REPULSED BY BELGIANS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14596, 4 May 1918, Page 8

REPULSED BY BELGIANS

London, April 22. — Yesterday was a strenuous lime for our infantry iv. cojjgeration w}th the. French, who* are now; engaged' in the northern .battle area, The record was satisfactory, balancing'heavily m our i'avoiv German waves dashed against our lines m half a dozen places.' Only at Beaver Tlill were we forced lo yield ground, which a counter-attack re-' gained. . Our gunners, "anticipating the enemy* occupat.on of 'the evacuated' Passclienidacle salient, prepared to give him, a warm reception. When the in-i; "fan try advanced over the dreary waste another ghastly toll of ' dead was gath--. ered. .

The Gentian attack nearer the coast is 1 specially noteworthy at this stage of the campaign. Tho enemy employed ' four, divisions— marine, infantry, one .Bavaiv ian, 'and 'two-' Prussian. All night there was a ihosV intense bombardment. This was considered to be likely to; foreStn.ll all resistance, but the Germans spdedily -foXiild that they were mis-i tikenj for" 'tho. Belgians put up a fight! ranking as !*6rie 'of the epics of theirsplendid story.' , Finally, the^y drove back the Germans m. confusion, and toofc more than 600 prisoners. The fi'ont on' which this ' b, tilliant 'victory was "achieved: Is a sWetch ' of 3£ miles, between Kippe; ahd'Langemarck. '

The 'harassing fire of our artillery J Upon enemy communications has jjreatlj* increased m intensity, and tfte German) gurniers'suffefed'lieavily. Thus, on Mon- : tia'y, the 2frd Field : cAl'tillery •Begimeiit had four of its guns knocked out by our" batteries, all the ' personnel 'but two 'be-? ing casualties. One battery, the 61stJ Beserves of Field Artillery, lest all five' of .'its "officers 'attd niost of its non-com-: missioned officers and gunners. /*•. s FAILtfEE 'AT GIVE^CH Y.

Mr Peicival Phillips writes; — The failure of the Givenehy attack was the most complete since the beginning of the> coast gamble. 'Nowhere -tin 'the 15-mile* front, from NieppcTto Givenchy, lias the line v giveu way. Massed machine guns smashed waves of; ttio enemy. Our .troops' knoyrledgo of the. network of trenches at lia *Bassee enabled them to creep round 'the'advanquig infan,try, antf; bomb them from tlio flanks. * The at-, 'taqkers, m At^erppting to cross the. jCanal, were shot down, a man, b'ift He-, hind _ them appeared another wave. They halted and hesitated at the sight of the slaughter. TJiey' were driven on by Ijheir officers. . They advanced reluctantly, m single file. Tlie; slajugh.ter ' was appal- j fiiijj. smashed' their 'flimsy bridges, and jreriiaiii masters of the crossing, and the direct road Mo Bethu'lie. v , Mr P^rrie. ißobinsoii. .writes,: The .testimony of 'j prisoners' and captured ments confirms our .evidence that 'the' enemy suffered severely '.'at . .Bailleul and Givenchy. One regiment was reduced to 250 men, "while ail three battalions ofjj anothci' regiment,, were , sni'as,he'd to'j pieces. Captured officers of the Twelfth; Division say Mint 'it? ,Was impossible W advance' m the slightest ag^in^t <j>ur artft-j levy aiid machine guijs. : A 'British officer' fired 300 rounds fl'b'ni a rifle^ and «aid tfliiat every shot was effective— ho c'Siil'd nut miss. ....