THE WESTERN FRONT.

Hokitika Guardian, 21 August 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT.

OUR GREAT AIRMEN

SPLENDID WORK DONE

(United Service Telegrams.)

» PARIS, Aug. 20. Mr Robinson states the unprecedented weather following the battle on 31st July enabled the Germans to reorganise their shattered air squadrons. Since then the fighting has been continuous and hitter. He vouches for the accuracy of our communiques, and states our pilots know that twenty to thirty per cent more German machines are destroyed than is claimed. He tributes the. work of the pilots directing the artillery. On one day, the guns, guided by aeroplanes silenced seventythree German batteries, destroyed twenty-one gun pits and damaged thir-ty-five others. BRITISH REPORT. 24 GUNS CAPTURED. fAUSTRALIAN u; N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, Aug 19. Sir Douglas Haig reports :—Tho French slightly improved their position in the neighbourhood of Steeubeke. The enemy did not attempt further counter attacks. The AngloFrench have now captured twenty-

four guns including a number of heavies. We secured a number of positions on the Loos battle front which we captured yesterday.lVe progressed west-ward of Lens. Prisoners _in this area now total 1200. We successfully raided eastward of Vermelles reaching the enemy’s support line. Our aeroplanes ])roved superior although the weather rendered operations difficult Our damaged machines regained their lines. Aeroplanes operated succssfully all day machine-gunning aerodromes, railway stations and billets. Others harrassed and machine-gunlted the Gorman infantry and gunners. We brought _down fifteen machines and drove down eleven. Eleven of ours are missing.

FRENCH REPORT,

15 GUNS CAPTURED,

LONDON August 19. A French communique states: In Belgium the Germans made no fresh attempt. Our troops are organising the captured ground northeast of Bix schoote from Driegrachten to the River Broenveek Isslets, where tho enemy is resisting. Wo have now captured 400, troops and 15 guns and numerou* machine guns. The cannonade is rati.er lively at different point on the Aisne front, particularly in tho district of the plateau before Craonne. Two hundred and fifty shells were thrown' into Reims. On the right bank of the Meuse the artillery duel continues violently in the Courieres Wood-Perzon-vaux sector. Our special guns brought down two enemy aeroplanes.

FURTHER COUNTER ATTACKS

ALL REPULSED

[“rkutkr’s” telegram.]

(Received this day at 12.3 U a.m.) LONDON,, Aug. 20

Headquarters report fifteen determined counter-attacks were launched against Boishugo, Boisruse, and Cite St. Emile and facing Cite St. Thedorc, all of the same scale of violence, .which makes it abundantly clear that the enemy regards the Canadian success as a most serious blow.

ROASTED ALIVE.

GERMANS CAUGHT Bf V)TL

PARIS, A just ly. M. Tudesq reports that during a frontal attack before Lens on Saturday a German brigade was moving forward from cover when two English barrages caught the- non the flank, dealing a severe blow and turning them aside into a sunken, road. The enemy, in dense formation believing that he was safe gave battle. Then occurred a fitting reply to the diabolical gag airacks on, Armentiieres an!d in Be*gram. Five hundred litres of burning oil burst fn-m the special engines and enclosed the sunken road in a circle of fire. The enemy’s yells of despair arose from a moment . Then the barrage was redoubled and soon a deadly silence fell upon tho heap of carbonised humanity. The odour of roasted flesh marked tho German charnel house.

FRENCH O ITERATIONS

LONDON August 19.

A French communique states: One hundred and eleven aeroplanes, executed various flights over the enemy’s lines yesterday, dropping 3000 kilogrammes of projectiles on the aviation grounds at Colmar, Frescati, Hapsheim, Chambley, and the Railway station at Freborg cn Brisgan, 'Longreyon, Montmcdy, and Dun sur Meuse; Many explosions- and fires were observed. Two of our machines are missing.

Our aircraft on August 16th. bombed the railway station at Oortenoark resulting in a violent fire. We brought down seven German aeroplanes yesterday and eight others fell into the enemy lines damaged.

.BIG BOMBING RAID

BY ADMIRALTY AIR SERVICE.

PAUSTRALIAN & X.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.]

(Received This Dav at 10.16. a.vn 1 LONDON, Aug. 20. „ The Admiralty air service on Saturday night dropped many tons of bombs on Saint Pierre station and Ghent, and throughout the station dump and Bruges docks. They also raided Snelteghon aerodrome, directly hiring a large shed. Tho Royal Flying Corps assisted our returning machines, and heat off hostile aircraft. All of our machines returned.

GREAT FIGHTING. FROM LENS~TO THE SEA. HOT AIR FIGHTING.

TAUSTRALIAN «fc N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.]

(Received This Day at 11.25. a.m.) LONDON, Xug. 20. The United Press correspondent at headquarters states the fighting continues at various points, from Lens to the sea. The British, during the night, established a new post on the left flank of Ypres sector. Air fighting continues at its hottest all day and all night. The enemy are evidently trying to conserve their air fleets, and avoid battles in the daytime, swarming under cover of darkness, and bombing places indiscriminately behind the British lines. As many as thirty aeroplanes were in one fleet. At least one hospital was damaged. Meantime British war planes carried out an offensive far behind the German lines, bombing stations, railways, aerodromes and ammunition depots. Tlie British airmen are fighting the German infantry, in default of antagonists in the air, even charging at a fmnehine gun emplacement while barely skimming the earth.