WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 8 June 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

BRITISH SUCCESSES CONFIRMED SUCCESSFUL ON WHOLE FRONT. NUMBER OF PRISONERS TAKEN Received 11.45. LONDON, June 7. General Haig reports as follows: This morning we attacked Messines and Wytscliaete on a front of nine miles, and everywhere, we captured our first objectives. Further satisfactory progress is reported along the whole front attacked. Numbers of prisoners are coming in. FRENCH REPORT. ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. LONDON, June 7. AFrench communique states: 'After a bombardment the Germans delivered several attacks at different points between the Ailctte and the Laon road and north-west of Bray en Laonnois. Our fire immediately smashed two attempts against Mortierro Wood. The enemy suffered appreciably from our concentrated efforts north of Chemin des Dames and only succeeded in reaching our lines at a single point. Some portions of a front line trench remained in the enemy's hands, but everywhere else they were thrown back BRITISH OBJECTIVES GAINED MESSINES CAPTURED AND WYTSCHAETE SURROUNDED Received 5.50 a.m. LONDON, June 7. The British have captured their objectives on a ninemile front, from Messines to Wytscliaete. Messines has been captured and Wytscliaete is surrounded. Messines and Wytscliaete arc situatv ed in th e southern portion of Belgium, and are about six and four miles respectively south of Ypres.

IMPORTANT POSITIONS CAPTURED ENEMY MACHINES DOWNED LONDON, June 7. Sin Douglas Haig reports: We successfully completed the operations commenced last night northward of the Scarpe. We gained all our objectives. We captured positions on the western slopes of Greenland Hill on a mile front. Raids northward of Ypres yielded a few prisoners. There has been considerable mutual artillery fire, particularly northward of the Scarpe, in the neighbourhood of Vimy, Armentieres and Ypres. We brought down eight German aeroplanes and drove down eight others in an uncontrollable state. Seven of ours arc missing. A FRENCH REPORT. INTENSE ARTILLERY ACTIVITY PARIS, June 6. A French communique states: A most intense artillery duel is in progress along the Chemin des Dames, nor th of the Aisne. The Germans launched two waves of attack against positions near Hurtebise, but were thrown back after furious fighting. Our line was maintained. Lively actions occurred on the Belgian front last night. 1 Seven German aeroplanes and a captive balloon were brought down.