FLANKS OF FLANDERS LINE BEING FIRMLY HELD.

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

FLANKS OF FLANDERS LINE BEING FIRMLY HELD.

ENEMY MAKING HEAVY INROADS ON HIS MAN-POWER. 1919 CLASS OF RECRUITS ALREADY IN BATTLE-LINE. Router. (Received 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, April 13. A correspondent at British headquarters, writing on Friday evening, states:—The courage and endurance of our troops defies all praise. By the sustained pressure of dense masses and the constant blows of shock tactics, the enemy has succeeded during the past 24 hours in advancing in the centre of the attack. The flanks are holding firm. The enemy has extended the narrow nose of his salient in a way which nothing but an immense superiority of numbers could render tactically feasible. The British are counter-attacking to-day, and the battle is fiercely in progress. Clear weather is enabling the airmen to do thorough reconnoitring work. They are co-operating in the combat with most effective results. The enemy had 200 divisions at the beginning of the offensive on the western front, of which 20 are believed to be practically unfit for the battleline. Twenty have been thrown in twice since March 21, while over four times the number of divisions have been hurled against the British than against the French. The enemy's rate of spending man-power cannot be long maintained. Already ;o a considerable extent his 1919 class is being sent to refit the batUeline divisions, while the calling up of the 1020 class began a month ago. Our reinforcements are steadily coming up. From Givcnchy to Locon our line is holding well. Owing to pressure we have fallen back slightly in the area east of Bailleul. Reporting earlier, the correspondent writes:—Thß battle of Flanders was continued this morning in brilliant sunshine and clear visibility, with a fierceness which scarcely flagged since it began. The situation continues indefinite in many parts of a very wide battlefield, and therefore only a general and incomplete outline of the position is possible. There has been no appreciable change from Givenchy to the River Lawe. During the past 24 hours we successfully beat off a heavy attack upon the Loisne, and also repulsed, with immense enemy losses, three attacks launched in great waves near Neuve Chapelle. The ground in front of our line is strewn with corpses. Further north our line was withdrawn to a more advantageous defensive position about a thousand yards west of Beaupre, through Neuf, Berquin, and thence in a north-westerly direction to La' Verbier. Thus the enemy salient has become considerably more acute. I hear the enemy is still pressing on the town of Merville. We counter-attacked later south-west from the direction of Bailleul, and from the north towards Steenwerck, but did not succeed in pushing back the enemy, although wo punished him severely. The Germans are throwing in reserves in the same prodigal manner as during the opening days of the present offensive. Prisoners unanimously agree that the German High Command's object is to swamp the British by sheer weight of numbers. The enemy made a determined attack along Me&sines Ridge, where the South Africans, hardly rested after their splendid share in the recent southern fighting, did grand work in restoring the situation. On Wednesday afternoon the enemy sucoeeded in gaining some ground, but the South Africans again drove him out by a spirited counter-attack in combination with British troops. Enemy artillery opened heavy bombardment at 2.45 in the morning from east of Ploegsteert. No report has yet arrived of subsequent infantry action. Our artillery was kept intensely busy.