WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 30 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GOOD BRITISH PROGRESS RE-' PORTED.

FRENCH CAPTURES IN 14 DAYS

LONDON, April 28

Th e High Commissioner cables: General Haig reports: The heaviest fighting continues about the Scarpe on to Acheveile-Vimy road. Aleux has been captured.

Progress has also been made northcast of Gavrelle, on the western slopes of Grunland Hill; south of the river w e have gained ground. French official: Total captures 3ince April 16th arc 175 heavy guns, 412 machine-guns, 119 trench mor.nrs, and 20,770 prisoners. Official: In the Scarpe battle the fighting around Gavrelle is apparently going well. In the southward ad-

vance, in the direction of Greenland Hill, we took a trench running southwards from Scarpe. The Germans are counter-attacking madly.

ATTACKS BEATEN BACK.

PARIS, April 27.

A French communique reports:■ —"A fairly lively artillery struggle is in progress south of the St. Quentin sector at Nantouill a Fosse, Saucy, and in the direction of Ville an Bois. The Germans last night attempted raids and partial attacks on various points of our front, which were easily beaten back by our, machine-guns and grenades, with enemy losses, notably on the western edge •of the forest of St. Gobian. In the sector of Rheims, north-west of Auberive, we carried out several successful minor operations. In the regions of Hurtcbise and Corny wc gained ground and took prisoners. We carried several portions of trenches in the Moronvillers massif, and occupied a point d'Appui, oast of Monsensnom. We raided the German lines at Bois lc Prctre, in the A.rgoime, and inflicted heavy losses. We have taken 130 guns since the 16th.

TERRIFIC FIGHTING.

PARIS/ April 29

i Correspondonts.-indicate that the Brit; ish arc iengaged .in terrific fighting. They have already secured a portion of- ithe village of Oppy, where the Germans are making a most, determined resistance, throwing in new divisions. Many German prisoners are arriving from the battle-front north of Gavrelle This is indicative of British success there. GERMAN CLAIMS. LONDON, April 29. A wireless German official message states: On the battlefield of Arras today, the British for the third time fail, ed completely in an attempt to break through our lines. Strong attacks on a thirty kilometres front on both banks of the Scarpc failed. > Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was nothing of special interest on the battlefront. There has been marked aerial Activity. Seven German aeroplanes were brought ' down, and ' six others driven down. Six of ours are missing.

MORE DESPERATE FIGHTING.

FIERCE GERMAN ATTACKS IN MASSED RANKS.

Received 10.5.

LONDON, April 29

Router's correspondent at headquarters states that the British First and Third Armies ar c engaged to-day in an attack extending from the Scarpe valley northwards to East Vimy. The main goal was the Oppy line, a hastily constructed northerly extension of the Hindenburg line. The fighting was of the fiercest, and the fluctuating struggle was most desperate,, consisting of attacks and counter-attacks. There was nothing at the Somme to compare with the number and fury of the pressed counter-attacks. He instanced a coun-ter-attack to-day at Gavrelle, which was the fifteenth since the Germans lost the position. Once near Oppy five waves advanced blindly, facing an appalling fire, in massed ranks, the survivors of which persisted through the field gun, maxim, and rifle fire till they utterly collapsed. Often th e British rifles decided the rout, and frequently there were deadly personal grapples with the bayonet, but oftener the butts were used.

BRITISH AND FRENCH REPORT PROGRESS. Received 11.10. LONDON, April 29. General Haig reports: Strong night eounter-attachs were launched on our new positions northward of Auliux-en-Gohelle, but they were broken. Fighting continues in places northward of the Scarpe. A French communique states that isolated operations in the region north and south of Courcy and northwards of Kheims have been appreciably enlarged. An artillery duel is taking place in the Champagne between Plunay and Auberive. Our detachments have pentrafed far into the enemy's second line, while at several points in Upper Alsace grenading ended to our advantage.