WESTERN FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 160, 3 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT

: GERMAN OFFENSIVE ? DELAY PROBABLY DUE TO NECESSITY". (■Renter's Telegrams.} (Rec. Julv 3. 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 2. R-, uter says that tbje fact that the Allies persistent successful policy of pinpricks has failed to provoke a resumption of German attacks show that the of ithe latter is imposed by necessity, probably due to difficulty in concentrating material on the ground far in" advance of_the railways, but it is undoubted, that the Austrian defeat has disorganised the German schem s, hence the coming blow is awaited with confidence though it is recognised ~that thje next three months will be critiacl.

GERITO PRISONERS AND DESERTERS

MILITARY SECRETS GIVEN AWAY". LUDENDOFF BLAMES -THEM FOR HIS FAILURES. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Rec. July 3, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 2. Lud; ndorff, in an indignant army order, denounces German prisoners and deserters who disclosed. enemy plans for German attacks on the Chemin des Dames on 25th May, so that_ th)e enemy knew the hour and form of the attacks and units engaged and similarly on 9th June. Ludendorff savs he was amazed at the accuracy and' wealth of details of the information the French .-derived from German prisoners. The. infamous conduct of a ftw individuals', he says, may have the gravest results on the victorious L«sue of tlie" war..

SUCGHSSFUt DAY IN THE AIR

TKIRTY-FIVE ENEMY* MA-CHINES ACCOUNTED FOR. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) ■ LONDON, July 1. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states :—We had a most successful day on June 30t'b. We shot down 25, aeroplanes and/drove down ten uncontrollable. A large number of reconnaisanoes enabled the artillery to engage a greater iiiimher of hostile batteries than- on any day for the past fortnight. We dropped tons of bombs, dur-' ing the day and. 17 .tons at night. Of the .latter seven tons fell with good effect on railway connections at Tburnai.

Two of our machines are missing.

MANY GERMAN MACHINES BROUGHT DOWN.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Rec. July 3, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, July 2.

A French communique says:—There is nothing important " on the whoTe front. Tventyone .German aeroplanes were felled or disabled on 30th Jxinle and six captive balloons set on fire. Twenty.-two tons of bombs were dropped at night on.' enemy aerodromes and stations.

ENEMY RAIDS-REPULSED-.

(Ao-stralian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter.)

(Hec. 'July .3,.;-i.?;-pn T p.ni-.) Lo^?:'™"\ T , July 2. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—An attack on the night 6'7 Ist July, northwest of Albert, with a view to recapturing ground taken on the nisht of tlie 30th Junr, was repulsed, except at one point where the en:eony obtained a footing in a trench. We repulsed raids in the neighbourhood of Aveluy Wood, ; Avion, and Hinges. .. ' '

GERMAN STATEMENT. ' CAPTURES SINCE MARCH. a (Reuter's Telegrams.) LONDON, July 1. An official Berlin mess-age claims that 191.400 prisoners have been taken since March 21st, half of them .being British and half Fr-neb. ' GERMAN CLAIMS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) (Admiralty per Wireless Press.) (Rec. July 3, 8.45 a.m.) JJOINTOOiN, July 2. A German official message says : We too'k prisoner since 21st. March, hot including .-wounded', 191,454, whereof 94.939 are English,' xnnlu'dmg four Generals and 3100 office™.- ; The French numbered 89.099, including two Gen 1 - erals. and 3100 officers. The-, remaindfer are Portuguese,' Belgians and AmericaiiiS. We. also captured' 2476 guns and 15,024 machine guns. . ■ ■.ii-«-iuj--.-.-~r 7lnl ~- J .- ti jii > iiii L>iW iU)iLxiiuig^-*tMi»umLjJi

AN A&ERICAHADVANGE

450 PRISONERS TAKEN. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.; (Rec. July 3, 9.30 a.m.) WASHINGTON, July 2. The Americans advanced haif-a-mdle on a two-mile front west of Chateau Thierry, and took prisoner 450 Germans. SUCCESSFUL, LOCAL OPERATION. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) {Rec. July 3, 8.45 a.m.) UONI)OiN, r July 2.i Sir Douglas Haig reporte: There was a successful local operation at night north 1 -westward of .Albert. We kuso rushed a posi southward of Morlancourt. During Jtine we took prisoner 1957, including 30 officers.

ITALY

STEADY PRGDPES& AUSTRIAN'S UNABLE TO HOLD POSITIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Rec. July 3, 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, July 2. Mr Ward Price states: The Italians are steadily plucking back isolated fragments of the mountain line, remaining in Austrian hands. I The ferocity of the Monte V-al Bella fight showed the enemy was aware of the value of ithe positions they were relinquishing. They threw in heavy masses of the. beat regiments, trying to retain them. ,*The men taken prisoner belong to four divisions.

The gaps made in the Italian raniks since the Piave counter-attack have now been refilled, and' there is a general feeling that only one act a new drama has been played. IThe next course is uncertain. It depends, partly on the enemy's plans in.France. Continued delay in the offensive there/ may mean that the Germans are coming .to Italy. ITALIANS GAIN LAST OF LOST POSITIONS. AUSTRIANS OUTCLASSED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.; TR.ec. Julv 3, 12.50 p.m.) LONDON, ''July 2. An Italian semi-official nnssag£ says -.—The recapture of Valberlla, Col de Prosp and Coklechele was wrested from the Anstrians. "This is the last of their gains on the Asiago Plateau in the first days of the offensive. - .We have completely restored the situation prior to the great attack. These positions have been constantly contested throughout the war, 'because they constitute the advanced flank, of the Italians and a jumping off ground for the Austrians, wishing; to scale Italian- positions. • .. ■ The victory is due to perfect cooperation between artillery and infantry, reducing the Italiau losses to a minimum, 'whereas four enemy divisions were engaged with exceptionally hravy losses.

ITALIANS STILL ADVANCING;

CAPTURE OF COL T>EL ROSSO

t Australian and N.Z. 'Cable Associations and Reuter.) ?

LONDON, July 1. ': ' An Italian official report says:— We attached on Sunday and captured the Col del Rosso, and also, after a bitter all-day struggle, : We ;'captured the Cor del Hene. "\';"" :,'"'. ;

The emmy's' two attacks a'gaihst TTonte' di Val Bella were . completely arrested, the enemy ■ mass>s ibeing> •mown down by artillery fire. The enemy's losses on June 59th and 30th were exceptionally heavy." Eighty-eight officers and' 1925 men were taken prisoner. Our losses were very light. W . repulsed attacks in the Zugana region. :

AUSTRIAN ADMISSION OF REVERSES. . / ••' A.wtralian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) : (Admiralty per Wireless Press.) DO'NSD'ON,. July 1. •An Austrian official message says:— We withdrew fro mthe. Col del Rosso and Monte di Val Bella to our former position in Stenfic Wood. .._ / CZECHS PALI," INTO AUSTRIAN . HANDS/ (Rec. July 3. 845 a.m.) : BERNE, ' July 2. The Nieue Freie Presse boasts (that 300 Czechs, includtfiTg -a captain, were captured fighting with the Italians at Montello, and. were' summarily hanged. SEED TRADERS. ADDRESS BY SIR T. MACKENZIE. (Australian and N.Z. Cabl" Association.! (Rec. July 3. 9.30 a.m.) TjONDONi July 2. :Siir T. M.'»ckenteie, addiroasing eeed traders said there was difficulty in overseas Dominions of getting scientifically trained teachers, hut Lincoln) College had done good work. N*ew Zealand was specially adapted to seed growing. He _wa* endeaT.-oui-i.nc: 'to iawango .'for soldiers to be apprem*tced' in Britaini to seeed culture to enable them "to establish the industry in the Dominion. /