WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 October 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY. Received 10.20. . LONDON, Oct 29. Tiie Franco-Belgians carried out j successful operations northward of | Mercket. The French captured Lui- j ghem The Allies now hold the whole of Mercket peninsula. There is reciprocal artillerying on the whole battle front. Our aeroplanes were busy all day on Saturday; they co-operated with artillery and /fired several thousand rounds.at ground targets from heights a hundred to a thousand feet. They dropped 29 heavy bombs on Roulers station, six on Abeele aerodrome, and 121 lighter bombs were dropped on billets eastward of Lens. Our at night time, dropped four tons on seven aerodromes and three important railway stations. Several burst near hangars and rail tracks. Enemy aeroplanes repeatedly attacked. but ours never failed to reach their objectives We downed eleven and nine of ours are missing. The Admiralty reports that six British and French destroyers, patrolling the B'elgian coast on Saturday, attacked three German destroyers and seventeen aeroplanes, and obtained two direct hits on enemy destroyers, which immediately retired to the protection of land batteries. Our anti-aircraft gunfire broke the enemy aeroplane formation. The aeroplanes each dropped three bombs in the vicinity of our vessels, but there was no damage. Two men were slightly wounded. A French communique says there is fairly great artillery activity in the region of Pinon, Chavignon, and near Epine and Aichevrigny. at midday, strongly attacked oiTr positions north of Friadmont Farm_ Our fire drove back the waves of attack with heavy losses. There is a fairly lively artillery duel in the region of Champagne Heights.” " ‘ ‘

BELGIANS JOIN HANDS WITH FRENCH.'' LONDON, October 28., Sir Douglas Haig reports: Wc improved our positions slightly at night time in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Koulers railway. The Belgians on Friday night made a successful raid northward of Dixmude and yesterday, jointly with the French crossed inundations and occupied Merckj Peninsula, in the neigh bourhood of Yijfhvezon. ’A French communique says; - An attack in Belgium was begun at 5.15 this morning and was completely successful. Hie French, on "Doth sides of the Ypres-Dixmude road, ; carried all the enemy positions on a Front of four kilometres to an average depth of two kilometres' ./' hi Despite stubborn resistance, we reached the western border of Houthulst Forest and carried the villages of Yerdreudes, Aschhoop, Merckem and Kippe, also numerous solidly-fortified farms. The enemy, suffered very heavy losses.

BELGO-FRENCH EXPLOIT. Received 10.40. LONDON, Oct. 29. Mr. Phillips Gibbs says that nothing- during the campaign is quite like the Franco-Belgimn victory on Saturday on the Peninsula. The Luighana tongue of land is a quarter of a mile wide at its widest part. The first French advance, on Friday morning took them through the marshes where they waded and swam. This success gave them the bridgehead across the flooded Yser. French engineers, on Friday night, by a wonderful piece of work threw pontoons Over the floods, Avorking shoulder deep, enabling the infantry to before daybreak. The enemy were taken by surprise. The Bth Bavarian reserve diA'ision arrived in the line the previous night, expecting to be undisturbed in this quiet region. Sanguinary fighting followed with bayonet and bomb. The Bavarians were driven from line to line, the French pursuing so closely that the enemy Avas unable to establish himself.. Thus the French stormed Yerbandesmis, 'Aschoot and Klooster molen. The whole region Avas most difcult as it lay under water, but the impetueusTrench toiled on until they reached firmer ground on the outskirts of Mereket. Then they charged AA’ith the bayonet, rooting out the occupants of cellars, while others advanced on the Dixmude Road to Kippe. These successes ought to have sufficed but the French waded through a maze nf communication trenches fronting Lulghem village, standing on a slight elevation commanding an extensive field fire. The main road was wired and barricaded and only conquered after several horus of hand to hand fighting and repeated assaults. The Belgians then entered the fi-ht after crossing the floods on punts. They secured a solid footing in the Penin-

FRENCH .PROGRESS CONTINUED French progress report state: Wo have made, sa in Jr u n. On our loft, in the peninsula ctY-.mgii-em, we captured; some, small .islands and prisonered 2&o! , . LONDON, October _ j.’ /-Wireless German official: The cu.nny again attacked south-\v,ost of Routt hulst Wood.gaining no greater advantage than before. MINISTER OF WAR REbm.,.. Received li.-o. A Commission i- ..... .• . jresenting the unanimous views ci the military, started fer i\iw. •. peremptory message to Alfonso, with instructions to withheld. it .. .. decision meanwhile had been reached on the policy satisfying the military Junta’s aspirations.. Dato_ on learning the Junta’s action, objected to the military seeking to King directly instead ot ecu'rring their wishes through the Minister of War Date forthwith conferred with Alfonso for two hours, and finally resigned.