WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 17 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

FIGHTING FOR POSITION. | [ LONDON, May 15. The. United Press correspondent writes: The battlefront was moderately quiet to-day. There was some fighting northward of Kemmel, where Hill 44, taken already several times by Von Amin’s stormers, has been regained by the French in a snappy counter-attack. There was a similar state of things eastward of Amiens, where the Australians sturdily biffed the Germans out of Morlancourt. The artillery has been barking louder dur. ing the past twenty-four hours around Corbie, Morlancourt, and Arras. Elsewhere both sides arc jostling for position. The Germans are desperately eager to obtain certain advantageous jumping-off places before the big smash. FRENCH ADVANCE THEIR LINE, j LONDON, May 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports; The Freniji captured prisoners and successfully advanced their line in local fighting to the northward of Kemmel. wireless German official message claims that the Germans took 120 prJi soners during'- a successful attack northward of Kemmel. There has been intense artillery fire in the Kemmel region, where, in connection with French thrusts, freSTI 'infantry engagements developed. GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY. LONDON, May 15. ’A: French communique says: There is great reciprocal activity north of the Avre. One of our air squadrons dropped 7000 kilogrammes of projectiles on the railway station at Chatelet-sur-Let- , oulne. The enemy bombarded the region of Dunkirk, doing slight damage. There were no victims. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. LONDON, May 16. Sir Douglas Haig’s report stafesr— We brought down 8 enemy aeroplanes on Tuesday, and drove down another. Two of ours are missing. Bombing continued actively during the night. Twelve tons were dropped or. Meakii, Chaulnes and Bapaume billets south of the Somme, and the docks at Bruges. All returned. We successfully raided on Wednes. day a railway station and siding at Thionville, dropping 24 heavy bombs. Bursts were observed on sheds, track, and furnaces. We hit Carlshutt’s factory, alongside the railway, four times. All returned, despite heavy anti-aircraft fire. SUCCESSFUL FRENCH OPERATIONS. LONDON ,May 15. An evening French communique says; There have been violent bombardments north of Montdidier, and between Montdidier and Noyon. We yestereve seized the wood on the west bank of the Ancre. . A strong counter attack this morning was repulsed with heavy losses. A German attack south of Rollet was also completely defeated. BRITISH AND AMERICAN REPORT Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, May 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports reciprocal artillerying in the Somme and Ancre valleys, eastward of Arras, and on the battle front. communique states marked increase of reciprocal artiWp' activity north of Toul, and In LorraSe.