TWO GREAT THRUSTS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14591, 29 April 1918, Page 3

TWO GREAT THRUSTS.

CONTINUOUS STRUGGLE OJV FRONT OF TEN MILES.

GERMANS PAY FULL. PRICE FOR

EVERY YARD

(Reuter's Telegram.)

LONDON, *April 27. Reuter's British headquarters correspondent says :—. v •, Yesterday's fighting ■was the -heaviest m Flanders since the -f>resent>" Jfiensiv^ ; commenced. , ; The enemy developed twoi great- thrusts, vthe first being a continuation, of the effort against Kemmel Hill, and" the ground \westward, and the second being •"» new attack between La Olytljie, „fwhicb>'is a kilometre north-east «f (! ScjierpQnberg hill and the spot where his line crosses the Ypres-Comines cai^al. Later, his second attack extended southward and linked with the battle proceed-' ing' around Drancourt, thus forming a continuous struggle .on a front of 10 miles. . , "... . .„ , . The enemy was determined to win at any ! price," and., continued, , pushing fprwardi. f i;esh formations , from his-.; y eseryes wherever his frori,t was threat^ne.d. The Germans can .certainly, show, a.consider^ a.ble gain, oic territory, bat jthey have paid *the; full price for every yard. It cost them three -at.tempta en. niasse to get into Locrei and four attempts to carry, the. brewery south of ypqrmezeele. Commenting oh the position,- Reufer says it is admitted that the situation m the north has become seriously worse as ! a result of (i .the,. past ,twp, days' fighting* ■as the enemy does not merely hold Kemmel Hill, the best observation post on the British front, but has spread westjwards. .while he has. crept nearer Yprae ,011- bothv sides of, the, canal south-east of %\\e> town. Northwards, however, m the neighborhood of La Clytte and Scherattacks have been held and the position is not yet established. The severity of the German losses is not yet compensated by any strategical success; and even if further withdrawal from Ypres ia considered advisable this won)d not make any immediate, difference; to the Channel ports. The Ypres salient was .chiefly valuable , ias , a jumping-off ground for the recovery of the Flemish, coast, and as this object is not at present realisable, the value of Ypres now is only secondary. „;.. . , ;