IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 April 1916, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

THE ENEMY'S STRENGTH. GREAT EVENTS IMPENDING. INTERESTING HYPOTHESES. London, April 17. Colonel Repington, in an article detailing the German ordre-de-bataille north of the Somme, says that great events may be impending. General Foih if still in command in the north, enabling General Jofire to co-ordinate the operations of the Allies. Forty German divisions, excluding cavalry, were holding the line north of the Somme, numbering 800,000, of whon half a million rifles and over 3000 guns were facing the French. Before* the Belgians on our left were the naval corps and two and a half I.aadwchr and Ersatz Divisions. All the vest were before the British, while one cavalry and eight infantry divisions in reserve can be moved to any point. Only one Landwehr Division is before the British, (lie rest are th-3 good Active or Reserve formations whicii arc left, equal to those at Verdun, and better than others in the West or E'ist. The Germans hold dominant positions. Thi s mass of important forces is a tribute to the fighting qualities of our men. The Ist Bavarian Army Corps and Ist Bavarian Reserve Division are opposite Arras, with the 50th Reserve Division in. reserve. ■ The 13th Army Corps h at Ypres, the 19th at Armentieres, the 7th at Neuve Chapelle, the 4th Opposite • Loos, with various reserve corps intermixed, v The Germans are without reserves except in front of the. British and at Verdun. These are still ample to fill the : field depots during the summer campaign. Though the quality of many of the reserves is poor, if they attack the British they may have a temporary success, but their reception will be as warm as at Verdun. We shall attackwhen strong enough. The superiority of men and guns necessary to assail modern trenches is now fairly well known. A third hypothesis is that the Germans propose to master the lower Scheldt ami violate Holland ; so that the German naval armaments which have been accumulating for eighteen months in the Scheldt may put to sea and attack us. We still have not all the troops in western France which should bo there, though the strategy has improved since the General Staff has regained its functions. In October our output of guns and munitions was still below that of France and Germany. It will be necessary to keep two millions making munitions till the end of the war, of whom a million must he males. When our munitions are sufficient we must redouble our efforts to help Russia. . HEAVY BOMBARDMENTS. ■."SB& Eifettl-KAILWAY STATIONS. C . Paris, April 17. Our positions in the Avocourt Wood s id at Mort Homme and on the Cumieresl fiont were subjected to. an intense bom-j bardment. It was calm on the right ' bank of the Meuse, except south of the I Haudremont Wood, where the artillery •was fairly lively. Nine of our aeroplanes during the night of the 16th bombed Conftans station, the Rombach factories, Arnaville station, and the Pagny and Ars-sur-Meurthc stations. BRITISH BIPLANE BROUGHT DOWN. Amsterdam, April 17. A German communique says: We brought down a British biplane northwest of Peronne. The pilot was dead and the observer seriously injured. HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, Yesterday. The High Commissioner reports under i date London, April 17, 5.20 p.m.:— The French official report says: On the west bank of the Meuse there has been an intense bombardment of our positions at Avocourt Wood and on the front at Mort Homme and Cumierce. On the right bank the night was comparatively calm, except in the region south of Haudremont Wood, where the activity of the artillery was maintained in a fairly lively 'manner. There was r.o infantry action and nothing to report on the rest of the front except the usual cannonade. Last night one of our squadrons, consisting of nine aeroplanes, in spite of an intense mist, carried out an important operation, bombarding the region of Conflans, Pagny, Arnaville and Roebach. The following bombs were thrown: 12 on the railway station at Conflans, l(i on the Roebach factories, 8 on Arnaville railway station, 11 on the railways at Pagny and Ars-sur-Meurthe. On Saturday night one of our gun aeroplanes, at a height of 300 ft., attacked in the North Sea an enemy ship, upon which it fired sixteen shells, of which the larger number took - "->ct. GERMAN ATTACK FAILS. HEAVY LOSSES. Received April 18, 9.5 p.m. Paris, April 18. A communique says: Two divisions attacked our positions from the Meuse to Douaumont, the waves of the assault being spread over two kilometres. They encountered our curtain of machine-gun fire, and were driven back, except south of Chauffour Wood, where the enemy gained a footing in a small salient. There were very heavy enemy losses, especially west of Poivre Hill and in the ravine between Poivre Hill and Haudremont Wood. FRENCH MUNITION FACTORIES. Times and Sydney Sun Services. IParis, April 17. After a close inspection of munition factories, Deputy du Mesnil reports that Industrial France is becoming an immense arsenal. Heavy and light artillery and' stocks of munitions are piling up. despite the enormous demands for the Verdun battle. Guns have been turned cuit and batteries renewed with the necessary rapidity. It is largely due to the countless machine-guns that the German onslauaht was shattered. „