Official News

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 218, 22 February 1915, Page 5

Official News

HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, February 20. The High Commissioner reports, under date London, February 19 (4.30 p.m.).— Paris reports: "We r.re organising and consolidating the positions gained. We captured a mortar at Quatre Enfants Bridge, between tli e Argonne and the' Mouse. In the Vosges we repulsed, two enemy infantry attacks north of Wisembach and in the region of Bonliomme,"

Paris reports thai, the enemy bombarded Nieuport Sains, and dunes,'our batteries efficaciously countering. The Germans had important forces engaged in yesterday's attack on the trenches east of Ppres. A bayonet attack after the bombardment was remilsed, the Allies' artillery preventing the reserves supnortinsr. Tlie Herman losses were high. Tt is confirmed that. German losses in the Champaijne /area during recent davs wore considerable. According 'to prisoners, a battalion was annihilated. On tlie heights of the Mense on Friday night tlie enemy delivered a fourth counter-attack against tlie trenches captured at Les Etarge's. This was thwarted like their previous artillerv attack. At Sattel. south of Lasecht, tin- ("V'liiy succeeded in getting a fooHiif on the eastern spur of ReichackerkoiT. Tlie struggle continues.

DARDANELLES BOMBARDMENT. The Prime Minister lias received tile following from the High Commissioner, (luted London, February 20, 5.30 p.m.: The British Admiralty announces that yesterday morning at eight o'clock ft British , fleet of battleships,, battlecruisers, and their accompanying flotilla, aided by a strong French squadron, the whole under the command of yicc-Ad-miral Sackville 11. Garden, attacked the forts at the entrance to the Dardenelks. Borts Cape Helles and Kum Kale wore bombarded with long-range fire. Considerable nft'ectjvns produced on the •.two forts. Tliey were frequently hit, but, being open earthworks, it was difficult to estimate the damage. The forts being out-ranged they were not able to reply to the fire. At' 2.45 p.m., it portion of the battleship force was ordered to engage the forts at closer range with their secondary armament. The fort* (hi lsntli sides of the entrance opened (ir.\ and were engaged at moderate ranges, by the Vengeance, Cornwallis, Triumph. SuiTron, ftanlois, and Bouvot, supported by the Inflexible and Agamemnon at long range. The forts on the European side were apparently silenced but one fort on the Asiatif! side was still firing when the operation was susitended on account of failing light.. The ships of the Allied fleet were not li ! t. The action was renewed in the morning, after an aerial reconnaisance. Tlis "Majesty's aeroplane Arkroyal was ill attendance, with if number of seaplanes, and aeropianes of the naval wing.