WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 6 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE AISNE FRONT HEAVY ATTACKS REPULSED. LONDON, August 4. A French communique reports: Bad weather continnues on the whole front in Belgium. After a violent bombardment south of Cerny, in the Aisne sector, the Germans launched, on a front of a mile, violent attacks, all of which our fire repulsed with heavy losses. An artillery duel is in progress on both banks of the Meuse, and is especially heavy in the region of Avecourt Wood and Hill 304.

THE GERMAN STORY.

BRITISH ATTACK IN FLANDERS. / LONDON, August 4. A German official report says: English advances on the Nieuport- Westended Road and westward of Bixsschoote and Langemarck failed. The enemy is bombarding Roulers. Advance post engagements have occurred northwards of the La Bassee Canal, and at Monchy le Pruex and Havricourt favoured us. We drove out the French who penetrated our trenches on - the Laon-Sois-sons Road. ( We captured the southern end of a tunnel at Cerny, and repulsed attacks on the left bank of the Meuse. We captured several villages on the lower Zbecz and also captered Czernovitch, and penetrated positions further south. The Austro-Hungar-ians are fighting a hotfse to house battle in Kimpolung.. FRENCH MAKING PROGRESS UNSUCCESSFUL GERMAN ATTACKS Received 9. LONDON, August 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports that the French continue to progress northwest of B'ixschoote. They have made a successful raid east of Vermelles. There have been unsuccessful German raids. FRENCH WEAKNESS DISPUTED SOME INSTRUCTIVE FIGURES Received .9.15 WASHINGTON, Aug. 4. M. Andre Tardiu, French Missioner, in a letter to Mr. Baken, Minister of War, says that France" is still powerful. She has now 3,600,000 men in the fighting zone, also many thousands in training. During the last half of 1916 the total French killed, missing and prisoners was only 1.2 S per cent' of the total mobilisation. The French are holding 356 miles of the West front, the British 85, and the Belgians' 65. The French are using 6000 heavy guns compared with 300 at the beginning of the war. They fired more than twelve billion shots of all calibres during the last great offensive.

FURTHER BRITISH GAINS

Received 10 a.m,

LONDON, August 4,

The High Commissioner reports that the British have gained further ground northeastward of St. Julian. VIOLENT GERMAN ATTACKS. ON FRENCH LINES. Received 10.30 a.m. LONDON, August 5. A French communique states that south of Juvincourt the enemy delivered a serious attack at midnight. After lively fighting the assailants were driven from a portion of trenches where a footing was gained and our line was re-eastablished in its entirety.

A violent artilelrying duel is raging in the region of Mort Homme and Caurieres Wood.