GERMANS CAPTURE KEMMEL.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 27 April 1918, Page 3

GERMANS CAPTURE KEMMEL.

After Furious Fighting. An Important Position. [ELECTIUC TELEGRAPH —COPTHIGHT.] /PER PKESS ASSOCIATION.! Received 9.10 a.m. tliis_day. London, April 20. The Germans have captured Kemmel hill, an important position guarding the Ypres salient. Haig's Report. ADMIT,S WITHDRAWAL. SUCCESSES FURTHER SOUTH. * Received 11.30 a.m. this day. London, April 2fi, 12.10 a.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports. The Franco-British positions from northward of Bailleul to eastward of Wytschaete were heavily attacked, fighting proceeding all day with great severity 011 tlie whole of this front, particularly in the neighbourhood of Dranoutre, liemmel, and Vierstaat. In the course of repeated attacks and counter-attacks the Allies were compelled to withdraw from tlie positions held in the morning. Fighting continues. South of the Sommc successful Australian and English counterattacks last night regained positions in and around Villers Bretonneux, and advanced the line to within a short distance of the former front. We prisonered over 600 and the village is now in our hands. The enemy employed at least four divisions in the attack on this front. Prisoners state that tHe objectives included Cachy village and the Cachy-Fouilloy road but the objectives were not reached anywhere. The numbers of dead found in the recaptured positions tshow that the enemy's losses were very heavy. Despite tlie mist yesterday our aviators attacked troops in the neighbourhood of Villers Bretonneux from a low height. Our night-flyers dropped 5A tons of bombs on Estaires, Armentieres and Roulers, also on railway stations at Courtrai and Tliourout. All our machines returned. Germans Use Picked Hilimen. Received at 9.10 a.m. this day. London, April 26. Reuters British headquarters correspondent, writing yesterday evening, says :The last two nights the enemy attacked the French round Dranoutre (near Mt. Kemmel) in strength. Six battalions gained a temporary advantage, but were driven back by counterattacks. This morning a much heavier assault was delivered by four to six divisions over a front of seven miles on the line Met-eren-Bail leu] - W y tsch a ete. An Alpini corps, the Eleventh aria,lls and the 1.1 itli Division consisting of mountain troops were engaged with Jaeger regiments supporting them. An entirely fresh division, the sf>th, has. been identified. The attack overlapped on our front on the right flank of tlie French. Fighting Extends South. ARTILLERY DUEL IN THE VOSGES. Received 11.30 a.m. this day. London, April 26, 12.10 a.m. A French communique reports great reciprocal artillerying in the region of Hangard and on both banks of the Avre, but no infantrv action. The 'Germans in the Woevre, after a furious bombardment, attacked the sector of Regnieville and gained a footing in our advanced lines, but were promptly ejected and the lines restored. We took prisoners. There is an artillery duel on tHe right bank of the Meuse and in the Vosges. THE VERSION. Received 11.20 this dav. London, April 26. A wireless German official message states: A strong French counter attack against the "heights of Vleuglelioek failed with heavy loss. We attacked the AngloFrencti near and southward of Villers Bretonneux. Infantry supported by tanks broke through the enemv machine gun nests. We captured Hangard and advanced our- lines on the heights northwestward of Caste I. The enemy's reserves vioJentiy counter-attaeked all day long, failing with sanguinary losses. Bitter fighting le.strd nil night. We took prisoner 2000 men and captured four guns.