FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume V, Issue 1276, 15 March 1918, Page 5

FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

FRENCH REPULSE ATTACKS. (A. & N.Z. & Reuter) LONDON, March IX v A French communique stales:— The Germans attacked west of Vau* desincourt. After a lively engage* meat we drove the enemy out of some of our advanced trenches in which he had gained a fooling. There is reciprocal artillery activity on the left bank of the Meuse. A GERMAN REPORT. (A. & N.ZJjj LONDON, March 13 A GernTSn official report states:—* We raided French trenches north* east of Fresncs and destroyed enemy works. There is violent air fighting. We brought down 19 aeroplanes and two balloons yesterday. OPPOSITION TO BRITISH. (A. A N.Z.) LONDON, March 13. A high military authority who is at present on the West front says that half the strength of the German forces is concentrated on the British front. There have been several attempts to make out that the British are not holding their proper share of the line as compared with the French, but in war distance in yards is not everything; the important thing is the strength in which the various armies are employed. But for the necessity of combating propaganda he was loath to draw comparisons between our efforts and the Allies. He could not forget how gallantly •France bore the early stages of the war, but no member of the Entente had borne the burden to such an .extent as the British Empire. The most hopeful augurv for the future for the Entente was that another fresh Anglo-Saxon Power was preparing to tread the path we trod, and was coming into the field to relieve us of some of the burden. 1 here was no field so promising as the air. If we were now, without America’s assistance, steadilv developing supremacy in the air, and more than holding our own, no imagination could picture the result when the full American air force was in the field alongside the British and French. Practically the whole burden of war against Turkev had fallen on us. The difficult terrain in Palestine precluded any dramatic coups, bnt General Allenby was continually pressing the Turks. WESTERN OFFENSIVE. (“The Times”) LONDON, March 13. The military critic of the “Lokal Anzeiger,” in an article which was apparently inspired, abandons the expectation of an immediate Western offensive. He argues that if is impossible for the Americans to outweigh the German accessions from the East. To delay is a good policy, as the submarine sinkings will probably compel the Allies to resort to a hopeless, exhausting offensive, and then Germany can give them a knock-out blow. AMERICAN RAIDS. (A. & N.Z.) NEW YORK, March IX The United Press Association’s correspondent on the American front states that the American artillery at 1 oul inflicted heavy damage on the German positions. The Americans then raided the German trenches, again reaching the second line. American raids were also carried out east of Luneville.