BRILLIANT ATTACK BY THE BRITISH FIRST ARMY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2464, 18 May 1915, Page 5

BRILLIANT ATTACK BY THE BRITISH FIRST ARMY

SPLENDID PROGRESS. : TWO-MILE GAP TORN, IN ENEMY'S LINE •The High Commissioner reports:— r.- u ™ -L-, T r, „ London, May 17, 12.45 p.m. ~ iield Marshal Sir John French reports.^ • j tP"? F' Ist ' A rm ?. made a successful attack between Kichebourg-l'Avoue aha Festubert, breaking the enemy's liue over the greater part of a two-mile trout.... ''The attack commenced at midnight, south of Riclibburg-l'Aioue, where we earned two successive lines of German breastworks on a front of 800 yards. At Mill Miwe, further south, another attack at dawn carried 1200 yards ro . n ' i " no trenches, and pushed rapidly on, extending its success 600 yards further south by bombing along the German trenches "Here we have crossed the Festubert-Quiujue Road, and advanced nearly a mile into the German line. Fighting continues in our .favour; throughout the day our brave troops fought splendidly." „ . London, May 17}. 2.50 a.m. On Sunday afternoon a fourth German counter-attack on Steenstraate was repelled. The Allies retail!' all positions gained, notwithstanding the enemy's violent efforts, which indicate the importance of the position to them. The German losses in the defeat by the British were very heavy. . "North of Arras the Allies have consolidated their new front,and driven the enemy from points where their presence was an obstacle. 'There has been a further advance in the region of Notre Dame do Lorette and Neuville-St. Vaast. "North-east of Ville-Sur-Tourbe (west of the Argonne), the enemy exploded a mine in rear of the Allies first line. "Eight German companies gained a footing in the Ypres salient on Saturday; part was regained immediately, and the remainder on Sunday. The enemy's losses were enormous. A thousand corpses were found, and we took three hundred prisoners." ENEMY HURLED BACK AT STEENSTRAATE " The High Commissioner reports:— * i ' , <T London, May 16, 6.25 p.m. "In Belgium the enemy counter-attacked thrice at Steenstraate: third attack particularly violent; all repulsed with heavy loss. ' "To the north of La Bassee the British carried several German trenches." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.-Copyrigbt.)' i • 1( „ Paris, May 16. A communique states:— The Germans made extremely viols.it attacks on Steenstraate, but were repulsed and lost heavily. They also lost six machine' guns ana a mortar.. '"The British between Richebourg and L 6 Quinque captured several trenches. There were fierce hand-to-hand, fighting on the slopes at Notre Dame de Lorette, where we made progress. The.Germans endeavoured to retake Neuville, but failed." (Rec. May 17, 10.10 p.m.) n _ r. .x-i , Paris, May 17. Official—The British, whose progress at Kichebourg continues, have inflicted great losses oh the Germans. "We gained two hundred metres of the spur descending from the plateau at Notre Dame de Lorette, towards the Sugar Refinery, and have captured more houses in the northern part of Neuville-St. Vaast. "We blew up the Germans' captive balloon east of Viny. "Our aeroplanes bombarded a station at Somuin. ' "We achieved a brilliant success at Champagne, in the north-west. Fighting still continues. "The enemy on Saturday and Sunday night exploded a mine behind our first line. Eight German companies rushed the position, and gained a footing oii our. salient. "Wo twice coiinter-attacked, and the second assault, dashingly carried out by the bayonet and hand grehades, recovered the whole position." "The enemy's trenches and breastworks revealed onornious German losses. Over a thousand corpses were found. We took prisoner 0 officers, 300 men, and six machine-guns." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. , ™ t,• , T Berlin, Ma ? 16. Official.—We progressed on the St. Juhen-Ypres road, and captured three British officers, sixty men, and a machine gun. Altogether, 110 officers and 5450 men have been taken prisoner since April 22, besides 500 wounded. Wo also took trenches soiithward of Ailly, making prisoner 62 wounded and 166 unwounded Frenchmol.