WAR NEWS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 12 July 1917, Page 3

WAR NEWS.

MONDAY. New Russian Attacks — Fighting Front Widened — Offensive at Pinsk—Another German Air Raid —Mounted Men in Egypt. The Russians are pursuing their offensive vigorously. Massed infantry attacks are proceeding favourably on a large scale. The fighting front is now 40 miles wide, and is reported to extend as far north as Pinsk. The artillery preparation surpasses anything hitherto seen on the Eastern front. A squadron of about 20 aircraft bombed the East Coast of Eng- • land and London, killing 37 ;^vsons and injuring 141. The t^^Bders were vigorously attacked, ' was brought down at the «#3uth of the Thames, and three at sea by an intercepting British squadron. .A despatch from the Com-niander-in-Chief in Egypt gives high praise to the dash of the New Zealanders and Australian , mounted me/n in the advance on Palestine, and describes the important part they played in the principal actions.

TUESDAY Eastern Offensive — The Russians Heavily Engaged—French Gain North of Verdun—Long-distance Raid by French Airmen. There is still heavy fighting on the Eastern front. The Russians repulsed many counterattacks despite the use by the enemy of gas and armoured cars. \ The French have brilliantly carried three strong salients north of Verdun, and repulsed counter-attacks. They have administered a heavy check to the enemy north of the Aisne. French airmen conducted brilliant excursions' over the industrial centres of Westphalia. One airman reached Essen, and bombed the Krupp armament works, and another set the great aniline works at Baden on fire. A new German torpedo-boat has been mined and sunk.

There has been rioting in Cologne, following a reduction of the meat rations. The police and troops charged the crowd and many were wounded. The anxiety created in Germany by the Russian offensive is reported to have'led to an acute political crisis.

WEDNESDAY New Russian Blow—Five Villages Stormed — Over 7000 Prisoners Taken —Allied Troops to Leave Qreece. The Russians have delivered a, successful hlow west of Stanisfriu in a manoouvre designed to isolato Lemberg from tho. south. They stormed five villages, capturing over 7000 prisoners and 48 guns. A desperate German counter-attack with the object of stopping the enveloping movement on Brzezany, west of Tarnopol, was repulsed. The enemy suffered enormous losses. The allied troops which recently occupied certain portions of Greek territory as a precautionary measure are about to be withdrawn. The evacuation does not affect the Salonika region. The bitter local struggles north of the Aisne have continued. The French have reestablished their front line in sectors where it was disturbed, inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. The French Minister for War states that the price paid for the gains in the spring offensive was too high, and the present policy is one of prudence, •not lacking in energy, in order to conserve the forces for the .final battle.

V THURSDAY I -rlalicz Threatened—Russian Turning Movement —Austro - German Front Broken —Extension of the ] Offensive—Two German Ministers Resign. j The Russians are threatening! Halicz, an important railwaycentre on the Dniester, southeast of Lemberg, where their | advance was stopped last autumn This is the result of their recent j successes west' of Stanislau, j which have enabled them to break the enemy's front and turn Halicz from the south and southwest. In two days the Russians penetrated the enemy's positions to'a depth of over six miles and a-half-The whole of the Russian front is now active, from Pinsk to the Carpathians, The Germans again ' failed heavily north of the Alsne. A powerful attack, which was directed specially against Hurtebise, was broken by the Frencn fire.