WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 2 July 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

BRITISH SUCCESS CONFIRMED. IMPORTANT STRATEGIC T ,. POSITIONS CAPTURED. The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, June 30. Sir Douglas Haig sends additional information which confirms the success of our recent operations at Lens. B’esides the captures of prisoners and machine guns reported, an important advance was made on a total front of four miles to a depth of over one mile the result is that the strongly organised defensive system on both banks of the Souchez covering Lens is captured, and our whole objectives gained on each ocasion with slight loss to > ourselves and, considerable casualties to the enemy. The positions, which are of great strength, and also tactical and strategic important points, are ours.

SANGUINARY FIGHTING. FURIOUS GERMAN ATTACKS. LONDON, June 30. A French communique says: Northeast of Corny the enemy renewed his strong attacks, launching two on Labouvelle, supported by a stream of liquid fire. After a violent fight they gained a foothold in a salient which had been completely flattened out by bombardment. The artillery struggle continued with extreme violence throughout the 'Avoeourt-Morthomme region, Wc counter-attacked west of Hill 301, regained a portion of the trenches previously occupied by the enemy. Simultaneously, the Germans undertook a violent offensive west of Morthomme on a front of more than two kilometres. A later communique says: After the bloody defeat inflicted last night in the region of Corny, the enemy further attacked positions north-east of the • village, and succeeded, after several

fruitless attempts, costing them heavily ih impenetrating our first line elements, wherefrom we drove them. South-east of Coobeny the Germans launched a particularly violent attack hn the seme night. Several battalions of special assaulting troops were engaged. They made several attempts to carry the salient on both sides of the Laon-Eheims road, but the waves of assault were broken and rolled back with heavy losses. Left of the Meuse an artillery duel continued intense on the sector from Hill 304, to Avocourt Wood. Our fire nearly annihilated the storming troops, who first succeeded in penetrating our first line along the whole length of our front. Wc repulsed them on the greater part by count-er-attacks, except on the western slopes of Morthomme, where they retained a footing.

GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. LONDON, June 30. An Admiralty wireless says: A German '.official report states there were' stubborn fights yesterday between the La Bassee Canal and the Scarpe salient westward and south-west of Lens, which wo relinquished long ago as a fighting zone. The enemy launched an attack on the Arras road, which was broken in the evening. Several divisions attacked between Hulluch and Mcricourt and between Fresnoy and Gavrelle. We repelled the enemy near Holluch, between Loos and the LensLievien road. There were vigorous engagements westward of Lens, where a fresh enemy attack was unable to develop. Reinforced attacks near Avion failed. The English, after bitter hand-to-hand fighting, occupied our foremost lines between Oppy and Gavrelle windmill. They lost sanguinarily. We stormed a French position on a front of a thousand metres eastward of Corny, and held it against vigorous counterattacks. We attacked on the western slope of Height 304, capturing a position astride the Malancourt-Esnos road, on a front of two thousand metres to a depth of five hundred metres.

LONDON, July 2. A wireless Gorman official message says:—An English qompany, supported by low flying aeroplanes, penetrated, our trenches south-east of Armcnticres, but were driven out. The Bavarians entered the rear of the French lines on a front of twelve hundred metres south-east of Corbcny. We captured several lines of trenches southward of Babovelle Farm, and repulsed two strong French attacks near Cerny. We stormed the French position on the eastern slope of Hill 304, and captured trenches between Bethincourt and Esnes. We again progressed south of Lens, and captured a further portion of the trench system. Wo repulsed raiders south-east of Gonzeacourt. There were several encounters with large formations of hostile aircraft. We downed ten, and one of ours is missing.

ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. WITH HEAVY LOSSES. The High Commisioner reports: LONDON, June 29. ■ French official:- After his sanguinary check last night, the enemy attacked afresh* fcorth-east off Cejrtiiy. After several costly failures the Germans again penetrated portions of our first line. South-east of Corbiny the enemy used special storming troops to carry a salient on our line at Laon and R-heims, but were compelled to retire with heavy losses. GUARDING ZEEBRUGGE. BELGIANS HELD AS A SHIELD. AMSTERDAM, June 29. The “Telegraaf” states that the Germans compelled five hundred Belgian civilians to remain within half a mile of the harbour of Zeebrugge, presumably in tire hope that* this would have a deterrent effect on British naval activity. The entire region is a great fortress. Marines and infantry are quartered on the dunes, and an enormous mass of artillery is concentrated.

A FURTHER ADVANCE REPORTED The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, July S. A British official message, reports further advances westward and south-westward of Lens. GERMANS RETIRING FROM COAST FEARFUL BRITISH BOMBARDMENT. SERIOUS GERMAN NAVAL LOSSES Received 9.20. AMSTERDAM, July 1. Ghent is full of people evacuated from Ostend, Courtrai, and Menin. Refugees state the Germans have abandoned the coast, retiring as far as Ostend, fearing annihilation under the British bombardment, which has wrought havoc' in many towns. Germans from Zeebrugge declare that nearly forty torpedo boats and submarines were lost in the recent naval action with the British naVal forces. PUSHING THE HUNS BACK. HE KNOWS HE IS BEATEN. Received 9.20 a.m. LONDON, July 1. Reuter’s special correspondent at British headquarters says that up to Thursday evening we arc systematically pushing the Germans ’in a northeasterly direction. Double operations, •which developed on Thursday evening, although distinct in their phases, were part of the sane tactical scheme. The enemy’s withdrawal to the outer defences of Lens tended to weaken their resisting powers on the Oppy line between There and Souchez, so the occasion was taken to strike a blow with satisfactory results.' We made a substantial gain of territory round Lens salient at a cost of light casualties, fighting well, whether lie knows he is going backward or is told it is in accordance with plan, or that he realises he is being beaten, the result must equally be to produce the “under dog” feeling. More than once the occupants of trenches and posts bolted at the approach of our men.

ENEMY’S DEFENCES .CAPTURED. LONDON, July 1. Sir D. Haig reports: Following yesterday’s success southward of Lens, we attacked last night the north bank of the Souehez and captured the enemy’s defences on a half-mile front southwest of the town. We successfully raided last night northeastward of Epehy.' IN CHINA A JAPANESE VIEW. TOKIO, June 30. In the Diet, the Foreign Minister said he was hopeful regarding Russia. He stated that after her rupture with Germany, China asked concessions as a preliminary declaration of war with Germany, but Japan was unable to act without the full agreement of the Allies. He hoped China -would soon solve her internal difficulties and declare war on Germany, thus ending the intrigues whereto much of the unsettlement i n China were due. GENERAL CABLES GERMAN GOLD. AMSTERDAM, June 29. For the first time since the outbreak ,of War Germany is compelled to export gold. She sent four million pounds to Holland, to support her mark exchange, which caused a sharp rise, the florin reaching 34.15. It fs now evident that German currency cannot be further buttressed by rising prices of coal and steel. The present gold held in the Reichsbank totals 122,844,150.