WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 14 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE FLANDERS BATTLE. THE ENEMY'S OBJECT. ' LONDON, August 13. Mr. Gibbs says: The enemy apparently wish to make this the decisive battle of the war. I cannot see how they can hope to decide it in their own favour/after the loss of Pflken and Woethoek Ridge, but they are out to kill. regardless of their own losses, , • DEADLIEST THIS YEAR. LONDON, August 13. Mr. Beach Thomas says that Friday's fighting on the ridge east' of West\ hoek included some of the most deadly this year. The enemy counter-attacked seven times on a mile frontage. The German losses were as great as ever since the days of the murderous massed attack. BRITISH CAPPTURE SIX GUNS. . LONDON, August 13. Sir Douglas Haig .reports: We captured six guns during Friday's attack. •! The Portuguese repulsed a raid southward of Arment.ieres. . . ""' ■- v—■' r ' ■ '■ '. f* THE FRENCH CAMPAIGN. LONDON, Augost 13.

French communique.—Artillery fire ! is violent in the Belgium section, at Hurtcbisc, and on both banks of the Meuse. The Germans again cannonaded Eheims. GOOD WORK BY TRENCH AIRMEN. LONDON, August 13. Air squadrons have been active. They bombed enemy railway stations and other points, fires and. explosions following. BATTLE OF THE GUNS. IN THE YPEES SALIENT. LONDON, August 12. General Sir Douglas Haig's reports: "The weather is wet and stormy. After fighting for possession of a mine crater eastward of Givcnchy les Labassee, w e established ourselves in the cratec The enemy artillery is active east and north of Ypres. FRENCH AIR REPRISALS. FRANKFURT BOMBARDED.

LONDON, August 12.

A French communique reports: We completely recovered the elements of trenches captured by the Germans on the 9th east' of Fayet, in the St. Quentin sector. Two enemy attacks south of Allies were repulsed. We held all positions and renewed progress at night time. "As reprisals for the enemy bombardment of the Nancy region, two French machines bombed Frankfurt-on-Main." JULY'S RECORD. LONDON, August 13. Reuter's headquarters correspondent reports: During July our airmen crashed to earth 122 enemy machines, and drove down 120 out of control .

AWFUL ARTILLERY CONCENTRATIONS. Received 11.30. • LONDON, August 13. The whole line in Flanders is wrap* ped in smoke with British and German shells. Communiques give a very vague impression of the awful ceaseless contest of artillery concentration wheih far outweigh Verdun or the Somme. The number of troops is the greatest gathered on any battlefield The enemy''s artillery tortures . the army, but ours is infinitely worse.