THE WESTERN FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3339, 13 March 1918, Page 15

THE WESTERN FRONT.

OFFICIAL BRITISH REPORTS. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At Warneton (south-east .of Messines) the # Australians made a successful night raid, in which they killed at least 50 men, and brought back 11 prisoners and a machine gun. The Australians also made a raid in tho neighbourhood of Gapaard, southwards of Hollebeke (north of Messines), in which they took more prisoners and a machine gun. We repulsed raids westward of Lens and St. Quentin after sharp fighting. The Australians made successful night raids, taking a number of • prisoners and two machine guns. The enemy artillery is more aotive at St. Quentin, Bois Grenier, Cambrai, and Ypres. There is also considerable activity on the part of the enemy artillery in the Neuve Chapelle sector. After artillery fire the enemy, in a fog, raided our advanced posts north-westward of La Bassee, and entered one post; but we. repulsed the raids. There is enemy artillery fire in the regions of. Cambrai, Vermelles, Armentieres, and Ypres. Before, dawn the enemy delivered a strong local attack on a mile front south of Houthulst Forest. The attack mostly broke under our fire on our left. However, it was most determined, and was supported by flamethrowers, which compelled some of our advanced posts to fall back a short distance on a 500 yards front. After severe fighting the Yorkshires counter-attacked, and later achieved complete success by driving the enemy back 300 yards beyond our former line ; inflicting heavy losses and re-estab-lishing our position. Our casualties were light. Sussex troops successfully raided eastward of La Vanterie, taking prisoners. There were enemy artillery operations at Flesquieres, Givenchy, Neuve Chapelle, Armentiere3, and Ypres. The onemy'3 artillery is active at Scarpe Valley and at Ribecourt. There is much reciprocal artillery work between Menin road and Houthulst Forest. The King's Royal Rifles broke the main force of the evening attack In the neighbourhood of Polderhoek. The enemy's losses were severe. A short section of a trench which remained in his hands was recaptured (despite strong reaistancel by the Royal Fusiliers. A few prisoners were captured. The Portuguese penetrated to tho second line of trenches at Neuve Chapelle. A raid was made, resulting in the driving out of the garrison with heavy loss, bombing or blowing up a number of occupied dugouts, and the bringing in of prisoners. The Portuguese casualties were light. We raided the trenches north of Bapaume and Cambrai road. Londoners raided in the neighbourhood of Oppy, killing several and taking a few prisoners. There is increased activity of hostile artillery 'north of La Bassee Canal. The enemy attacked on the evening of the 9th under cover of a heavy bombardment, on a front of nearly a mile from southward of tho Menin road to northward of Polderhoek Chateau. Despite his intense artillery work_ and his determined attack, we repulsed him at all points excepting in the neighbourhood of Polderhoek, where the enemy entered some advanced posts on a front of 200 yards. We recaptured the whole positions after severe fighting, which lasted all night. We drove off raiders east of Neuve Chapelle. The Portuguese captured several prisoners in a successful raid in this neighbourhood. The West Kents made a successful raid south of Fleuxbaix, and took a number of prisoners. We made successful raids north-west of St. Quentin and south-west of Cambrai. Hostile artillery is active at Armentieres, eastward of Wytschaete, and in the neighbourhood of Menin road. A hostile raiding party, under cover of _ll heavy bombardment, attacked our positions eastward of Armentieres. A few British are missing. We repulsed an attack. - Artillery work is markedly increased. A SEVERE FIGHT. Reuter'a correspondent at British Headquarter stages: The heaviest fighting of this year was on the Bth on the Passchendaele salient. The j enemy during tho whole of the previous i night heavily bombarded our front from Warneton to Lnngemarck, freely employing 1 gas shells. fenemy troops were subsequently launched in an attack on a mile front south of Houthulst Forest, but they were met with such a vigorous resistance by our men _ that their waves broke, and they retired in most places. On tho right flank, however, the flammcnwerfer forced tho garrison of sorc.e of our posts to withdraw to their supports; but a little later the Yorkshire Light Infantry counter-attacked with great dash. Tho wero very strong, but the fury of the Yorkshiremen's onslaught created a panic, and the enemy broke. Our men 6ursued them to 300 yards from the spot ■here the enemy attacked, inflicting con-

siderable casualties. Our line was completely restored. Heavy artillery fire all day long astride the Menin road was succeeded by tho advance of a large body of German infantry, covered by an intense barrage. The infantry deployed over a front of 3000 yards. Furious fighting ensued in the twilight, the struggle being most determined. The enemy succeeded in establishing a few advanced posts, which were then bombarded by our artillery all night long. The weather is ideal. The Petit Journal's correspondent on the British front states that prodigious enemy activity is proceeding. The enemy is bringing up troops, while there is a marked enemy reinforcement of artillery on the whole front, coinciding with the violent bombardments between Lens and Flesquieres. Germans in the St. Quentin region are significantly constructing" supplementary bridges over the canals. FAILURE OF GERMAN PICKED TROOPS. Mr Percival Phillips states that the attack of picked troops on Friday was a disastrous failure, and resulted in a heavy German casualty list and the demoralisation of their storm troops. Our men do not fear these elaborate drives, and their spirit and confidence were never higher. The purposo of tho attack at Houthulst for Polderhoek Spur was to remove the local, salients and give better observation. The German attack was meant to bo a surprise, but the stormers were badly shaken by the British artillery before their barrage moved. About 250 men, on a front of 800 yards, occupied six of our posts at Houthulst Forest, but were forced back by the British occupants for 100 yards. Flame machines assisted the Germans, but our machine guns prevented reinforcements coming, until the Yorkshire Light Infantry and the Royal Fusiliers chased the Germans into a swamp. Mr Philip Gibbs states that the German attacks on Friday were frustrated owing to our barrage making an assembly of Germans impossible. The German officers at Polderhoek believed that their plans had been revealed, and paraded the men. They said tho attack was postponed owing to deserters carrying news to the British. REWARD FOR PRISONERS. Prisoners taken by the Australians state that tho battalion commander was most anxious to achieve success. It is significant that the reward offered for bringing in a British prisoner was raised from £ls to £25, together with 18 days' leave. The Germans credit alarming stories about our gas. It is commonly believed among them, that we have invented eight new varieties of gas. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORTS. French communiques are to the following effect:—There is lively artillery work at night time in the regions of Beaumont and Bezonvaux (north-east of Verdun), also at Ban de Sapt (Vosges front) and east of Harzetzen {'! Harsingen), in Upper Alsace. Following on a bombardment, the enemy attempted several raids in the region of Pagny Forest, in the direction of Neuville, on the Lorraine front, but our fire dispersed the assailants. A lively engagement occurred in the region of Bures, in which tho enemy wero repulsed with appreciable losses. The enemy were unsuccessful also in the direction of Veho, and we took some prisoners. Bast of the Meuse we. conducted an extensive coup de main, penetrating to the fourth line, on a front of 1200 metres, reaching a depth of 600 metres at a certain point. While 'the coup de main was progressing the enemy counterattacked on tho left flank, but were repulsed after sharp fighting, with important enemy losses. Our losses are extremely light. An enemy coup de main north-west of Bezonvaux broke down, and another attempt east of Largitzen was stopped There is fairly violent artillery fire on he right bank of' the Meuse in the region of Courtieres and- Chaume Woods, where a German attack was repulsed after a lively contest. An enemy attack at Chevalirs Wood was completely checked. A German raid on the American trenches on the Lorraine front was repulsed, and American patrols took somo prisoners. A somewhat violent artillerv duel took place on tho right (east) bank of the Mouse, especially in the region of Fosses Wood; also marked enemy activity in tho Vosges sector; also at La Pompelle, and reciprocal artillery firing in the regions of Corniney and Reims. Enemy raids wero made in the evening on our trenches at Avoncourt Wood, and to the northwest of Hill 344, but everywhere 'they were stopped by our fire. There are fairly groat enemy artilla/y operations in tho La Pompelle region and at Avocourt. A strong enemy raid at Moncel was repulsed with serious losses. We repulsed raids south of Bethany, on tho left bank

of the Meuse, and in tho Vosges district detachments penetrated the enemy lines east of Auberivc. In the region of Badonvillers wo destroyed several works. GALLANT BELGIANS. Belgian communiques state: An enemy attack north of Nieupor't on Friday under cover of a most violent bombardment failed. We took prisoners in a counterattack by our dismounted cavalry on Wednesday against Prussian shock troops who gained a footing on the advanced posts at South Stuyonskirke. Our operations were most successful. Wo took prisoners and captured nine machine guns and much material, and reoccupied ail the posts. Two Belgian raids in the region of Nieuport killed many, brought back prisoners, and captured a German, outpost. Tho enemy's raiding outburst of last week resulted in a recrudescence of artillery operations over the whole front. Correspondents pay a tribute to the Belgians' line stand a't Stuyvenskirke. The weather dried the flooded ground, and enabled the Germans to attack on a fairly wide front. Tho Belgians' rifle and machine- gun fire beat off tho southern portion of tho attack, but the German storm troops on the north rushed sever advanced posts, semi-circling around the bridgehead. A desperate fight ensued. A Belgian officer and nine men, with a machine gun, held on for an hour and repelled repeated assaults by 300 of_ the enemy, with 12 machine guns. Luckily a Belgian patrol returning from another encounter heard the firing, and rushed to reinforco the gallant defenders, .and, quickly turning the tables and assuming the offensive, attacked and recaptured one of the lost posts, securing prisoners and one machine gun. Meanwhile a larger counterattack began, the dismounted men completely re-establishing the line. AMERICANS IN ACTION. American Headquarters in Franco states that 'the American troops occupying a new sector on the French front in Lorraine repulsed German raiders, inflicting losses. Tho Americans hold eight miles of trenches in the Woevre. The Americans captured a German prisoner carrying a complete map of the American trenches along the Toul-St. Mihiel front. The New York World has interviewed returned wounded soldiers, who stato that 12 Americans were taken prisoner in a. Go: man. raid, and next morning their bodies were found in front of the trenches with arms and legs amputated and their eyes gouged, out: GERMAN REPORTS. German official reports state: Artillery duels are being waged on the eastern heights of the Meuse. Wi repulsed strong French detachments eastwards of Mouilly. Our positions oh the north bf.nk of the Lys have been subjected tp violent bursts of firing. A Englis?i attack at Waasten was repulsed. Hand to ho.nd fighting ensued. A hostile infantry attack followed a violent artillery duel hi tho Badonvillers sector. The engagements have not yet terminated. Wo repulsed strong reconnoitring 'thrusts southward of Monchy. Strong French detachments penetrated to the foremost trenches between Ancrewiller and Badonvillers, but counter-thrusts drove them out. THE GERMAN STRENGTH. A high authority states that the strength of the enemy's divisions on the west front is still increasing. The Germans have now a majority of some 16 divisions over the Allies, but that does not mean they are superior in strength, since the Allies' divisions are larger. He says we have also accumulated large supplies of guns and aircraft, and our superiority is maintained, although it is steadily diminishing. Tho enemy s preparations are more or less complete, and the gunners' can attack as soon as their local, preparations are finished. It is more difficult to discover these local preparations than the larger efforts, because camouflage has reached such a degree of skill that it is hard to learn what is going on. Colonel Feyler, a leading Swiss military critic, in exhaustive calculations, claims that, despite reinforcements from Russia, the German troops on tho west are over a million below what they were hi 1914. The quality is inferior. He estimates that 2,500,000 Germans are dead, 500,000 have been taken prisoner, and 2,500,000 are incapacitated. Speaking in the Prussian Lower House tho President, referring to the Russian peace, said: "We are now able to concentrate solely on the western front, where a hard final battle is impending. With God's help we will be victorious." . The Prussian Minister of War announced in the Reichstag that Austrian troops had been sent to France, but he refused to give tho number.