RUSSIANS DEFENDING LEMBERG

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2495, 23 June 1915, Page 7

RUSSIANS DEFENDING LEMBERG

EXPECTED ABANDONMENT GERMANS FORCE THE GRODEK , LINE FRENCH SUCCESSES CONTINUE . HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING IN ALSACE BRITISH FINANCE BILL j _ HUGE WAR LOAN BY POPULAR SUBSCRIPTION The fate of Lemberg is now the arresting question of the conflict in Galicia. The Germans have forced the Grodek line, and tlie Russians have fallen back towards Lemberg, which they are now defending. It is .not expected in Petrograd that the city will bo held. On another section of the Galician front, at Lubaczow, the Germans broke tlio Russian line, but a great cavalry chargo arrested the enemy, and nullified the value of this success. In the Western theatre the French continue their successful advance at various points right along their line from north of Arras to Alsace. There is, at the timo of writing, no news from the Austro-Italian theatre, but the lato cable messages may have something to tell. Over Gallipoli a veil of mystery still shrouds the operations. The British Chancellor of tlio Exchequer (Mr. M'Kenna) has introduced his Financial Statement in the House of Commons. It provides for the raising of a huge war loan, for an indefinite amount, by popular subscription. [Heavy weather in Australia—rain, hail, and snow—is delaying tlio war news, states the late cablegram.) • FRENCH SUCCESSES IN LORRAINE ENEMY ABANDONS TERRITORY HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING IN ALSACE ' (By Telegraph.—Press Aesn.—Copyright) Paris, June 21. A communique states: —"We have carried further trenches, and are now •pproaching the north-west of Souchez. "In Lorraine, near Reillon, we followed up our advantage and captured all the enemy's forts and trencK along a front of 1500 yards. The enemy's counter-attack was dispersed. "Our scouts have advanced close to Chazelles, Goudrexange, and Lesremabois, the enemy having abandoned the territory. All tbo German trenches were full of corpses. "In the region of Le Bonhomme, we carried by assault the spur of the Caivaire du Bonhomme, and reached the outskirts of Le Bonhomme. * "We have advanced beyond tlie cemetery of _ Metzeral. Hand-to-hand fighting continues to the south-west, where wo gained ground and captured 150 prisoners." v HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPOHT. The High Commissioner reports:— London, June 21, 0 p.m. Near Bompierre, west of Peronne, ail attack by the enemy, preceded by the explosion of mino chambers, was stopped dead by artillery and infantry fire. •"On the heights of the Meuse, on a sector of trenchos at Colonae, the Frenoli maintained all yesterday's gains, despite a counter-attack of extreme violence at 4 in the morning. „r x, , -ii. iMp-p , • London, June 22,3.55 a.m. "In the sector north of Arras, .trench air squadrons bombarded the enemy's aviation parks, set fire to four hangars, and struck two machines and a captive balloon. "On the western borders of the Argonne, the Germans on Sunday night delivered a violent local attack, prepared by an intense bombardment with asphyxiating projectiles. _ The French advanced line was bent at certain points, two companies being buried in the destroyed trenches. By an immediate counter-attack almost the whole of tho former French position was reconquered. _ "At Calonne the French repulsed Gorman counter-attacks and enlarged their earlier gains. "11l Lorraine, reconnaissance parties, keeping in contact with the enemy, have reached the enemy's works west of Gondroxon, and found them unoccupied.- The Germans in retiring stopped at trenches south of Leintrey. "Our progress is continued in Alsace, the French having captured the cemetery at Metzeral, and also gained possession of the railway station, carrying the village bv assault afterwards. Following a hot combat, the line was pushed five hundred metres beyond the outskirts. These actions yielded numerous prisoners." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. Juno 22, 7.40 p.m.) Amsterdam, June 21. A German official communique claims that the Germans repulsed attacks at Souchez. but admits that they withdraw before a superior force at Goudrezon. and evacuated Metzeral "according to a pre-arranged plan." THE BRITISH ATTACK SOUTH OF FESTUBERT (Rec. June 22, 9.30 p.m.) London, June 21. "Eye-Witness," describing the (offensivo which commenced on Juno 15 south of Festubert, says:—"After a moderately-prolonged bombardment, the British immediately captured the first line of Gorman trenches, about a mile in length, the enemy retreating towards the Ruo d'Onvort, on the north, and Chapelle Saint Rocs, on the south. "Our men then penetrated well behind the first line, bombing their way literally along the trenches of the second line. German bombing parties made strong counter-attacks at night, and our troops withdrow to their original position. British assault on the right was prepared by firing a heavily-charged mine, which killed a considerable number of the enemy who had collected there because our artillery fire was less hot in that section. Many bodies were found. "On the loft we took longer to cross a "no man's" land, and the Germans •were able to return to the ruins of their first line defences, and open fire on our infantry, which was stumbling across ground pitted with craters and cumbered with debris and wire entanglements. An artillery officer, .however, luckily saw what was happening, and when the Germans rose to shoot, greeted them with an unexpected outburst of shrapnel and high explosive shells. "After a further bombardment on Wednesday our troops recaptured some points, the net gain at Festubert being one hundred yards depth and three hundreds yards' frontage. Meanwhile at Vpros, we have regained a section of tho front we had lost in the gas attack on May 2*l. "The Germans constructed Ihcir usual network of defences west of Hollowarde Lake, extending westwards from Chateau lToogo to the. Ronlers line. Our infantry rushed tho German first line on a front, of a. thousand Yards at 4 o'clock on Wednesday morning, reaching the lake at some points, though no progress was made on the right, near Chateau Hnoge." "Atone point the Germans were massed in the woods north-east of the lake, but the advancing infantry were, caught, by tlie cross-fire of our gimp hvhJ were driven back, leaving s number"n( 'Kid )!> the *vtsn)iig »e Here .drinw bank to tho Garni wi first line, kftjti.ua takau mam prisoners."