GREAT AIR FIGHTS IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3137, 16 July 1917, Page 5

GREAT AIR FIGHTS IN THE WEST

CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENTS BETWEEN LARGE FORMATIONS

RAILWAYS, AMMUNITION DUMPS AND AERODROMES BOiAIBED Tlio High Commissioner reports:— ~..., '. „_. ,„ , , ~ London, July 14, 1.20 a.m. British oiheial.- On Wednesday night we. successfully bombed railway stations, hutments, and aerodromes. All our machines returned. On Thursday there was unceasing aerial activity on both sides from dawn until late at right. Ibo lighting resulted greatly in our favour, and was the- most severe sine© the commencement of the war. There wore- continuous engagements between large formations, in some cases including thirty machines. Thirty-one German machines were brought down, and many photographs taken, and the ' bombm* of aerodromes, dumps, and stations continued. Nine of our machines are missing."

c- -n i tt • . ,™ , • ... London, July U, 2.10 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Early m the night southward of Lombaetzyde, nu enemy attack, after heavy artillery bombardment, was repulsed" In a Inter report Sir Douglas Haig says: "Wo raided the enemy's trenches south of Hulluch and south-east of lprcs, and repulsed raids south-east of Gavrelle, m the neighbourhood of the Yprcs-Comines Canal and east of Nieuport"

(Roc. July is, 11.5 p.m.)

London, July 14. Enemy .attacks on the positions southward of Lombaertzyde -were repulsed, and various enemy raids wero unsuccessful—Aus.-N.Z. Cable"Assn.-Reiiter.

GERMAN WORKS BOMBED. (Keo. July 15, 5.5 p.m.) London, July U. Tho Admiralty reports that naval aeroplanes carried out bombing raids last night, with military objoctives, on Aertrych and Ghistilles aorodvomes, aiid railway junction, the North Thourout Dock Canal and dumps, the Bruges railway junction, and South Ostend Harbour. It is difficult to ascertain the results, owing to the poor visibility. They also bombed works at Zeebrugge including the , mole.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable As9U.-Eeuter. '

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT.

(Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.)

... London, July 13. A wireless German official message says: "The artillery duel is intenso in nevornl sectors in Flanders and Artois. Wo Tepulsed thrust? eastward o£ Nieuport and. eouth-east of Tpres, near Hulluch, and southward of the Scarpe. Tho artil ery activity is intense on tho west bank of tho Meuse. Our etormere Tecapturod trenches on Hill 304. Wo have lost eight and the enemy has lost nineteen aeroplanes."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.

GRIM FIGHT ON THE BELGIAN COAST FRONT

HEROIC DEFENCE OF THE BRITISH TROOPS,

(Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.)

ln , TT ~ , _ _ London, July 13. itte United Press Headquarters correspondent says that nothing in tho war lias surpassed the fury of tho fighting in the sand dunes. The British were taken at a tremendous disadvantage, but fought to tho last man, scarcely any cf the survivors coming out unwounded. These escaped by swimming the Yser. The Herman bombardment began at C o'clock, in the morning, upon the front line. It then lilted, and deluged the support trenches and reserve positions all dav ai>d reached a great degree of intensity. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon droves of' German aeroplanes came over, ilying low, using machine-guns and directing their firo at the artillery. Already the British had suffered heavily, but the remainder stuck to theier posts, awaiting attack. The battlefield had become a maelstrom of smoke, steel, and flying sand. The Germane barraged the front lino in the evening, -while tho marines charged. Hardly a British machine-gun was workable, being choked with eand. There ensued the bloodiest hand-to-hand battle. y»h revolvers, bayonets, and clubbed rifles, until practically none survived of the English lads. An heroic wounded man swam hack across the Yser, with a. tope, enabling wounded non-swimmers to pull themselves across. Tho reserves counter-attacked southward of Lombaertzyde, retaking a section of the trenches —Aus.-jS t .Z. Cable Assn.-Router.

GRAPHIC STORY OF SURPRISE ATTACK

(Km. July 15, 5.5 p.m.)

~ >~.,. „..,■. • London, July 13. Air. Philip dibbs (war correspondent) says the heroic battle among the dunes ot Aieuport by the King's Royal Eifles and the Northampton in their last stand behind the lscr Canal can never be forgotten. The bombardment in the early 5 10 11 ln i g y ! ? lras uofc b y the British, who only a short time before had taken over this sector, and the men wero luxuriating, because of their position on the seashore, in some bathing, when tho attack opened from trenches tunnels, conorete emplacements, .ind breastworks botweon the coast and Lonibacrtzyde. The enemy began putting a barrage down on the front line from ■ many batteries of large howitzers. After an hour there was a pause, then a wall of shel s crossed the canal, and churned the sand. For another hour a tornado of steel alternate! between tho front line and tho support line. During an interval oi a quarter of an hour the officers vent down the line telling tho men they must nght to the death, as the bridges had been broken behind, and thero was no way of escape. It was impossible to pet messages to the rear, and practically impossible to leavo tho dug-outs and reconnoitre the situation. Eight aeroplanes overhead, flying low, poured in mnchtne-gnn fire. After 12 hours all tho German batteries poured in shells for three-quarters of an hour without a pause, then the first three waves of marines advanced With bombing parties, and heavily outnumbered tho few scattered groups of King's Koyal Rifles and Northamptons. They eamo on in crescent formation and for an hour there was trying work around tho flank of the King's Bides and the other outflank of the Northamptons. A party of German machine gunners crept along the line of sand, advancing at low tide and enfiladed tho support lines: Another party attacked a tunnel, m which wero the headquarters of the King's Rifles, and two platoons or the King s fought almost to the last m an, a little group of five behind a. sandbank finally remaining. Meanwhile the Northamptons were fighting desperately and sent a message to tho Britishers at Lombaertzyde to form a barrier to pr'evont tho enomy coming through. The Northamptons had not a chance of escape I heir machine-guns were put out of action and buried in the eand. One gunner got his gun into action, but it jammed, and with ,i curse the -ninner flung it into tho Yeer and jumped in himself and swam back to the British lines Another gunner was hit twice with shells, and was unable to work his gun A comrade came up and tried to drag him back to tho canal, with tho hope of swimming back with him. "Don't mind me," said tho gunner, "smash my gun and get back, lhere was no time to discuss the matter, bo the sun was smashed and tho wounded mnn loft. A sergeant of tho Northamptons who swam backsaw tho end of a.littlo group of officers surrounded by marine bombers. Thov fought to the last ltith revolvers. Meanwhile on tho banks of the canal Britishera were too weak to swim, and, dripping with blood, were trying to set back to the British lines. Somo gallant fellow on tho Niouport sido swam with a rope under heavy firo and fixed it so that the surviving Northamptons would be ablo to drag themselves across. Thero woro only a few of them, but enough to reconstruct the tragic tale. Tho enemy did not roach tho canal bank, but du" themselves in 300 yards away.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

MESSAGE PROM THE KING TO THE ARMY

CONFIDENCE IN TROOPS AND COMMANDERS

Tho High Commissioner reports:—

British oflicinl: The lung, when concluding his fourth visit to General Headquarter.*:, left a 300-word message of admiration, (rratitudc, and confidence to the troops of the Somme, Ancre, Arms, Vimy, and Mossincs, and at the results attained through the courago and devotion of all arms of tho service, which is under efficient commanders; also thanks to tho departments behind the fi»htin°line and tho industrial army at home." " °

BELGIAN COMMCTNICA.TIONS BOMBARDED.

(Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.)

„ , . • London, ,7uly U. A Belgian communique states -.—"The enemy violently bombard»<l the region of Stcenatrnete and our communications."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.-Reuter.

ARTILLERY AND AERIAL ACTIVITY ON FRENCH FRONT

EIC4HTEEN ENEMY AEROPLANES BROUGHT DOWN. (Rec. July 15, 5.5 p.m.) London, July li. A French communique says:—"There is great, mutual artillery and aerial activity. Eighteen pnnmy aeroplanes have been brought down. The Germans heaviily shelled Reims."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Eeuter. NANCY BOMBED, AND WOMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED. (Rec. July 15, 11.5 p.m.) London, July U. A French communique says:—"We checked several enemy attempts south of St. Quentin. There is violent artillery activity on the left bank of the Mouse. German aeroplanes bombed the entire region north of Nancy. Two women and a number of children were lulled."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter.