In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 63, 17 March 1915, Page 5

In the West

FRENCH PROGRESS REPORT. United Press Association. (lleceived 9.35 a.m.) Paris, March .16. A communique states: Further progress has been made north-east of Souain. Our mines shattered the site of the German defence at Buis le Fretie. GERMANS SMARTING UNDER DEFEAT AT NEUVE CHAPELLE. (Received 8.-15 a.m.) Paris, March 16. The Germans, smarting at Ruprechts under their defeat at Xeuve Chappille violently bombarded Ypres and St. Eloi on Sunday. The Wurtemburgers, strongly reinforced from Liege and Ghent, advanced on St. Eloi in a dense mass at nightfall, and threatened to envelope the British, who yielded ground under heavy lire, but were reinforced during the night and re-took the village and most of the outside trenches on Monday morning. SIR JOHN FRENCH’S BULLETIN. I . (Received 10 a.m.) London, March 16. Sir John French’s bulletin, describing the capture of Lepinette, says:— The result of the brilliancy executed in the enterprise was the advancing of our line three hundred yards on the front. Eight hundred of the enemy on the evening of the 14th, after a heavy bombardment and mine explosion, rushed some of our trenches at South St. Eloi. We re-captured them next morning.

The flying corps secured further successes, a train at Don station being blown up on Saturday. NEW ZEALANDER WOUNDED AT NEUVE GHAPELLE. \ (Deceived 8.-15 a in.) London, March 16. Cecil Humphries was wounded at Neuve Chapelle. (A message from London on the 11th inst. stated that Cecil Humphries, a New Zealander in the First Manchester's, was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal and promoted to sergeant by Brigadier-Gone-ral Strickland on the battlefield.) MISCELLANEOUS. London, March 16. From Berlin it is officially reported that the Covernor-General of Belgium has introduced compulsory schooling. The Daily Mail correspondent cables that the British attack on Neuve Chapelle proved that the troops had not lost their dash during the winter, and exceeded their commanders’ highest hopes. The district is dotted with miners’ little houses and occasional slag heaps. The Germans had converted the houses into strongholds bristling with 1 machine guns. It is estimated that altogether their dead totalled five thousand, and at least 13,000 were wounded. Fog is hampering further operations. ... ‘ , Paris, March 16. Belgians captured a windmill at Dixinude, which the Germans had transformed into a fortress by means of reinforced concrete. The Belgians mined, blowing the mill to pieces, including 30 machine guns. Official.—The French infantry, by a brilliant attack, captured three lines of trenches on a spur at Notre Dame de Lorette, and reached the edge of the plateau. They took 100 prisoners and blew up an ammunition store. They also blew up several German trenches at Ecurie and Roclincourt. Serious fighting occurred at Albert north-west of Nouvron woods, northeast of Souain, and north-east of Perthes. Numerous counter-attacks weie repulsed. In the Argonne, at Boisle de Pretre, our infantry captured the western part of Vanquois, making numerous piisoners.