WESTERN FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 54, 4 March 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT

!3 IT NECESSARY ? GERMAN SOCIALISTS AND THE ■ OFFENSIVE. (Rec. March 4, 11.20 a.m.) NEW YORK, March 3. The United Press of America's Hague correspondent learned authoritatively that: German Liberals and Socialists are "trying" to convince General von Ludendorff (Quartermaster-General of the German Army—the man behind Hindenburg) to "postpone the West front offensive ■ until' Prseident Wilson's answer to Count von Hertling shows whether it is "necessary. - THE FftENCH FRONT f ENEMY ACTIVITY REPEATED ENEMY. ATTACKS ' . • : REPULSED. : HEAVY LOSS INFLICTED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable r Association and Beater.) - 1 >:< LONDoSr; March 2. A- French communique ,§ays: —£wo eriemyVcblunms attacked last-night east of Chavignon (Aisne) and. were thrown Iwc& ' TOth. heavy losses after violent hand-to-hand fighting. Ano£her ; - attempt east of Corbeny (Aisne{front further eastward) was equally unsuccessful. There is lively mutual artillery action, betwen the Milthe and the Aisne, and in the sector of Rheims, where civil hospitals were set on fire and. systematically bombardfed during the fire. The enemy , bombarded our first lines in Champagne last night*, notably in the mountainous region of the Snipped and in the .direction. of. Butte-du-Mesnil (Champagne) west of which an enemy attack .was driven back except at one point. Simultaneously a powerful enemy raid east of Suippes" (Chajnpagne) was completely, defeated. There, is considerably artillery activity, iii the Woevre (near Verdun). - Qne .6f-our crews carried out a photographic .reconnaissance as far as 'Marieriburg, 80 kilometres (about 60 miles} behind, the lines.

There is an. intense artillery duel in the region north . and north-west of Rheims/ and in Champagne. South-west of the Butte-du-Mesnil (Champagne) the enemy. after being driven: out. by counter-attacks from some points, ",reassaulted with fresh forces. After .several unsuccessful attempts with heavy losses the enemy regained a footing ih" part of the positions we captured oh February -13tli. The enemy "violently bombarded our first lines' on the front Beaumont- | Chaume Wood, Verdun, and also at Suchepaez, where a big raid was repulsed at two points last night. In to-day's attacks the_ American troops (situated near St. Mihiel) were in contact with special raiding troops. The Americans everywhere held their lines -intact, inflicting appreciable losses: , A later communique says:—-There is intense artillery? fighting at many points from the (Aisne) to the Meuse (Verdun). The enemy are aggressively active, notably north-west and south-east of Rheims. They attempted to. debouch against our salient at Neufchatel (on the Aisne north of Rheims), but a coun-ter-attack drove them out of the elements i?. which they had succeeded in getting a footing. Simultaneously they fruitlessly attacked at La Pompelle (5 miles east of Rheims)* and then violently xe-attacked, making renewed efforts to reach the fort of La Pompelle and isolated elements. They succeeded in gaining a footing in the northern portion and in -a small work west of the fort element. They also abortively attacked east and south of La Beatonerie (Champagne). . The Germans attacked in the direction of Mont Cornillet (Moronvillers sector east of Rheims Jon a front taf 800 metres (about half a mile), but found four trenches which had previously been evacuated under instructions. The enemy were immediately driven out, and by- a counter-attack the position was entirely re-established. ■Our fire hroke another attack oast of the . Teton. "We inflicted serious losses. • A. violent bombardment is proceeding Bout-west of the Bute-du-Mesnil (Champagne). _ _ Enemy raids .in Lorraine and the Vosges were repulsed. LA POMPELLE POSITION REESTABLISHED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Ranter.) LONDON", March 3. A French communique savs: —We completely Te-established our lines at La Pompelle (east of Rheims) where the enemy ; attacked on Friday night. There is lively artillery fire on the right bank of the Meuee north of Bezonvaux (Verdun). THE AnAciTftTST MIHIEL , AMERICANS REPULSE THE GERMANS. tAurf-raiian and N.Z. Cable Association) NEW YORK, March 2. The Americana completely repulsed a strong German attack at St-. Mihiel. There were many casualties on both sides. ■."

RAID PRECEDED BY GAS ATTACK. HEAVY AMERICAN LOSSES. {Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) WASHINGTON, March 2. A correspondent reports that the raid upon the St. Mihiel salient was pre- • ceded by a gas attack. The ground in j front of the trenches is strewn with ; German dead. The Americans lost many killed and j wounded. An American captain lfd his J company across l\o Man's Land after I the Germans had been repulsed, and de- | cimated them with machine guns. The •; captain was killed. AISNE CHAMPAGNE ATTACKS A-120 MILE FRONT. PRELUDE TO GERMAN OFFENSIVE. PROBABLE BLOW IN CHAMPAGNE Reuter'i Telegrams.) (Rec. March 4, 3.50 a.m.) LONDON, March 3. The Germar attacks on the French nort.i of the - isne and in Champag-ne are extending altogether to a front of 120 miles. Thi.- is regarded as th e prelude to the big Germa noffensive which may be lajisiched any day. The fact that t!u>£»; attacks have been conducted chiefly at night suggests 'that thiey are intended to mask bigger parations. It is not unlikelv that Champagne will he chosen for the German attempt to reach.Paris, because the enejpy will thus b e able to reinforce his flanks against British attacks on the coast or French attack? through Alsace.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.

(Admiralty per Wireless Press.)

(Rec. March 4. 10.35 a.m.) LONDON, March 3.

A German official message says : East- i ward of Rheims we forced our way into Fort Painpelle, which was destroyed. We recaptured sections of trenches south-eastward of Tahure (Champagne) and stormed trenches southward of Laucourt. We penetrated American trenches north-eastward of Seicheprev (eastward of St. Mihiel), inflictine heavy causal tiea. & CJ RAIDS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter.) (Rec. March 4, 10.35 -a.m.) * LONDON, March 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We successfully raided south-eastward of Armentieres. We repulsed attempted raids in the neighbourhoods of St. Quentin, Arleux-en-Gohselle and Pontretet, inflicting considerable casualties. PORTUGUESE TRENCHES ENTERED. THE ENEMY EJECTED. fAustralian and N.Z. ©able Association and Renter.) \ LONDON, March 2. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We made successful raids southward of Armen- ; tieres and in the neighbourhood of Ar-Jeux-en-Gohelle (east of Vimy). ! Two enemy night raids entered the British trenches and captured a few prisoners. In a third all the raiders i were killed or captured. j After a heavy bombardment on a I wide front northward of Neuve Cha- { pelle (south of Armentieree) a strong ; party attacked and entered the 'Portu- ! guese " front trenches. They were immediately ejected and the position was restored^ The British repulsed vaids on the . Ypree-Comines Canal, and southward of Houthulst Forest (Ypres front). BRITISH ACTIVITY IN THE AIR. . 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) LONDON, March 1. j Sir Douglas Haig reports :—The Portuguese had successful patrol encounters. Our airmen are busy bombing dumps, railways, and aerodromes in the vicinity of Lille, Courtrai, Tournai, and Mofis. LONDON, Mr.rch 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports :—There "is great enemy raiding activity on.the whole British front. All were driven off after sharp fighting, with considerable enemy losses. ~ The British Air Service is active. We brought down four German machines. Z£EBRUGCE OFFENCE NEW PLANS. (Router's Telegrams.) AMSTERDAM, March 2. The Telegraaf's frontier correspondent states that the Germans are continuously thinking out 'new methods for the defence of Zeebrugge (the town on the Belgian coast which has been converted into one of the chief German submarine from the soa and air. They send up nightly unmanned captive balloons fastened" to electrified steel wire, forming a great danger to airmen coming in contact with it. New German aeroplanes are fitted with three screws, one being so ■ arranged that it keeps the machine stationary for some time, permitting of more accurate bombing. Marine nets are spread far to seaward. Smaller submarines are''now being built.

RESULTS OF AIR FIGHTING. (Published ip. The Times.) PARIS, March 1. An expert commentator states that between December Ist and February 15th Allied airmen in the West carried, out 22,5x6 flights. They brought down 104 enemy planes, put 93 out of control, took *21,300 photographs, and dropped 192 tons of explosives with remarkable success. NANCY BOMBED. {Australian and N.Z. Cable Association) PARIS, March 2. Seventeen German aeroplanes bombed Nancy (near Toul) causing much damage and several fires. Ten persons were killed.