In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXV, Issue 95, 24 April 1915, Page 5

In the West.

j KILL GO. | IMPORTANCE OF THE CAPTURE. j Times and Sydney Sun Service. I (Received 8.0 a.in.) London, April 23. A correspondent in the north ot I Prance says: The capture of Hill jGO has removed what lias been a check to British advance for months h'rum Ypres towards Alenin. Lille is 'now seriously exposed, compelling the | withdrawal of the German line considerably towards Alenin. The strain ! might well reach breaking point, because here the Germans do not possess salients like La Bassee and St. j .Miliiel. It is a concave line, with i Zandrundre as the centre of the curve. i The capture of Hill GO will break a long period of comparative inactivity. The Times’ military correspondent says the success at Hill GO shows that the offensive is passing to the Allies. The Germans are not so good as formerly. The Allies for months sustained the fight against bewildering disadvantages. The Germans had 1 heavier guns, more machine gnus, and giant periscope trench mortal's. They took the initiative underground, and organised bomb-throwing and sniping. The Allies have gradually caught up, accumulating heavy guns, until they are beginning to dominate in tiie battle. We have more machine guns, periscope mortars with telescopic sights, bombs, and steel shields. Our snipers and night patrols have become active and enterprising. AIRMEN'S VALUABLE SERVICE. London, April 23. Allied airmen did valuable service in the light at Hill 60. Their skill and daring drove off or captured every enemy airman venturing near the Allies’ lines, and five were brought down, enabling the preparations for Urn attack to lie secretly carried out. FALSE GERMAN COMMUNIQUE.

The High Commissioner reports, London 23: Field-Marshal French reports that the German attacks on Hill GO, which had stopped at ilie time of the communique on Monday, have since been renewed several times. r lhe attacks all failed, and for Hie time being have' ceased. We hold the ei ti ,- e crest of the hill, denying its use to tire enemy, who attached great importance to it. There never has been any truth in the statement estabMshed by the German communique that the enemy had recaptured the position. THE CAPTURE OF BOIS DAILLY. Unhid Prem Association. London, April 23. The Press Bureau has issued the story of the capture of Bois Dailly, which had been strongly fortified. The enemy employed large forces of artillery from Met/.. The French on the morning of April 5 concentrated their artillery ou the German position, and, aided by aerial torpedoes fired from short distances, soon shattered the parapets. The corpses could he seen still gripping their rifles held over the trenches. Then the intensity of the artillery fire was redoubled. Some of the prisoners state that the bombardment left the impression of anguish and stupefying fear. By noon we had exploded a chain of mines close to the fort, annihilating the garrison. This caused a panic in the neighbouring trenches, and was the signal for our attack. The infantry poured into tiio trenches in three successive waves with fixed bayonets, but they fired not a single shot. Detachments of bombthrowers accompanied them in the advance. Some carried small boxes fixed ou wooden handles, tilled with explosives. Sappers accompanied the infantry, dragging a gangway to enable the troops to cross tho wide trenches and so get behind to attack the enemy Iroin the flank, crush thejm with grenades, or pin them to the earth with bayonets. This programme was carried detail by detail. The trenches were rapidly cleared. Many of the enemy took refuge in the subterranean shelters, which collapsed, asphyxiating them. Ou the Bth the Germans sought to recapture the position, and brought up the whole of the St. Mihiel artillery. We had to repel eight attacks. Not nu inch of ground remained unclaimed by explosives. In this hell, under a hurricane of steel and iron, we held our own. There was no shelter whatever, our artillery having previously destroyed all the cover, in the afternoon a final attack was made by six companies of Germans. They were annihilated. They had no more fresh infantry, but still they had ammunition, and their artillery hurled twenty-six thousand shells ou the spur ol Bois Dailly and our trenches. There was a continuous crash of thunder, and our losses were heavy. But tho enemy’s fire eventually dwindled and ceased, and left us iu possession.” WOMEN AT THE HEAD OF THE ENEMY’S ATTACK. Times and Sydney Son Service. London, April 23. An American correspondent in the French lines says: “Screams gave warning at one place of a German attack. When the French advanced, the Germans shouted, ‘Don’t shoot; we have women with us.’ The Germans

had taken women trum the village and driven them ahead of the attack. The French charged on the Hank, rescued the women, and smashed the advance.” CERTAIN GERMAN ATROCITIES. Melbourne. April 23. Replying to requests for information regarding certain German atrocities. Mr Fisher, the Federal Premier, stated that the Government has no evidence beyond that contained in the reports of the Belgian Commission, which discloses no deliberate practising of amputations of Belgian children. Sir George Reid has advised that the committee had no evidence of the mutilation of Belgian males by the Germans. NEW ZEALANDER’S DEATH IN FRANCE. London, April 23. Corporal Maurice Ballinson, a New Zealander, has been killed in trance. THE KAISER AT THE FRONT. Genova, April 22. The Kaiser is visiting the front in Alsace. THE GERMANS ENRAGED. Amsterdam, April 23. Enraged at the British successes southwards of pres, the Germans bombarded the town on Wednesday night, doing considerable damage. A number of persons were killed and wounded. TWO ATTACKS FAILED. Paris, April 23. The British repulsed two attacks near Langemarck. We carried two lines of trenches forming an embarrassing salient i the forest of Apreinoiit. The Germans left a large number of corpses. USE OF ASPHYXIATING BOMBS. (Received 9.50 a.m.) London, April 23. A Communique states I The Belgians at a bend of the Yser, north of Dixmude, repulsed an attack on Chateau Vicogne, inflicting heavy losses. North of the Ypres the Germans employed a large quantity of asphyxiating bombs, effect of which was felt for two kilometres behind the Allied lines, forcing us to retire. 'I ho German attack on Ypres was held up, and a vigorous counter-attack enabled us to regain ground and many prisoners. SIR JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. (Received 8.-10 a.m.) London, April 23. Sir John French reports: The German attacks on Hill 60 failed. During these, the enemy fired 17-inch shells into Ypres. We forestalled the German mining operations near Armentieres by exploding telie mine. The reports adds: The British airmen attacking Ghent shed (as cabled on the 21st) ran the gauntlet of fire from a captive balloon and also Irom the ground. The airmen descended to 200 feet and effected their object, causing a large explosion.