In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIV, Issue 100, 3 April 1916, Page 5

In the West.

OFFICIAL NEWS. The High Commissioner report*:— London, April 2 (1.5 p.m.) Bombardment is general and more intense between Avocourt and Balancourfc. East of the Meuse, a German attack on a ravine between the fort of Douaumont and the village of Vaux was completely checked by our fire. LIVELY WORK AROUND MALANCOURT. IGNITED PRKSB .ASSOCIATION. 1 Paris, April 1. A communique says: We wrecked enemy trenches south of St. Marieagey A German aeroplane was brought dow, aflame, in the enemy lines north of Tahure. Artillery fire has slackened at Malancourt, where the enemy did not attempt to debouch during the day. After a violent bombardment of Mort Homme the enemy strongly attacked the positions north-east of Hill 295. Accompanied by a curtain of fire and shell the Germans succeeded momentarily in setting foot in the first line of our elements, but were driven out by a sharp counter-attack. The enemy later abortively attacked further westward.

During a lively aerial fight one of; our airmen brought down an Aviatik within our lines at near Bel-' fort. London, March 31. The desperate attacks on the ruins of Malancourt were due to the Germans' exasperation at the French offensive at Avocourt wood, where, correspondents narrate, the French made a holocaust of the gray-green waves of German reinforcements, necessitating the Germans bringing up a Bavarian brigade. Malancourt formed a salient, supported on the right by Mort Homme heights and on the left by Hill 304. These were the pillars of the French resistance. Despite the German capture of the village, a French semi-offi-cial message states: The "bite" of our troops is unaffected, while the enemy is losing his sharpness. A Berlin wireless says: At the village of Malancourt the French defence establishments on both sides of the village were taken by storm. Brief en-, counters at close quarters developed in the French trenches south of Fort Douaumont. The British lost three biplanes in an aerial fight at Arras.

THE NEW FRENCH LINE.

Paris, April 1

A communique states: The bombardment last night was extremely violent between the woods southward of the Haudremont and Vaux region.. The Germans at the latter point launched two attacks in large numbers. Our curtain of rifle fire checked the first, but the second enabled the enemy to gain a footing in the western portion of the village. Semi-official: After stubborn street fighting all night long the Malancourt battalion, constituting the whole garrison of the advanced position, were compelled to retire, overwhelmed by a brigade of the enemy, on whom we inflicted enormous losses. The French line now passes just behind Malancourt. The Haucourt position could well be abandoned without tactical inconvenience, but the essential thing is that we hold Hill 304, from whence we can enfilade the positions from which the enemy launches his attacks. GENERAL HAIC'S REPORT. THREE AEROPLANES MISSING. London, April 1. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: There is much aerial activity on both sides. We have carried out successful work, but three of our machines arts missing. We easily repelled an attack near Neuville St. Vaast. An enemy attack south of St. Eloi broke down under our fire. •

AN ATTACK REPULSED. Paris, April 2. A communique,says: A German attack between Douaumont fort and Vaux village was completely stopped. THE NEW BRITISH LINE. London j March 31. The new British line includes Notre Dame de Lorette, Ablain, St. Xazaire, Suissy, Carency, La Folie farm, the Labyrinth, Neuville St. Vaast, La Tarette • and Vimy heights. The French transfer of these historic places is evidence of the magnificent feeling of confidence existing between the French and British.

STUBBORN ENEMY ATTACK. GERMAN ADVANCE AT VAUX. (Received 10.35 a.m.) Paris, April 2. A semi-official message'states: The enemy continues to attack stubbornly in the north-west against Vaux. Thus, finding the action in the centre long since completely paralysed, the enemy seeks a partial decision on two winks. Yaux is a village in a ravine, flanked by hills in the south whereon is a fort, and in the north by a height whereon is Hardaumont Wood. The Germans have had possession of the eastern part of the village since the 10th, and the French have retained the remainder, wherein the enemy have now secured a footing.

I STOPJY OF MALANCOURT. GERMANS' DRIVEN INTO BATTLE SUCCESS AT ANY COST. j MARVELLOUS FRENCH DEI FENCE. • (Received 8.5 a.m.) Paris, April 2.

Le Petit Journal tells the story of Malancourt as follows ; The Germans at eight o'clock in the evening determined to seize the village at whatever cost. They attacked formidably with three brigades, one assaulting the frontal positions and tne others the flanks. At the moment when they first debouched from the trenches and the sheltering houses, they encountered such sustained machine-gun fire that they could not advance, and they flung themselves on the ground and rested for a* few minutes. Then, goaded on by the officers, they at* tempted in short rushes to reach the barricades and ruins of the first houses which we occupied. At each rush, the assailants, who were conspicuous in the brilliant glare of the searchlights, were decimated, but they managed to reach the barricades at certain points; finally, they were thrown back, leaving heaps of dead.' Only a few remnants of the brigade regained the trenches. The flank attacks were not vigorous and utterly failed. But the enemy was not discouraged. They waited for an hour and sent three fresh brigades at) eleven o'clock. The officers forced; the men to advance in one terrible rush but it was broken, and the three shattered columns withdrew. The defenders believed the attacks had ended, but at one o'clock the Germans made a grand attack on the left flank, where, after being hurled back repeatedly, they succeeded at an enormous cost in making a break in the defences. Fresh Germans then came up and took up grenade-fighting among the houses in the village. The French troops, who were exhausted, fell back foot by foot and house to house, and only abandoned the last houses at dawn, quitting them when they were a mere heap of smoking ruins.