ENEMY DEPLETING FRONT FOR OFFENSIVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16824, 15 April 1918, Page 5

ENEMY DEPLETING FRONT FOR OFFENSIVE.

ORIGINAL FORCE IN FLANDERS NOW DOUBLED. - ARRIVAL OF TWELVE MORE DIVISIONS FROM RUSSIA. Australian and N.Z. (Received 5.5 p.m.) • LONDON, April 11 Writing late on Friday, the correspondent of the United Press states:—The German pressure has been ceaseless to-day from La Bassee to Hollebeke. The ten divisions with which the thrust began have now been doubled. .About three-fifths of the enemy forces on the west front have been engaged in the offensive since March 21, leaving between 70 and 80 holding the other, sectors, only 60 of which consist of good fighting men. The British are, hourly performing , prodigies of valour, firing their rifles until they are too hot to hold The artillerymen, striped to the waist, are Mazing at point-blank- . targets. a , ''■ -■-.> *•&> United Service. " LONDON; April 13. Mr. Keith Murdoch, the Australian correspondent, writes:—Our . line continues strong. Reinforcements are moving up. Even if the . Ypres salient and the Arras positions were to become untenable, we could maintain a line guarding the Channel. At least 12 additional German divisions have arrived from Russia since March -21; giving v an undoubted preponderance of men. •■ : ~.-.. •-..».— ..... The Daily News considers that if the positions on the MesSih'es '" Ridge are turned, the whole northern army will have its flanfi in theair. Its communications are in the gravest peril. .'.'■' ':^;"v