BRITISH GALLANTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9954, 25 April 1918, Page 7

BRITISH GALLANTRY

APPROBATION OF SIR DOUGLAS HAI6 MARKED REFERENCE TO AUSTRALIANS AND | UEW ZEALANDERS By Telegraph— Press Association—Copyright. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter. , LONDON, April 23. Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementary report, states:—"The number of divisions employed against .the British'alone, since the beginning of the.offensive on March 21st is aircaly one hundred and Wo, of.which many have been .used two or three times. In resisting the heavy blows resulting from such a concentration, all ranks, arms, and services behaved gallantly, and with a .courage and resolution for which no praise can be too high. "Besides the divisions, already mentioned for conduct of outstanding gallantry, many others greatlydistinguished'themselves. The'Guards Division, after five days of heavy fighting at Coirybec-QUcrolle, completely repulsed attacks delivered in great strength on March 28th. and,,again on the 30th, iinflicting heavy losses. This division, .with the Thirty-first and Third Divisions, o'n its right and left, in severe fighting on these and other occasions successfully resisted all the 'enemy's efforts to open out the northern flank of attack. Especially gallant service -was performed, also on March 28th, by .the Fourth Division, north of the Scarpo, in assisting to break up attacks (launched for the capture of •■Arras and tho Viray Ridge. This division also distinguished itself in the. Lys ba-ttlefront on the night of April 14th, when it admirably executed a counter-attack and took Riez du Vinage, -with one hundred and fifty Prisoners; and-again,,on, the 18th. when it repulsed strong attacks south-east of Robecq.. ...... . : ,.. . ■ , "The enemy's progress was definitely checked with the aid of the Third and Fourth Australian Divisions,,at ,Mericourt-l'Abbe and Dernancourt, the JNW Zealandors at Sorre. and,later.' the Fifth Australians south of the feommo. By the vigour of their defence, all the enemy's attempts to continue his advance -were repulsed with the heaviest losses. Sir Douglas Haig further states that; the 31st Division, on April 13th, ■was holding a front of nine thousand yards east of Nieppe Forest, although reduced in strength as the result of previous fighting, and, with, the enemy still pressing his advance. Tho division was informed that the line must be jheld to the last to cover the detraining of reinforcements. All ranks rejspondeid to the appeal with the most magnificent courage and devotion, and 'throughout a long day of incessant fighting beat off a succession of doterimined attacks. In the evening the enemy made a last great,effort by,sheer weight of numbers to overrun certain portions of the line,. whose "defenders, relied fighting, but would/not give ground. " (Received April 2A, 7.45 p.m.) XONDON, April 23. Continuing his supplementary report Sir Douglas Haig"says':— During the first two days the'enemy's offensive southward necessitated .our withdrawal, but bofbre withdrawing we inflicted great loss upon the ionemy, and German offical reports acknowledge the bitterness of the fighting. . ■, , , Tho Twenty-fifth Division was in close support when the attack opened, snd were sent immediately into' the battle in the neighbourhood of the Bapaume-Cambrai road. They were not dislodged from any position thougli constantly attacked- 'V "' , , *•' ' . ~ • t., *. j t Tho Thirty-fourth Division after severe .fighting in the neighbourhood: ot Croisilles, at the commencement., of, the battle, ■took-.over the Armentieres sector in tho lino on April 9th -and maintained its positions intact during the first two days of the Lvs battle, and when the enemy advance on-either flank necessitated the' evacuation;.of Armentieres they were withdrawn from the to'wn on the night of tho.lOth and 11th deliberately and m- good .orderSince then thev have been constantly engaged. They fought throughout with tho greatest 'gallantry, yielding ground reluctantly and counter-attacking 16<11 Tho Forty-second East Lancashire and Sixty-second "West Rjdrng Divisions participated in fierce fighting to the end of March and early in April around Bucquoy and Abtainzoville." They beat off many attacks and contributed greatly to the successful maintenance of the line. The Fiftieth Division though but recently withdrawn after weeks of continuous fighting southward of the Sbmme, held up tho enemy along the Lys 'line on April 9th and subsequent days, and by stubborn resistance at Estaires and Merville checked the eteemy's advance until our .reinforcements arrived. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH OPERATION AT ALBERT ENEMY SUPPORT LINES REACHED NEAR FAJIPOTJX. '■ ' ' ..,. LONDON, April 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We took sixty prisoners" as'the result of a ■successful operation last night north of - Albert.-i- Wo improved our position. We also took a number of prisoners in the Robecq and Wytschaete areas in local fighting which ended to our advantage. Wo raided trendies, and reached the support lines in the neighbourhood artillery is active west of Albert and on the .bulk of the front from south of the Nioppe Forest tb east of Ypros. Our artillery engaged enemy concentrations on tho Villers-Bretonneux sector and in.the neighbourhood of Serre. ■ ~ , . ,"'••, a- m— i ... The better weather yesterday resulted m greater aerial activity, and incessant bomb-dropping on the whole froUt Wo dropped over twenty-throe tons on the Thouroufc railwav station, Monm, Armentieres, Ohaulnes, and •other targets. Low-flying aeroplanes fired thousands of refunds. The enemy. machines were in great numbers, but were not aggressive. We brought down thirteen and drove down sis out of control Five of ours aro missing.. The pilot of one of the enemv machines brought down was Baron Ilichtlioren--1 Our ni"ht-flvers dropped nine and a-half tons of bombs m Peronne. Armentieres and Bapaume, and also on the railway junction at Chaulnes. BRITISH POSITION AT METEREN SLIGHTLY IMPROVED (Received April 2-i, 11.40'p.m.) LONDON, April 23, 11 p.m. Sir Douglas, Haig reports:—Minor operations eastward of Robecq were comnletelv successful. "-•In addition to'tho. ground wo gained wo took 120 orSoueiH.and a number of WoWse-guns: " = We also slightly improved our Son this morning'in the neighbourhood of Metereni, taking prisoners and machiiie-guns. There is . considerable enemy gas shelling at ViUers-Bre-toimetlS' Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: —We oarriedout several longdistance reconnaissances yesterday and took many photographs. Wo dropped tons of bombs on the Thourout the radway station, at Engel, adump aTwarneton. and on Armentieres and Roulers. Wo brought down eight aeroplanes and drove down six, Three of ours are missing.

GERMANS PUSHED BACK 0 N tooO-YARDS FRONT LONDON, April 23, 4.5 p.m. The British south of the VeluyWood pushed back,the Gornians 250 yards dn a front of 1000 yards. ' ' -j _-~- - j--„., ..-.'.• FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUES , LONDON;, April 23A French communiqJw.sta,tes:—There is nothing to. report beyond lively artillery activity in the Montdidier and Noyon region. _■ Between the 20th and 22nd we brought down twenty-three enemy aeroplanes and captive balloons. .Our machines dropped forty-nine .tons of projectiles on railway stations; camps., and. aorodromes at St. Quentm and elsewhere' They caused fives-in, tho railway at Chaulnas and Asfeld, and blew up an ammunition, dump east of Gmscard. (Rocoived April 25, 1.30 a.m.) _„_„., , . „„ . .., ,- LONDON, April 23. A Fronch communique states :'—-There is. great reciprocal »rtill.©ry activity in the region of Haiigard on Santerre, -west of Noyon. There has been no infantry action. . •■■' - ' A GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT (Received April 24, 10.30 p.m.. ■•;.-• LONDON, April 23. A wireless German official message states:—The. English-are active between Lens and:Albert. The,enemy lost pmoners in to recapture ground at Aveluy "Wood and to capture .the railway northward oi Arras, on both sides of the Bouzincourt-Avoluy. road. DECISION OR ABANDONMENT OF OFFENSIVE IN MAY B .r?"i. Rcuter ':: Wosrams -:::..london. Apri i 23 . Router's correspondent at British Headquarters, writing <m the 22nd, B ayß:—Tho Germans continue massing troops on tho Bailleul-Neuve Bglise lino in tho north, and around Dornancourt in the south. Prisoners state that leave will ho resumed in tho German Army early in. May, which suggests that tho enemy anticipates a decision or an abandonment of the dffensivo by thon. AMERICAN CASUALTIES AT SEICHEPERY Australian and Ne". Zetland Cabl- ; WASHINGTON, April 23. Tlio American casualties at Soichcprey total two hundred.

BATTLE DEMONSTRATES ALLIES' READINESS TO MAKE SACRIFICES

MILLION MEN BROUGHT INTO FIELD. Australian and New Zealwd Oblo ' Mr Winston Churchill (Minister for Munitions), addressing the American Labour Mission, said that tho worse the news from he front the. roadi«.Britons were to make sacrifices. Under the pressure of this hard-fought battle we had drawn hundreds of thousands of men to tho colours The same had blen done in France and America. The German attack had brought at least a million Allies into the field. RESUMPTION OF LEAVE IN FRENCH ARMY Router's Telegrams. 23 M. Clemenceau, Premier of France has returned, from » ▼»»« *° *j* front. He stated that the best proof that no uneasmes« wasted *»J™* the French soldiers were again receiving leave, which had been suspended since the German offensive began. GERMAN MASSED ATTACKS ABANDONED Australian and New Zealand Cable Ass^^kJ n> April 25 . Mr Hamilton Fyfe writes :-The Germans' enormous lo » es ., hiTo^ p them to abandon massed frontal attacks since early m April. *np? t M-.-substituted small trickling groups armed with maclime-guns Or™ l Vj • SOth von Ludendorff ordered the absolute abolition of .^^^{L o *.™ 0 .. ground that they only led to unnecessary losses, and said: It is tna effective use of weapons, not numbers that gives the decision. , ' .