WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 18 June 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

SECOND HINDEMBURG LINE. FURTHER PORTION CAPTURED BY BRITISH. LONDON, June 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Early this morning we attacked and captured a further portion of the second Hindenburg line north-westward of Bullecourt. The garrison stubbornly resisted and suffered heavily. "We made successful raids eastward of Loos and in the neighbourhood of the Lys river. There was reciprocal artillery fire all day northward of the Scarpe, also at numerous points between Armentieres and Ypres. BRITISH RETAIN CAPTURED GROUND. LONDON, June 16. Sir Douglas Haig report)?: We completely repulsed an attack after heavy artillery preparation, on the positions captured on Thursday evening south- . ward of the Ypres-Comines Canal. A few Germans who reached our trenches were immediately killed or driven out.

GERMAN SET-BACK.

AN OFFICIAL ADMISSION

LONDON, June 15

A Gorman official rpnoix admits thv set-back to their protee!<r.:j det.achm.-i>t south-westward of Wafietnn and Bt.iP dcsart. Eastwa-1 of Loos, it is stated, the English hav-i advanio'l their ;>osi tions and malacairnd their, by vigoious counter-attacks. BRAVERY REWARDED. A GALLANT NEW ZEALANDER. LONDON, June 15. Included in five new Victoria Crosses is one to Sergeant Donald Brown, New Zealand Infantry, for most conspicuous and determination in attack. When a company to which ' he' belonged had suffered very heavy casualties in officers ana men from machine-gun fire, at great personal risk, Brown advanced with a comrade, and succeeded in reaching a point within thirty yards of the enemy guns. He killed four of a German gun crew and captured the gun. Subsequently, when his company was again -held up by machine-gun fire Brown and a comrade, by great gallantry, rushed the gun and killed the crew. After this second position had been won his company came under very heavy shell fire, and, hy utter coolness,' Brown did much to keep up the spirits of his men. In a subsequent attack, BroAvn again showed most conspicuous gallantry. He attacked, single-handed, a machine-gun which was holding up our attack, killed the crew, and captured the gun. Thip very gallant soldier was killed later while sniping the retreating enemy.

PUETHEE PEOGEESS .MADE.

LONDON, June 17,

Sir Douglas Haig reports’: During the day. fighting again has taken place in the sector of the Hindenburg line north-westward of Bullecourt, We made progress and captured prisoners. There was reciprocal artillery fire at intervals on the battlcfront southward of Yrpes.

Our seaplanes, in co-operation with the artillery, performed particularly successful work yesterday, making reconnaissances and bombing raids. There were many air fights. On either side numerous machines were engaged. We brought down six German aeroplanes and drove down ten. One of ours is missing. PAKIS, June 17. A communique says: Artillery was fairly active north and south of Ailcttc also in Champagne in the sector Cornil-let-Mont Blond, Near Courcy we regained a trench clement which the enemy had captured in the morning. All the occupants were killed or captured.

WITHDRAWAL OF WAR PRISONERS. Received 10.15 a.m. LONDON, June 17. German official: As Britain lias announced the withdrawal of all German war prisoners to thirty kilometres behind the front line, Germany has similarly complied. WAITING FOR THE AMERICANS. PARIS, June 16. M. Painlcve, speaking in the Chamber , said it was csssential to remove delusions regarding the offensive of April 16th, which some believed was going to be decisive. The French troops will stand against the massed Germans released by the momentary passiveness of the Russian army until the arrival of American forces. The present leaders of the Allied armies were careful of human lives.

PORTION OF SECOND HINDENBURG LINE CAPTURED,

High Commissioner reports: LONDON, June 15

British official: Early this morning we captured a further portion of the second Hindenburg line northwest of Bullecouft, which was still held by the enemy. The hostile garrison stubbornly resisted, and suffered heavy losses. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, June 16. Wireless German official. —An English attack westward of Warneton was suppressed by our batteries. We repulsed an English attack eastward of Loos.

Our counter attack drove out the English who had advanced on our second trenches north-westward of Bullecourt.

French engagements have developed at Bullecourt and eastward of Monchy.