WESTERN FRONT.

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

WESTERN FRONT.

INTENSE FIGHTING

ON BULLECOUET FRONT,

GREAT BRITISH SUCCESS.

THOUSANDS OF PRISONERS

LONDON, May 21

Correspondents at British headquarter!'', state that the fighting at Bullecourt and Rooux continues intense, equalling that at Pozicres or the most serious struggles of the Somme. Gormans have thrown in large masses of troops, but Bullccourt and Eoeux arc more strongly in our hands than ever.

A surrendered German officer excused himself by saying: “It was impossible to do anything else; you attacked in such, overwhelming force.”

A British officer told the German the number of attackers. .The German replied, “Impossible. We came into line twenty-six hundred strong.” As a fact the British took more prisoners than the whole number of attackers. The prisoners include ex-convicts released from long terms of imprisonment in order to fight. There was considerable rivalry as to which British corps should take most prisoners. The Canadians reached five thousand first, but the neighbouring mixed English ami .Scottish corps now holds a short lead. Already two German divisions have been cut to pieces tround Bullccourt. The Anglo-Australians success resulted in a curious situation. Wo have cut into the Hindonburg lane around Bui Iccourt and eaten off the end towards Arras, so that the enemy is left with an island section four miles long between our two forces. This '-he Gormans have been ordered to .hoi Ito the death, a special order saying that they might rely with absolute certaaty on rescue, as the Germans wore much stronger than the British, in attack.

NEARLY 100 GERMAN DIVISIONS '■ SHATTERED.

Received 10 a.m. . LONDON, May 22

Headquarters reports that the enemy have employed 150 divisions on the Western front since the beginning of tfie April offensive, whereof nearly 100 have been taken out shattered. CAUGHT IN THE OPEN < LONDON, May 21. General Sir Douglas Haig reports that during the fighting on the Hindenbnrg Lino the British massed artillery caught the enemy in the open, a large number of enemy dead being subsequently found ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. LONDON, May 21. A French communique reports that an artillery duel continued last night south of the Chemin des Dames and in the , region inorth-wesff off Brayjo Sen Laonnis, and the Ccrny-Hurtebiso front, .’A German attack on Froidraont Farm was broken before reaching the French line., The French now hold all the important obesrvation points in the Moronvillers region

BRITISH CAPTURE NEW GROUND

HUGE GERMAN LOSSES,

LONDON, May 22.

Sir Douglas Haig reports; New positions on. the Hindenburg Line, northwestward of Bullecourt, were secured to-day. There was little interference by the enemy. The severity of the German losses in the recent fighting in this area has been confirmed

Excepting a sector of 2000 yards in length immediately westward of Bullecourt, we hold the whole of the Hindenburg Line from a point one mile eastward of Bullecourt to Arras. A number of successful aerial bombing raids took place yesterday. Aeroplanes actively co-operated with the infantry in attacking the enemy front line trenches with machine-guns. Sixteen German aeroplanes were downed. Four of ours arc missing. Mr Philip Gibbs says: The English and Scottish captured 8000 yards of the second line trenches westward of Bullecourt, and the Australians took 800 yards on the right. The fighting was most desperate. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT LONDON, May 21. German official.—The English made attacks on Sunday astride the ArrasCambrai Road on a front of 12 kilometres. Our fire broke up the enemy wherever they emerged from their trenches between the Scarpc and the iScnsee brook. The enemy penetrated east of Croisellcs, but. our counter-at-tack drove them out. Repeated attacks between Fontaines and Bullecourt failed. Wc captured trenches at Brave, Corny and Hurtebise farm. There is heavy fighting in Champagne. Strong French attacks, were made northward of Prunay Road. The French obtained a foothold at Mount Cornillet and Mont Kiel. The enemy lost 14 aeroplanes.

GREAT BRITISH ATTACK. TREMENDOUS BOMBARDMENT | GERMANS DAZED. LONDON, May 22 Mr. Philip Gibbs, writing on Monday, i says: The lull between the battles endied on Sunday, when the English and Scotch attacked the Hindonburg Line between Fointaine les Croisellcs and Bullccourt. Heavy guns had been bombarding the enemy, hurling thousands of high explosives into the defences, until the system of parapets, traverses, dug-outs and entanglements was a mere mass of shell craters. The garrison, consisting of the 49th Reserve Division, from Posen and Breslau, were caught by the hurricane of shells and had to withdraw to their dug-outs. It was impossible for food to reach them. The Gormans became physical wrecks I as the result of the imprisonment un- ’ dcr the intense shelling. When the English and Scottish went o\er tne top the surviving Germans surged along the j communicating trenches and endeavourl od to man the machine-gun emplacements They fought fiercely. We took many prisoners from the dug-outs in the first line, but the advance was held up awhile by isolated machine-guns in the support lines. ‘ A second British attack in the evening penetrated the enemy s second, line, the British taking 300 yards of the Hindonburg Line on the left of Bullccouit ruins, added to the 800 yards which the Australians are holding on the right of the village Thus far the English and Scotsmen have experienced no counterattacks, though several bodies of Germans who were massing for attack were caught by gunfire and smashed. BRILLIANT OPERATIONS. PARIS, May 22. Importance is attached to the brilliant operations on the Moronvillers Plateau. The heights captured are 800 feet above sea level and overlook the Suippes Valley and neighbouring lowland, which is 3550 feet. Sundap’s advance carried the French w r ell down the northern slopes and enables them to shell positions at Nogent la Basse, whence Rhoims was bombarded. The advance makes a German salient to the west dangerous.

A FRENCH REPORT.

SEVERAL SUCCESSES

LONDON. Mav 22

Freud, communique.—ln Champagne the enemy violently bombarded the. positions wo captured yesterday in the region south of Moronvillers. Bombarding aeroplanes daring the night of the 19th dropped 2200 kilos of explosives on railway stations and bivouacs in the region of Epoye and Bethenivillo. ' - •

GERMAN AMMUNITION DUMP DESTROYED.

FRENCH TAKE 1000 PRISONERS

The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, May 22.

Sir Douglas Haig- reports: Northeastwards of Epehy and northwards of Armentieres we carried out a raid last night. Eastwards of Bullecourt, and southwards of the Arras-Cambrai Road, and westwards of Lens the enemy artillery was active last night. On the Arras-Cambrai Road, northeastwards of Queant, a large German ammunition dump was destroyed yesterday afternoon. The shock of the explosion was felt a great distance behind our lines.

French official.—ln the Champagne there was a reaction by the enemy artillery on positions we conquered yesterday, northwards of Mont Cornillet and Casque Metou, followed by attacks by their infantry on three sectors. The enemy everywhere were repulsed with sensible losses. Unwounded prisoners taken on Sunday number about one thousand. DESPERATE GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS. Received 11,10 am PARIS, May 22. The Matin states the Germans, despite th e most desperat:; counter-attacks are unable to retake a:i inch of the ground they lose. They threw in two new divisions during the hist 24 lio irs, but did nothing beyond losing prisoners and leaving a m i.;Lt.lc corpses before the British positions, the British artillery is truly marvellous, and barrage crushes any offensive.. SUPERB BRITISH ARTILLERY. A FRENCH TRIBUTE. Received 10.40. PARIS, May 22. French experts are elated at the triumph of British artillery, which in less than a month was cracking the barrier which it took the Germans a year to build, and on which hangs all the enemy’s manoeuvres. Already there are signs that the enemy is pre* paring to retreat to a new system, 1 which is the only alternative to a decisive defeat, namely, a system of switch trendies zig-zagging to a rallying point.