WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 16 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

BRITISH MAKE VALUABLE PROGRESS. LONDON". April 14. Sir Douglass Haig reports: South of the Arras-Cambrai road, we captured Wancourt tower, on a spur east of Wancourt, advancing astride of the Hindenburg line to a point seven miles southeast of Arras.

We made further progress on the high ground oast of evorguer and Havrieourt wood.

. Much useful aeroplane work was done yesterday, despite the weather.

The village of Fayot, north-west of St. Quentin was carried during the night after a sharp fight. On the high ground east of Leverguicr we captured the important positions of Ascension farms and Grand Pricl farm. We also progressed north of the Bapaume-Cambrai road towards Queant.

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT,

LONDON, April 14,

Wireless German official: There was a pause in the fighting yesterday northeastward of Arras and the Scarpe. Further southward between Croisellcs and Bulgceourt, after violent artillery fire, the British vainly attacked several times. Our after thrust inflicted considerable enemy losses.

Strong enemy attacks failed against our St. Quentin positions. During the past week the heart of St Quentin wai violently bombarded, the Palace of Justice, the Cathedral, and the Town Hall being seriously damaged. The rival artilleries were fighting at full strength at Soissons, Rheims and the Western Champagne. The enemy lost on the West Front on Thursday eleven aeroplanes and on Friday twenty-four.

BIG SUCCESSES NORTH OP ARRAS

GROUND GAINED IN VICINITY

LONDON,: April Hi

.-.Sir! Dpuglas ■ Haig • reports: The area of active Operations was extended north, wards;, to-day. ,East and north of Vi my Ridge we pressed back the enemy on our whole front north of the Scarpe to south of Loos. We seized the villages of Baillcur, Willerval, V.imy, Vimy Petit, Givcnchy-en-Gohelle and Angres. We gained a footing in, the enemy’s trenches north-east of Lens. In this area we captured prisoners and guns.

FURTHER GROUND GAINED

LONDON, April 14

In a later report, Sir Douglas Haig says: Northwards of the Scarpo, after constant pressure we compelled the enemy yield further ground. We seized Vimy, the station at La Chauderic and the positions at Fcssc No., (Land; Buqueb;Mill, between Given-chy,on-Gohollc and Angr.es. The ground, gained in the recent operations ipow ~links -up with the posi-' tions gOjirijCjdi ixr thc of Loos.

An attempted enemy raid during the night eastwards of Loos' was driven off.

13,000 PRISONERS SINCE THE 9th.

166 GUNS AND 250 MACHINE GUNS

LONDON, April 14,

Sir Douglas Haig reports: The prisoners taken since the commencement of the operations on the 9th inst now exceed 13,000, including 255 officers. Wc have also captured 166 guns, including eight S inch howitzers, twentyeight 5.9 inch howitzers, 13/ field guns and howitzers, 84 trench mortars, and 250 machine guns. A considerable number of guns, trench mortars, and machine guns were demolished, and cannot be enumerated. Many of the captured guns were turned on the enemy with good effect. MONSTROUS GUNS IN ACTION. Received 8.55. WASHINGTON, April 15. It is stated that Britain is using 22inch guns, with an effective range of 25 miles. FURTHER CAPTURES BY THE BRITISH.

FRANTIC EFFORTS TO REMOVE

THE GUNS

Received 8.55

LONDOin, April 15,

The fall of Angres is implied in the outflanking of Lievin, which has now been captured. X The Daily Chronicle’s correspondent at headquarters, telegraphing at 4 o’clock on Sunday morning, states the British patrols entered Lens. The enemy left rearguards in the redoubts making frantic efforts to remove the guns, numbering 150, in a network of mines and pitheads at Lens and Lievin, having blown up the roads. Orders were given to destroy the mines by firing charges into the pits, and flooding them.

LIEVIN CAPTURED PUSHING ON TO LENS Received 9.15 LONDON, April 15. General Haig reports that early in the morning the enemy strongly attacked on a six-miles front astride the Bapanme-Cambrai road, under cover of a heavy bombardment, our new positions from Hermies to Noreuil. The attack failed everywhere, except at Lagnicourt, where the enemy gained a foothold after heavy fighting. Our counter-attack regained the village, the artillery inflicting the heaviest losses on his retiring troops. We advanced on a Tine eastward of Heninel, and progressed northward of Souchoz river. We also captured the defences eastward of Lievin from Riaumont Wood to the east corner of Citie St Pierre. Our troops are pushing on to Lens. There has been heavy rain since early morning.