WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 23 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE

STILL FORGING AHEAD,

19.000 PRISONERS SINCE APRIL 16.

100 GUNS CAPTURED

LONDON, April 22.

The High Commissioner cables: — French official: North of the Oise we harassed the enemy and continued our progress at Chemins-dcs-Baines, and occupied the village of Sanezir. In the evening, after violent artillery preparation, the Germans in the region of Allies and Hnrdebise launched a great attack, which was broken by our artillery and machine-gun fire, and completely repulsed. In the Champagne we carried several important support posts in the massif of Moronvillcrs, notwithstanding better resistance from the enemy.

Since April 16 we have captured between Soissons and Auberivc over 19,000 prisoners and 100 guns. In the Argonne we penetrated the enemy's second trenches, finding numerous dead Germans.

TERRIFIC BOMBARDMENT IN PROGRESS. CAPTURE OF MOROXVILLERS. PARIS, April 20. The Champagne offensive has developed brilliantly. Since the battle commenced new German units 300,000 strong have been recognised. Between Soissons and Auberive we are keeping up a limitless bombardment. This is proving a most important factor. Every wood and ravine on the banks of the Aisne is filled with infantry, cavalry munition trains, automobiles, and cannon waiting to dash up to the front. The capture of Moronvillcrs is a glorious page in the history of the Avar The. French - general spent weeks in planning the attack. He went up to a hilltop at dawn on Tuesday and watched his-'plan- being carried out. A terrific bombardment was opened, and then the French charged up five hills,- -which were carried one after another in the course of two hours, and the wore soon tearing to pieces the German reserves which had been massed -(for a counter-attack. The slaughter ws3 terrible. .■ ; ' .' Prisoners'taken between Soissons and. Eheims state that they wore ordered to hold the first line‘ at any cost. .

WITH THE BRITISH TROQFS.

CAPTURE OF VILLAGES AND

PRISON ERS,

LONDON, April 22

The High Commissioner cables as follows:—General Haig reports havingcaptured the village of Gonnelieu Ing the night, after sharp fighting, taking a number of prisoners. A payty of the enemy attempted to entoi?, our trenches in the neighbourhood otDJTauxnies. but were repulsed. Mutual 1- artillery activity continued in a’number of places during the night. Northward of the Aisue artillery Avork is more active. In the regions of PNoutil-la-Fosse and Hauberise yesterday we took about 100 prisoners on this front. Eastwards of Craonne and northwards of Rheims the night was marked by mutual artillery - ing. We have progressed by grenade attacks, notably southwards of Javincourt and eastwards of Courcy and Champagne, An enemy attack at Highmont was repulsed with heavy losses. Westward of Maison-cles-Cham-pagne, we penetrated the German trenches, bringing back 40 prisoners.

GERMANS CLAIM SUCCESS,

ON WESTERN FRONT

LONDON, April 20

A wireless German official report states: “Firing activity increases daily on the Arras battlefield. The occupation of the fortified zone of the Sieg-fried-Hindenbu.rg positions, which had long been under construction, began on the 16th of March and terminated yesterday by the abandonment of the Aisne bank between Condo and Roupier. The enemy followed hesitatingly. The battle in the Aisne and Champagne continues normally. There is strong artillorying on the Chcmin des Dames Ridge. Strong French attacks near Braye and Corny, and on both sides of Craonne failed. The French yesterday renewed their attempt to outflank the Brimont position. French storming waves on the AisneMarne Canal five times broke down sanguinarily, and we remained masters of th e situation there. There was daylong fighting in the Champagne wooded region, between the Theumy-Naury road and Auberive, which later we voluntarily evacuated. Our counter-attack pressed back the enemy, and we reached our objective. Thus a second French attempt to break through in Champagne was frustrated. The French have so far used more than thirty divisions on botli battlefields. A French attempt to recapture positions lost on the I7th April failed, but they again gained a footing on the summit.”

Monte Prodegido.

NINE GERMAN DIVISIONS PLACED OUT OF ACTION. LAST VESTIGE OF GERMAN CHIVALRY VANISHES. Received 9.45. LONDON, April 22. Reuter s correspondents estimates that nine German divisions have been, placed out of action as the result of the recent British offensive, losing 50 per cent, of their effectives. He says the only instance of German chivalry during the war hitherto has been in connection with aviation. Now ov.m this has vanished. The distinguishing marks on the machines have been diminished with the view of deceiving the Allies and already several mistakes have occurred.

FRENCH COMMUNIQUES.

PARISt, April

The army between .Soissons and «‘raonne made a brilliant success <>f two attacks against Martini and Breve. The Germans managed to hold their position between the two villages, but the second assault had excellent results. The troops ascended the slopes of the plateau on the north of the valley, which the Germans were using as the northern pivot of their withdrawal from the Somme. The French captured Aille, attire foot of tiro northern slope of the plateau—quite as striking as the capture of Virny ridge—at one run, except the the summit. At Craonuo the most important results are expected from tho capture of Hurtebish farm. The army operating from Craonne to the north of Rheims had the fierdest fighting in the neighbourhood of La Villoau Bois, where the forrost was very strongly organised and packed with mitrailleuses A clever French manoeuvre ended iu the surrounding of an important b. dy of the enemy, which surrendered on masse with many machine guns, the prisoners exceeding 1700. The snowelad ground east of Rheims curiously assisted tho attackers. The Germans wore halffrozen, dazed by the bombardment and so blinded by the reflection of the sun glistening on the snow, that they wore unable to use their machine-guns before the French advance on St. Quentin. Tho I’rpngh carried the fortified village A||Du ; ’Fdyet at the-.point of th£ bayonet ]WTStitieVing 400 besides* inflicting enormous* losses ' in German killed and wopnded. The prisoners were mostly thlftfand pale. They showed evidence of. great fatigue. The majority are of puny build, very different t'ijjrn those captured in 1911 or the crack troops used at Monchy or Lagnicoiirt. Two German divisions which at lacked the French at Juvnicourt were cut to pieces by the French artillery. Another lost their wav® and like the Germans at Lagnieourt, blundered on to their own barbed wire. Thoyjwere only extricated at the cost of a large proportion of effectives.

ALEXIEFF CONGRATULATES ■ - NIVELLE.

PARIS, April 21

General Alexieff (Russian .Command-er-in-chief j telegraphed General Nivclle bn the French successes, promising that the Russian army will soon strike again.

RUSSIAN BRIGADE’S EXPLOIT.

Received 9.45

PARIS, April 22,

A French semi-official message describes the First Russian Brigade’s capture of Coney, after a fierce struggle for two days against machine-guns installed in cellars. Seven hundred and fifty prisoners were taken.

VERY TIRED OF IT,

GERMAN SOLDIERS’ ATTEMPT TO CROSS DUTCH BORDER.

LONDON, April 20

The “Daily Chronicle’s Amsterdam correspondent states that over 500 German fusiliers, sailors and Landsturmers from Knocke tried to cross the frontier into Holland, near Cadzand on Monday night The German commander at Bruges scut 200 Uhlans, with mach-ine-guns to intercept the fugitives, and a half-hour’s fight took place on the dunes near the frontier. Eight wounded men managed to reach Holland, and many others were wounded pn both sides The remaining deserters were scattered.

FIGHTING IN BRAZIL

NEAR URUGUAYAN BORDER,

GOVERNMENT TROOPS OUT,

hi EM YORK, April 20.

The United Press reports that the German revolt in Brazil is growing-. Considerable fighting is in progress between the Germans and the Government forces near the Uruguayan border. Refugees are arriving in Uruguay.

SATISFACTION DEMANDED.

Received 9.45

BEUNOS AYRES, April 22

The Brazilian Government has made a formal demand to Germany for satisfaction for the sinking of the steamer