THE WESTERN FRONT.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 June 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT.

AN ARTILLERY DUEL,

POWER OF BRITISH GUNS

fAUSTRALIAN A N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

LONDON, June C,

A Headquarters correspondent states that an artillery duel is thundering from Vimy, to northwards cl Ypres. Prisoners state the British guns arc playing havoc with the German front support trenches, rendering the entanglements useless. The Gorman nerves' are so shaken, that on some sections fresh divisions aro arriving- from the East I ront and replacing them.

* FRENCH PROGRESS

GERMAN ATTACKS SMASHED

LONDON, June 7. A French communique states: After a bombardment, the Germans delivered several attacks at different points between the Ailette and the Laonne (Roard and north-west of Brayo en Laonnais. Our fire immediately smashed two attempts against Mortiere Wood. The enemy sujfflered appreciable losses. Concentrated efforts north of (the Chemin des Dames only succeeded in- reaching our lines at a single point. Some portions of our front line trench remained! bi tho enemy’s hands. Everywhere else the enemy was thrown back. The artillery struggle is lively iil tho Nieuport sector in Belgium. GERMAN STATEMENT. TADMIRALTY rER. WIRELESS PRlisß.] f“REUTER’S” TELEGRAM.] LONDON, June 6. German official: Artillery activity at Wytschaoto has continued with short! •interruptions. We repulsed strong reconnoitering advances. Fighting activity has increased in the neighbourhood of the coasts and on the Artois , front. The English attacked strongly at nightfall northward of the Scarpo. The Bavarians heavily drovo hack the enemy between Gavrelle and Fanipoux. ihe enemy penetrated our position at Rooux, at tho railway" station. Fighting continues. The .third French attack on Winterberg failed. -Tho enemy lost eleven aeroplanes. ENEMY’S SEVERE LOSS LONDON, June 6. German communiques do not include tho two enemy aeroplanes officially reported to have been brought down yesterday. Hence, altogether four raiders wore, completely destroyed and six driven down. Thus more than half tho raiding squadron was put out of action. . . •* ANOTHER' - BRITISH 'OFFENSIVE substantial success WELLINGTON, This Day. The. High Commissioner reports* Mom London Juno 7th at 12.3 p.m., General Haig attacked at 3.10 this morning, the Germans on Messines Wvbochnelc ridge, on a front of over nine miles. Everywhere we captured our first objectives and further progres is reported satisfactorily on the whole front of attack. A number of prisoners are reported to have been already reaching the col"looting stations*. BRITISH ADVANCE. ON A NINeTiILE FRONT. MESSINES CAPTURED. LONDON, Juno 7. The. British captured their objective on a nine mile front-, from Messines to Wvtschacto < Messines has been captured and Wytscliaete is surrounded POWER STATION RECaPIuRED LONDON, Juno 7. Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig imports. We slightly progressed southward of the Souchez River and now bold tlio electric power'station, where there was fighting on Sunday. We carried out a successful raid southward of Ypres. There has been gteat aerial activity bombing day and night with good results. We brought down twelve German aeroplanes and drove down six others, which were uncontrollable.. Five of ours are missing. FIGHTING LESS INTENSE. LONDON, June 6. An official message states: Southward of Jamiano the fighting is less intense. Wo slightly withdraw from our now line fronting Flondar to tactically u more advantageous position. GERMAN. ATTACK FOILED. WELLINGTON. Tins Dev. Tho High Commissioner reports trom London, Juno 7th at 3.30 p.m., French Official Northwest of St. Quentin the Germans at midnight attacked on a 600 metre front, hut our violent fire stopped their attack. The assailants fired hack on our, trenches. A FRENCH REPORT [AUSTRALIAN A N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.] (Received This Day at 12.25. p.m.) LONDON, June /. A French communique says our violent fire stopped a strong attack at midnight on a front of six hundred metres, north-west of St. Quentin, inflicting the heaviest of losses. There was the liveliest of reciprocal artillorying south of Erilian and north oi Chemin des Dames. s BELGIAN ACTIVITY. LONDON, June 7. A Belgian communique says mutual artillerying was active on the whole front, principally at Dixmude a n d between Steonstraat and Hebas, where we destructively bombarded the enemy batteries.

HINDENBURG ANXIOUS. (Received This Day at 12.25. p.m.) '•ROME June 7. ' A Petrogrnd message states Generals Hindonburg and Lundendorif have hurried to the Russian front, to discover whether there are signs of a Russian offensive. VOTE OF CONFIDENCE. PADIS, June 7. After M. Ribot’s speech, the Senate adopted, unanimously, a motion of confidence in the Government, that peace was possible only on the fines laid down in his speech. ' \ FOOD FOR FRANCE. (Received This Day at 12.25. p.m.) WASHINGTON, June 7. v The United States collior Jupiter has arrived in France with 10,500 tons, of food stuffs.