SPLENDID REPORTS FROM THE FRENCH FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3058, 20 April 1917, Page 7

SPLENDID REPORTS FROM THE FRENCH FRONT

| RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE BATTLB j ] ' : ' ' - 1 ; DEMORALISING punishment of the ENEMY v' V;-. (% Tfl^nipri—Press Association—Copyright), , v _ London,'' April 18. , A Freiich official communique states: "In the region south of St. Quentin there has been very great mutual artillery activity. South of the Oise, east of the Lower CoucyiForestj there have been numerous patrol engagements. . "Between Soissons and Auberive, we carried out niglit operations of detail, securing us considerable advantages to the west. A brilliant action gave use the village of Chavonne (three miles west of Vailley) and the complete' position of Chivy. North-east of these; places _we carried the whole ground as far as the approaches to Braye en Laonnaiß, into which our patrols penetrated.. In the sector of Ville aux Bois, which we capturedj we have token several fortified works, also the woods to the east. "In Champagne) counter-attacks on our positions on both sides of Mont Gornillet were stopped short by our fire, resulting in bloody losses to the enemy. The artillery duel _was violent on a great part of the attacking front, i and the enemy had to withdraw his heavy and field artillery to the rear. Nevertheless we captured twelve guns, including three heavy pieces, a considerable quantity of machine-guns, and numerous trench engines. The number of prisoners taken'since April 16 totals 14,000."—Aais.-N.Z. Cable AssnReuter. ■ HEAVY GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED VIGOROUS. OFFENSIVE BRILLIANTLY CONTINUED. (Reo. April 19, 10.5 pm.) London, April 19. A-.. French official communique states: "South of St. Quentin, after a ; bombardment of the liveliest description, the Germans attacked east of Coucy. Their' first attempt jvas stopped-dead by our fire; the second, more violent, resulted in fractions, of the enemy penetrating our advanced trenches, but these were all killed or captured, and by an immediate counter-attack our line was completely restored. We continued our/vigorous offensive at various points between Soissons and Auberive. Despite persistent bad weather our operations on the west of our attacking front were brilliantly successful. North of'Chavonhe we captured the village of Ostel, smd drove the enemy back over half a mile. Northwards we captured Braye-en-Laonnais. All the ground to the eastward, to the vicinity of. Courtecon, was under vigorous pressure by our infantry and a murderous fire bv our artillery. ■The enemy fled in disorder, abandoning much material and depots of food. ■ "We captured nineteen guns, including five howitzers, south of Laffaux. Our troops, covered by the divisional cavalry, broke up the enemy and captured Nanteuile-en-Posse. Filially, south of the Aisne, by a spirited attack, we captured' the brideghead between Conde and Valledy, and the whole of Vailly/ An important unit was surrounded in the forest of Ville-aux-Bois and laid down ; thei rarms—a total of thirteen hundred prisoners. "The Germans in the afternoon, furiously counter-attacked with two divisions between Juvincourt and the Aisne. Our barrages and machine-gun fire shattered the attack and! sanguinary losßes on the enemy, who nowhere was able to approach our' lines. East'.of'Courcy a Russian brigade crowned its ; successes by capturing a fortified work, and' taking .prisoners. We took twenty-four heavy aud field guns in the whole of this region, and three 5-inch guns, each with one thousand rounds, which we . immediately employed against the enemy. We reduced several centres of _ resistance, ana captured strong points in Champagne, where twenty guns, including eight heavy guns, Tore taken. ' "The number of unwounded prisoners taken since the opening of the battle exceeds seventeen thousand.. Seventy-five guns have hitherto been counted."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcuter. PROGRESS ON THE BRITISH FRONT NEW POSITIONS CAPTURED. The High Commissioner reports:— . / . , London, April 18, 12.45 p.m. A British official report states: "During the night we made progress south-ea'.tward and eastwards of Epehy. This morning we captured Villersfruislaiu (south-east of Gouzeaucourt), taking some prisoners. We also improved our position at Lagnicourt. Heavy rain continues." j LATEST BRITISH COMMUNIQUE. (Reo. April 19, 7.10 p.m.) „ . , • . , ■ London, April 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We gained ground during the night on the left bank of the Scarpe, eastward of Fampoux. We captured this morning a further portion of the enemy's front-line system south-east of Loos."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT London, April 18. Admiralty, per Wireless Press.—A Gorman official message states: "Artillery action was again intense on sectors of the Arras battlefield. We repulsed French attacks on Reaulner Ridge, on the Craonne Heights northeast of Ville aux Bois, near Le Godat, and at Courcy,, on the Aisne-Marne Canal. We checked fresh attacks in Champagne, which were preceded by the strongest artillery action, on a twelve miles and a half front. Our counterattack regained portion of the wood between Moronvillers and Auberive. We took 500 prisoners. During Monday's fighting we destroyed twenty-six armoured cars and brought down eighteen aeroplanes."—Aus.-tf.Z. Cabl* Assn.Reuter. ■

(Rec. April 19, 7.10 p.m.)' London, April 18. !X. German official report states: "A nocturnal attack brought the enemy a small gain of territory near Braye, on the Aisne. A second French attack after the failure of the morning attompt is now in progress on both sides of Craonne. Fresh fights began in Champagne this afternoon."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. GREAT WORK BY TOE AIRMEN (Rec April 19,11.25 p.m.) . ' . London, April 19. A correspondent at headquarters states: "Our airmen have crossed the German line daily over four liimdredtimes sinco the Rattle of Arras began. They conducted deliberate reconnaisances aud long-distance raids, contributing to an important degree to our victory. "We have captured at least 230 guns, out of 600 on the front we at-tacked."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. 100,000 GERMAN CASUALTIES IN EIGHT DAYS. . (Rec. Ar.ril 20, 1.30 a.m.) . ■ Paris, April 19. It is estimated that the Germans, on the West front, lost one hundred thousand men in the last eight days.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. .•■.•/ '—: OPINIONS ON THE OFFENSIVE , .._ ~ , DECISION A MATTER OF WEEKS. London, April 18. It will probably be weeks before a decision is reached in the , present mighty battle, though the strategic effect is already The "Matin" says that von Hindenburg, who was preparing attacks at Riga and against Italy, was forced to frantically rush troops to the Western front.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn, ''.'.'.. TWO MILLION IN THE FIGHTING LINE. London, April 18. Reuter's correspondent at headquarters says it is estimated that two million troops were engaged in the offensive. The extension of the French attack in the Champagne illustrates afresh the value of the new tactical method practised by the British at Arras—namely, the constant enlargement of the front as the'attack progresses, with great strength of wings, so that when the objective is reached there is no danger of,a salient inviting outflanking. The method enables better contact of troops and facilitates the artillery work.—Reuter. STIRRING EPISODE OF THE FIGHT AT MORONVILLERS. ■ '; N ■ London, April 18. M. Marcel Hutin, in the "Matin," describes an episode of the French occupation of the southern slopes of Moronvillers, in Champagne. The slopes were regarded as impregnable, and the French compelled the Crown.Prince to bring up two hundred thousand reserves; but the "second German position was carried in the face of a most'desperate resistance. Time after time the enemy's counter-attacks were decimated.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE AUSTRALIANS AT LAGNICOURT . CAPTAIN BEAN'S STORY.Sydney, April 19. Captain Bean, the Australian war correspondent, referring to the Germans' extravagant claims of captures at Lagmcourt, says: "The Germans for some reason are intensely anxious to affect the opinion of Australia at this juncture, and.frequently express clumsy sympathy with the Australians, and eagerly seize and publish letters written during the Somme winter, in order to make it appear that the Australians are anxious to desert the Allies. Captain Bean says: "The Prussian Guards were ordered to out through the Australians, and to reach the guns' and seize the village of Noreuil, which they were to hold for twenty-four hours until special parties destroyed the guns and ransacked Headquarters for papers, then to withdraw. A large, picked force, by sheer weight, broke through the village of Lagnicoiirt, and reached some of the advanced field guns, which the crew dismantled/ The Germans were actually placing charges under the guns when the local commanders, without awaiting orders, counter-attacked. By the middle of the morning all the guns were not only recaptured, but with the exception of five which the Germans managed to destroy, were firing on the retreating enemy."—Prdss Assn. IN THE RED WAKE OF THE BRUTES GERMAN ATROCITIES TN THE RECONQUERED TERRITORY. ■ ■ . • Paris, April 18. ' The Commission which is investigating the German atrocities in the conquered territory of France reports that the Germans _ used- systematic methods to reduce the citizens to servitude. Women and girls.were raped in their homes. Towns, industries, trees, and implements were destroyed, with' the evident object of inspiring terror. In some places they wrecked beds and chests, and carried away everything available. Loathsome arid uiiprintab o acts were committed on the altars in some of the churches.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. s