1918-04-04 — Page 5

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THE WAR.

«QUIET ON BRITISH AND FRENCH

FRONTS.

BRAZIL'S NAVY TO CO-OPERATE WITH

ALLIES.

THE PALESTINE CAMPAIGN.

inco-Belgian Front.

LATEST CABLES. {TE BOUGË DEUTER'S AGENCY:]

BRITISH FRONT.

GERMAN POST CAPTURED.

LONDON, April 2nd. 11,00 p.m. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re ports: We asptured a German post in the neighbourhood of Serre,

EARLIER CABLES.

MINOR ENGAGEMENTS.

LONDON, April 2nd."

1.45 pm Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig re- ports:-We onptured 30 prisonera and 13 machine-guna yesterday between the Avre and the Luce. There are many German dead here.

Our artillery later broke up two counter-attacks, with heavy enemy loss Our machine-guns silenced a German battery.

We captured 3 prisoners near Hebu- terne killing many Germans,

We completely repelled a subsequent rostile counter-attack.

We raided in the neighbourhood of Acheville and Hollebeke, killing a num ber and enpturing several prisoners.

AERIAL OPERATIONS.

LONDON, April 2nd.

10.06: a.m.

We bombed and machine-gunned a

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS THURSDAY, APRIL 4TH. 1918.

THE GENERAL SITUATION. The general situation at the moment is that the main movement of fresh and redderately fresh enemy divisions con- tinues to be towards the zone between tile Somme and Montdidier, whilst north of the Bomise we succeeded, at any rate temporarily, in stabilising our line.

INSIGHT INTO GERMAN LOSSES.

A further insight into the extent of the German losses is given by the following. figures. It is estimated that the 208th Division lost 70 per cent of its effectives, and the Seth Division lost 30 per cent. on the first day of the attack and 40 per cent, in the attack on Mezieres on March 29th.

LONDON, April 2nd. 6.90 p.m.

The attack by the Fourth Division north of the Scarpe collapsed owing to ensuulties. The Fifth Diviston had 50 per cent. casualties in taking Ham and further losses in forcing the passage of the Somme.

It is noteworthy that a considerable in crease of enemy artillery firing at Pass chendaele and the Goudberg spur is res ported, but the Germans are so heavily committed upon the present battle-front that it is not effy to believe they will now try an offensive elsewhere. NEW ZEALAND TROOPS SUCCESS

It is now permissible to say that it was the New Zealand troops who carried out the attack at Lasigne Farm, capturing

LATEST CABLES.

QUIET ON BOTH FRONTS.

LONDON, April tid. 0.65 p.m.

The Press Bureau announces-The day was quiet on the whole British front. There was no serious bghting on the French front,

GERMAN REPORTS

LATEST CABLES. FRENCH FRONT LIVELY ARTILLERY DUEL

Panis, April 3rd,

A communique states: There was a somewhat lively artillery duel, especially between Montdidier and Laasigny,

THE GERMAN TANKS

French

GERMAN ABBAULTING TACTICS

4 REVERSED,

It will have been remarked that the tanks with fame-throwers follow with the reserves, and by only, attacking trenchen which have already been passed over by the infantry, the position of those de get fenders is hopeless. It is

evidently in-

believe

Reuters Headquarters, telegraphing stätqa: ~Although our soldier that enemy tanks did not participate in the first. German shock, it is certain thing

Our batteries caught under their fire German tanks actually took part in the tonded, that they shall be behind the zone beaten by our field-guna. Thus the whole machinery of trench warfare is maintain

LONDON, April 2ad. 0.55.p.m

enemy concentrations east of Cantigny.

A strong German reconnoitring party

operations, and the soldiers failure to see them was because, instead of accom

A wireless German official report attacked, but was repulsed by our troopsying the infantry waves, the German ed, but put ka the Germans in the second on the left bank of the Qipe south-west tanks advanced later with specialist line matend of the first. In twelve months troops to destroy islets of resistance hold- the German tactics in assault have been

states: The position is unchanged.

Stubborn enemy counter-attacks neat | of Gervais, Hebuterne and between the Luce and the. Ayre broke down heavily,

The French continued their shelling of Laon, and there were numerous civilian victims.

We shot down --, aeroplanes and five balloons.

EARLIER CABLES.

LONDON, April 1st.

9.5 p.m.

A wireless German official report states:We captured the heights north ward of Moreuil. Several British and French counter-attacks heavily failed.

We captured Arachis Wood, on the west bank of the Avre.

Repented French attempts to recapture the villages and heights westward of Montdidier, also between Doms and Matz, broke down.

Our prisoners now number 75,000. BRITISH REGIMENTS FIGHTING TO THE DEATH

LONDON, April 2nd.

6:30 a.rb.

Mr. Philip Gibbs, the War Correspond.

defeat at Arras, mentions the names ent, in a new account of the German

of the British regiments participating, which adds lustre to the defenders' achievements. The Queen's Westministera fought their way from outposts through

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ALLIES APPRECIABLE.

-PROGRESS.

PARIS, April 2nd. Communiqué states:-The battle continues on the whole front to north of Montdidier

where the enemy artillery | is particularly active. Now attacks by the enemy delivered against Grivesnes were all repulsed, with losses.

In the course of sharp fighting British and French troops made appreciablo pro- gress at various points between the Somme and Demain.

Five tor of homba were dropped on enciny cantonments and oil stations in the neighbourhood of St. Quentin, Guiscard, and Roye.

Our aviators frequently machine gunned and bombed and dispersed assem, blics of enemy troops.

Nine enemy aeroplanes were destroyed. Italian bombarding machines have par ticipated in many of these expeditions

and carried out numerous raids with

magnificent audacity.

RELATIVELY CALM.

Pans, April 2nd.

relatively calm on the front from the A communique states: The night was

Oise to the Somme.

tain activity on a portion of the battle, The artillery struggle assumed a cer the roomy. The London Rifle Brigade Fold The French and British forces

ing out after the German hordes wore.

submerged in our main defences.

crypt

THREE CLASSES OF TANKS. It is possible that the Germans possess

reversed.. In 101, the enemy's principle was economy in men, obtained through a profusion of material. In 1018 it seems to be an economy of material through the reckless

employment of men FRENCH ARTILLERY WREAKING TERRIBLE HAVOC

LONDON, April 1st. 7.05.m.

a very large number of tanks. We know beyond doubt that the enemy has tanks, which are of three classes The first con sista of repaired and captured tanks fromi the Cambrai battle, and tanks manu- factured according to the model of the British machine. The second type is the Reuter's Correspondent nt Trench. German model, smaller than the British, Headquarters states North of Montdi- but swifter, better armed, and heavier dier the Germans hold Cantigny, armoured. The third type is the German two miles west of the Avre. The Land Cruiser, or large model tank. onomy claim to have tetaken Mont The small swift tanks are said to be 26 Renaud, a steep hill overlooking Noyon. feet long, lu feet wide, and 11 bigh, Our artillery are beginning to arriva and weighing 10 metric tons. The Land on the Somme Avro-Lossigny-Montdidier Cruisers are a feet long, 13 feet wide, line, and its great strength is an oppos. and 13 feet high The speed of the ing and effective barrier to the German German tanks varies between four-and-amas attack. So for both sides have boun half and nine-and-a-half miles an bor obliged to fight supported by field-guna The armament is believed to consist of only, but now that our six-inch and the shortened 17-millimetro gun machine heavies have arrived they are wreaking guns and flame-throwers. The latter is terrible havoc among

the attacking an innovation, which must add consider columns,

ably to the effoiency of the tank is clear- ing trenches, owing to the capacity of the tanka to carry big reservoirs of combust ible liquid.

;་་་་

FRENCH TAKE 700 PRISONERS.

At Plemont & single French division charged furiously and broke the resist ance of two German divisions, recapture It is understood that the Germans haveing the whole of an important position, introduced a number of improvements, in- and 700 prisoners.

and a devien enabling the crew to close cluding a heavier protection against shella, the tank hermetically when traversing an

large column of troops south of the "ver 200 prisoners and 100 machine-gunsuccessfully held the main defensive line made tome progress at night-time between area under gas. The German tanks were

Somme.

We brought down three aeroplanes. Four of ours are missing. Four of our machines pieviously reported missing --have returned-

Dur night-bombers dropped 24 tons of bombs on railway stations at Douai, Cambrai, Bapaume, Rosieres and Thou- rout, and on the docks at Bruges.

We bored and machine-gunned troops and transport in the neighbourhood of Bapaume and Chaulnes. All returned.

LATEST CABLES.

LONDON, April 3rd. 19.20 a.m. Our low-fiers dropped 17 tons of bombs and fired thousands of rounds on infantry.

and other targets.

Some low-flying hostile two-seaters on the southern portion of our front machine.

gunned our ment

We brought down 16, and our infantry brought down another within our lines, Eleven of ours are missing.

Our night-fiers dropped many tons of bombs on the railway station at Cambrai, the railway station south-east of Douni, and the railway southward of Douai, also on billets and transport. All re- turned.

TWO SMART LITTLE ENTERPRISES,

EARLIER CABLES, GERMANS WORKING TOWARDS AMIENS.

LONDON, April 1st. 11. p.m.

Renter's Correspondent at British Headquarters, telegraphing this evening, states:The enemy movements and the fighting during the last twenty-four hours indicate the development of an attempt to work towards Amiens and down the Ancre Valley, and also from the south-west

for over nine hours. Their machine gunners anid they were sick of killing. The Essex Regiment fought like demons in the fore most trenches. Une body sent a mes- sage stating that they were going to fight to the death. None returned. The Suffolks. fought back to back with the Germans on each side of them, while the Northumber lands fought until all were killed or wounded. There was an eight hours battle round the battalion headquarters of the Scots Fusiliers, who gave ground

the Somme and Demuis.

LATEST CABLES.

GERMAN DESIGN TO EXTEND POSITION,

LONDON, April 2nd.

14.10 p.m. Renter's Correspondent at French Headquarters, telegraphing to-day, states: The enemy having failed in yes- terday's attack on the Lassigny-Montdi der line, he has shifted bis weight,

confident they have the situation in hand- Our troops here and along the Cisco are

As illustrating the severity of the Ger- Man

losses

during the first three days of organised in squadrons commanded by

this battle, many German divisions were majors. The officers are volunteers, and the withdrawn on account of logs, includ- men chiefly specialists in motor mechanics,ing the Thirty-ninth, Ninth, Thirteenth, gunners and machine-gunners. In attacks Forty-seventh, Fifth Guards, and Chap- the tanks are designed to advance behind

seur Divisions. the second or third waves of infantry, while detachments of infantry cover the flanks of the tanks.

GERMAN ORDER OF BATTLE.

TERRIBLE PLIGHT OF GERMAN DIVISIONS,

Several German divisions vainly asked

A German Order captured on the battle. - to be relieved. The Forty-fifth Reservo field describes the order of battle sofa was relieved after the loss of balf its

Great masses of troops confinue to very slowly under enormous odds, killing according to his tactic of an alternativo German Division in the present offensive. effectives on March 22nd, and was re-

concentrate in the region of Albert.

Fighting in in progress towards Villers and Bretonneux.

The enemy is finding serious difficulties in transport work, owing to the ceaseless destructive activity of our airmen, and also owing to the shortage of animals.

The enemy is bringing up artillery comparatively slowly, and meanwhile is lazily employing trench-mortare. Trench- mortars, however, have a very limited range and require enormous quantities of ammunition, which is very bulky,

the enemy all the way.

A CHEERFUL ASPECT,

LONDON, April 2nd.

7.20 am.

atrobe, to the line of the Ayre from !

The Division advances in two regimental engaged on March 7th. On the same onididier 10. Moreuil. In consequenos

The day the Colonels of the First and Second of the capture of Montdidier, the Ger groups, progressing side by side. mandare able to dig a pucker into our first line of each group consists, first, of Bavarian Infantry telegraphed demand. line west of the river bank, which then regiment, or three battalions, of ing to be relieved owing to their losses

is interpreted as covering the prepara- ing saptured the village of Malpart, a

The comparative lull on the battle-front are persistently seeking to enlarge. Hay infantry, whose task is to advance from the British and French machine straight upon their objective regardless guns. Some of their companies were tion for fresh German blows, but the fact mile west of the Avre and three miles,

of losses, leaving the work of reducing reduced to 30 mea. The Colonels remind. must not be overlooked that the Allies north of Montdidier, the Germans on detachments following them. These con

our centres of resistance to the specialist ed the General that relief was promised. equally take advantage of the quieter Sunday renewed the attack with thesist, frst, of one. Company of Stosstruppen, five miles from our original line. They 48 soon as Jussy was occupied, which is

one-and-a-half machine-gun companies, a

were told the

ald they could not be relieved owing GERMANS USE THEIR BEST half-company of sappers, one detachment ANN

to want of men. TROUPS,____________ of liquid flame-throwers, half of a heavy village of Grivestes, which is on the highlight trench-morters, and two batteries of The enemy incessantly assaulted the trench-mostar company, one battery of

state of things.

The opinion is

though too sanguine a construction mast strengthening that

not be put on the improved note of battle

AUSTRALIANS IN THICK OF THE apparent from the reports during the

FIGHTING.

The Australian troops are now appear- ing in the thick of the fighting and are doing, magnificently. Despite the south- wardly trend of the battle, the greatest weight of enemy divisions remains north of the Somme.

Captured documents now reveal that the enemy expected to reach the Somme on the first day of the offensive,

LONDON, April 2nd. 5.50 p.m Reuter's Correspondent at British Headquarters, telegraphing to-day, -states-During the past twenty-four hours there have been only comparatively INDENBURG FAILS TO KEEP HIS minor

affairs with the balance of success very largely on our side.

We carried out two very smart little enterprisea yesterday.

The small infantry attack south of Hebuterne mentioned by Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig to-day improved our

position amongst the quatrics It is stated that at least 100 German dead

were counted along the front of this attack Our casualties were quite light.

The second affair was an attack on the wood," "south-west of Hangard, in which two battalions of Germans penetrated during the slight enemy advance along. the Luce river on Saturday afternoon. Here we took 50 prisoners and captured 30 machine-guns.

APPOINTMENT

By three o'clock this afternoon, no fresh infantry attacks of importance were reported against the British, although the enemy artillery was very active, and Arras was being heavily shelled.

The delayed resumption of the grand operations or suppose importance to us giving opportunities to continually frengthen our weakest spots and im prove our defence works.

The weather is very fine, with excep tionally good visibility

object of extending their position west of- the river.

road from Afontdiuier to Amiens. They

TERRIFYING, TRAGIC, AWFUL”

A French officer wounded at Guiscard

last two or three days, yet it is justifiable used their best troops, who fought with what are described as infantry gune on March 25th said. It was terrifying,

reserve come the third infantry regiment and a division of five tanks of British

great fury The First Guard Division, which is the very title of the German army, after terrible hand-to-hand fght- ing, took the village,, Two hours later & origin and an independent group con- splendid French counter-attack retook the sisting of two cyclist and one Sturm village at the point of the bayonetstruppen companies. This division is EXTRAORDINARY GERMAN FURY supported by 12 batteries of field and ax The Germans returned to the assault batteries of heavy artillery, including a with extraordinary fury French armour- battery of 8-inch howitzers, ed cars, with their machine-guns, were brought up and drove back to disorder the assaulting waves of the First Grenn dier negiment and the Frossinn Guard

the battle is not concluded, v

to look forward to the future with less anxiety. This more cheerful aspect is assisted by Prendent Wilson's decision to permit the brigading of United States troups with the British and French units. The generosity and wisdom of President Wilson's step is warmly applauded, and is specially grected as freshly exemplifying the Allied military co-ordination, and confidence is reinforced by the recognition of the fact that the authorities are not. hesitating to make high military changes STRUGGLE FOR AIR SUPREMACY in the field

ld where recent experience point to its desirability. The trust in the Army, which has never wavered one jota in the darkest days during the past fortnight, is even strengthened as stories of numberless gallant exploits come to light from the tale of the general conflict. One of the most noteworthy is of

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-

tragic, avful. I saw Boches coming an in colurens of battalions, the officers

riding a thousand yards from our lines, and being mown down by our fire."

THE GERMANS AIM.

PARIS, April 2nd, A semi-oheial statement, issued on the

́ ́ INFANTRY ARTILLERY + According to prisoners, a number of evening of April 1st, states: The battin enemy battalions have now got special on the Somme continued very violent light trench-mortar detachments, known during the last twenty-four hours. as infantry artillery, equipped with two Having failed on Saturday to seize the light trench-mortars of a new model wooded heights between Montdidier and mounted on specially high wheels and supposed to be capable of firing 20 rounds assigny, which would have protectedt Reiter's Correspondent at French obstacles. The personnel of cach detach and served as a starting point for

minute against tanks and other there from the French counter-attacks, Headquarters, telegraphing on April 1stment comprises two officers and 40 men. states. The Germans have begun to It is apparent from the foregoing that French maintained during which the the whole apparatas for; destroying our

LONDON, April 2nd..

6.15 2.m

dispute supremacy

pion, Kichtofen, appeared in command of ten days of the battle. The German cham a powerful squadron of fighting planes

Rescatly, the French strien descended as low as 60 feet, where they wrought

further attack, the Germans directing their effort, entirely towards

strippen and sappers, with explosives and to the second line The celebrated stas Amiens, light trench-mortars, instead of going first, follow after the waves of infantry have swept over a position. The mission

a certain improvized battalion of Labour havoc among the enemy colurons and of these specialists remains the game

NEW BATTLE OF VERDUN,

A now battle at Verdun, with multiplied

It may be recalled that today is the Corps and machine-gunners mixed; whcreated an invaluable delay in the enemy' they clear the trendier reduce strong forces, ja beginning.

date on which Hindenburg told a number played a small but not unimportant of German newspapermen he would enter Paris

feature of the battle.

Our planes accurately located the progress.

pointa, and bomb rectants from dug comouta; but whilst being done the mencements of trenches which the Germans battle is sweeping on miles have begun.

anyrate in anticipation.

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