WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

the delayed offensive.

HUNS FIND IT HARD TO EXPLAIN Received 8.50 a.m. WASHINGTON, May 21. The German Government is having the greatest difficulty in explaining to the public why the West front armies have not continued the attack, and the attack on the Italians has not started. Received ,9.35 a.m. NEW YORK, May 21 The British Mission has announced that the British avaitors control the air in their section of the West front, and practically all combats are over the German lines. FRENCH GAIN GROUND IN FLANDERS. -r.-v, . LONDON, May 21. £;‘ Sir Douglas Haig reports: The ■3oFrench carried out successful night 0 east and north-east of Loj- all objectives on a front 1 of 4000 yards, taking over 400 pris^ «uersj ■' Local fighting this morning- ■ north-' ward of Albert resulted in a few of out 'men ’being missing. ' J ■ We rushed a German post eastward of Hebuleme, " taking prisoners and two machine guns. Hostile gas shelling is active northward of Bethune. ‘ ‘ • _ ' ARMY OF MANOEUVRE. - •' LONDON, May 20. A United Press correspondent says; It is reported that Mackensen on the West front is commanding an army of manoeuvre, which will be flung into any opening which Hindenburg may make when the offensive is renewed. Hindenburg has now probably over 100 shock divisions awaiting orders. About forty of these are entirely fresh. FRENCH TAKE OVER 300 PRISONERS. LONDON, May 21. The heavy fighting mentioned in previous despatches related to a French attack on a front of from 3000 to 4000 yards, apparently pivoting on Docx'si.Hospice, and extending eastwards. It is reported that the operations succeeded. Over 300 prisoners were collected. Every yard of ground the Allies take in this locality represents an important gain, inasmuch as it pushes the enemy from a chain of hills running west of Mt. Kemmel. BRITISHERS’ SUCCESSFUL WORK * LONDON, May 20. Sir Douglas Haig’s aviation report says: On the 19th we bombed enemy railway stations, aerodromes, dumps, and billets, dropping over seventeen tons of bombs. Severe fighting occurred eastward of the line, where large hostile formations attacked our bonfbers. We downed 27, and drove down three. Twelve of ours are missing. There was mutual vigorous night •bombing. Our night-fliers dropped 15 tons on Chaulnes, Douai, Don and Marcclng railway stations, and St. Denis-Westrem aerodrome. GALLANT LABOUR BATTALION. LONDON, May 21. Sir Douglas Haig has issued a spe. dal paying a tribute to the deTotioM endurance, . and gallantry of our units under most' trying • circumstances at the beginning of the ‘ ■Jteaent battle. Their discipline and

spirit, he says, enabled them to render most valuable assistance to the rest of the army. VILLE-SUR-ANCRE CAPTURE. LONDON, May 20. Wireless German official. —The British entered Ville-sur-Ancre, but failed to advance further along the Ancre valley. Attacks against Morlancourt broke down sanguinarily. Reuter’s Headquarters correspondent says;—Australians’ captures at Ville-sur-Ancre exceeded 400. The casualties inflicted were very heavy. The Germans were forced back from an awnward little salient they had created. They are new probably back upon the railway. Over thirty machine guns were taken between Ribemont and Dernacourt. THE RAID ON COLOGNE. MUCH DAMAGE. DONE. LONDON, May 20. The Cologne‘ press admits that" the British airmen’s raid on' ’Saturday heavily damaged railways ' and buildings. ' Many bombs were ‘dfoppeef im the heart of the city, and caused "ih-J tense panic. Twenty-five were'-killed ’and f6'fty i -seven wounded. ".>’•s a ■ ENEMY TRENCHES PENETRATED., LONDON, May 20. A French communique states: There was lively- artillery fire in the region of Hangard, and south of the Avre. Detachments penetrated to the enemy’s third , trench , nortlnwest of Pheims, in the direction of Derniercourt, and caused . much destruction A French, communique says; Artillery actions have been occasionally violent south of the Avre, and at some points in the region of Montdidier and Lassigny. : ■ RUSSO-CHINESE ARMY. PETROGRAD, May 20. It is reported from Manchuria that Somenoff’s Cossacks have joined forces with Chinese detachments. EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS LONDON, May 20. The Daily Telegraph’s Paris correpondent, states that the exchange of German and French prisoners begins in a fortnight. The negotiations which were initiated by the Geneva Rod Cross lasted two months. Though the delegates understand each other’s languages, they declined to speak except in their own language. They never spoke or even bowed outside the conference hall, the Swiss Red Cross representatives acting as a go-between of the two groups. The diplomatists parted enemies as before the negotiations *