On This Day, 5 January 1918

Birmingham Daily Gazette

Saturday 5 January 1918

TO END THE WAR

ENEMY TALKING OF A VAST EFFORT IN THE WEST

‘SPRING’ PREPARATIONS

FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, France Friday.

The hardest frost of the winter was recorded last night, after another slight fall of snow, and throughout to-day, though the sun has been shining brightly, it has been bitterly cold, and there is thick ice everywhere. The Western line is completely frostbound. It is many years since there has been so early and so severe a winter, and meteorological indications suggest that this is only the beginning of a long spell of Arctic weather. In the villages behind the lines the people are sleighing, and the children are amusing themselves with tobogganing, encouraged by our soldiers, who join in the fun with great zest.

ACTIVITY AT LENS

Enemy activity during the past 24 hours, has been mainly confined to persistent shelling in the Hill 70 and Loos sector, and we have replied with some effective counter-battery work near Loos and Cite St. Pierre. Fog and frost have interfered with aeroplane work on both sides, visibility being poor, and fighting in the clouds mere guesswork. This morning, with a fair outlook, a number of machines were up. Before they could start the pilots had to fill their radiators with hot water.

NUMEROUS RAIDS

There have been numerous small raids. An attempted enemy raid south of the Menin road was dispersed, and when our patrols went out over the ground later on they found a number of German dead in No Man’s Land. Prisoners recently captured say that civilians have been ordered out of a number of small towns and villages to make room for troops coming in for “the great German offensive in the spring.” I hear of much talk among the enemy concerning this. Officers have been exhorting their men to pray and prepare for the grand finale which is to send the war with one vast effort.