WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 17 July 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

DESPERATE ATTACK BY ENEMY. GERMANS’ EFFORTS FAIL. LONDON, July 15. French communique.—After several hours’ gunfire the Germans last evening heavily attacked our salient west of Cerny. A violent fight, alternating in advances and retreats, continued all night. Despite large enemy effectives and the extensive use of flammenwerfer, the enemy were unable to hold a trench into which they had penetrated, merely occupying some first elements on a front of five hundred yards. French communique.—The artillery struggle has slackened west of Cerny. and in the Champagne. We organised the positions captured yesterday evening north of Monthaut and Teton. ENEMY’S STRONG POSITIONS TAKEN. TO A DEPTH OF 300 METRES. PARIS, July 15. After big artilery preparation, our troops'yesterday attacked at two points in Champagne. They gained all their objectives north of Mont Hauet and on the slopes of Teton, carrying with splendid dash, on a front of 800 metres to a depth of 300 metres, a powerfully organised system of trenches, A succession of violent counter-attacks, after hand-to-hand fighting, failed with heavy losses to the enemy. All the conquered positions were maintained. Our artillery caught and heavily punished a concentration of enemy relief troops.

GERMANS REPULSED AT ALL POINTS. The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, July 16. French official: Between the Somme and the Aisne there has been a series of coup-de-mains eastward ,of St. Quentin and westward of Allemant. Three enemy attempts failed completely, and were rolled back after lively fighting. Southward of Allies w’e have progressed, taking some prisoners. In the regions of Monthaut and Teton the Germans attacked with strong forces the positions taken on Saturday. We resisted the enemy’s superior numbers. At Teton the enemy was unsuccessful, and suffered heavy losses. At Monthaut, after stubborn fighting all night, the enemy, who had regained a large part of their eaptured ground, w r as rolled back by brilliant counter-attacks. At v the time of reporting only some elements of the trenches remain with the enemy. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, July 15. Wireless German official.—There was violent artillery fire on the coast and between Boesingae and Wybchaete, near Ypres and Lens and astride the Scarpe. We repulsed English advances near Gaverelle, eastward of Croiselles, and near Bullecourt.

We captured important positions at Chemin des Dames south-east of Courtenson, on a 1500 metres front and 300 in depth. The enemy desperately resisted in a hand-to-hand fight. The enemy are resting. MONTENEGRO’S MISERY. URGENT NEED FOR RELIEF. ROME, July 16. Newspapers state that the Montenegrins’ sufferings are greater than those of the Belgians and Serbians. The people are starving and there are hundreds of deaths daily. The Italian Government has been urged to draw the attention of the Allies and neutrals with a view of sending relief.