BRITISH PUSHING ON.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15194, 14 April 1917, Page 2

BRITISH PUSHING ON.

FURTHER POSITIONS TAKEN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, April 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We stormed the villages of Heninel and Wancourt, with the adjoining defences. We crossed the Cojeul rivpr and occupied the heights on the east hank. We made further progress northward of the Searpe and eastward of Vimy Ridge. Our gains reported this moruimg, northward of Vimy Ridge, were secured and the positions strengthened. During the fighting on Monday and Tuesday wo took prisoners from all infantry regiments of six German divisions. The atrial squadrons on Uoth sides hare been active. We downed 15. Six of ours are missing. THE NEW BRITISH LINE. (Times.) LONDON. April 13. The Times headquarters correspondent says: Onr line now runs below Givenchy south-easterly for- 500 yards south of Vimy village, thence southeasterly past 'Fampaux, Monohy and Guemappe to Heninel, where it strikes the Hindenburg line to the south-east of St. Quentin. ARRAS SAVED BY BRITISH. Australian and JT.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, April 13. Mr Beach Thomas, describing the offensive, says the enemy was bringing 17-inch howitzers to complete the ruin of Arras, which was saved by a week's margin. SNOW AND RAINSTORMS. DELAY MOVING UP OF BIG GUNS- ! LONDON, April 13. Correspondents at British headquarters state that snow and rainstorms continue. The wind sometimes reaches GO miles an hour, but the infantry arc eager and enthusiastic to continue attacks. The artillery is showing wonderful skill. The new conditions of field warfare are very different from shooting at fixed targets, the range of which is accurately knownThe momentary pause in the advance is due to the infantry having reached the limits of the area of devastation caused by smaller guns. Sir Douglas Haig must have timo to move up the artillery. The enemy still hokrs the fortified villages of Givonchy-en- j Gohelle and Petit-Vimy, winch stop j progress towards Lens. The Germans have prepared a second line, running north and south of Queant, supplementing the Hindenburg line. HINDENBURG'S PLAN. ANOTHER. CRITIC'S SPECULATIONS. LONDON, April 13. Professor Bidou, the famous military critic of the Journal des Deba'.s, in an article in Land and Water, discussing the 1917 campaign, says: It is obvious that Hindenburg is preparing an offensive, retreats being a favourite preliminary' to Hindenburg's offensives. He hopes to resume war movements, which have been suspended on the Western front for 2£ years. The Germans are training troops at the rear in exercises where trench warfare plays quite a subsidiary part. They are also greatly developing medium artillery, which is both powerful and mobile, at the expense of artillery of position. The alarming pulverisation of the German positions on the Somme showed that no position was safe from British artillery. Troops in shelters had no time to come out to meet assaults. Whole units were thus captured. The Germans now realise that men must be withdrawn from fortresses. The Germans intend to refuse battle and to yield ground when the offensive is disclosed. This will gain several weeks before a new attack is possible- The German medium artillery will reach perfection in June. If he can avoid defeat until then, Hindenburg intends to take the offensive with masses of men created by deducting the fourth regiments from divisions, the reorganisation of which produced thirteen new divisions armed with extremely powerful artillery.