The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 221, 25 February 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

GENERAL FRENCH'S DISPATCH FIERCE ATTACK ON RHEIMS. FRENCH ARMY IMPROVING. London, February 23. Sir John French's report states that there is considerable activity -at Yprss. The enemy on the 21st mined and blew up a trench. We had prepared, and still hold a new trench close behind the former one. We blew up an enemy's trench at Givenchy, and repulsed an attack along the La Bassee Canal. There i- increased artillery and rifle fire south of the Lys, in which we show marked superiority. Paris, February 23. A communique states that 1500 shells fell in Rheims on Sunday and Monday. The interior and roof of the Cathedral were further smashed. Twenty houses were ignited and twenty civilians killed. VERY VIOLENT ATTACK. Wellington, Yesterday. The High Commissioner reports under date London, February 23, 4.35 p.m.: The bombardment of Rheims reported yesterday was extremely violent. The first one lasted for six hours and the second for five hours. Fifteen hundred shells were thrown into all parts of the town. What remained of the Cathedral was specially aimed at and suffered seriously. The interior roof, which' liail hitherto resisted, has now been pierced. Twenty houses were burnt and twenty civilians killed. Times apd Sydney Sun Services. London, February 23.

A British observer in the French trenches says that the Allies' line is something over 500 miles in length, and at very few points are the lines more than 300 yards apart. The closeness of the trenches is shown by the large use of hand grenades which cannot be thrown 50 yards. One is apt to think that the trenches are really a line which is broken once a trench is captured. In reality the trenches are only the front face of a work reßenibling a small fort, with a regular nest of bomb-proof shelters, machine-gun emplacements, and deep communicating trenches. Thisfiont is succeeded by others of similar construction though less highly developed. The French army has steadily imnroved, both in personnel and material. The reserve divisions are now nearly, if not quite, of the same value as the active divisions, and the territorialg are taking a far more considerable share in active work than hitherto.

FIGHTING NEAR VERDUN. GERMAN AMMUNITION DEPOT DESTROYED. ENEMY'S HEAVY LOSSES. Received 24, 10.40 p.m. Paris, February 24. Official: Our batteries blew up a German ammunition depot north-west of Yerdun. Tile heavy losses of the enemy at Bois Bnchot on the 21st arc confirmed their attacks being completely repulsed.

AN INCENDIARY SHOT. BURSTS INTO A BLAZE. ENABLING SNIPERS TO BE SHOT. Received 25, 12.55 a.m. Paris, February 24. During the recent night attack in Lorraine the French shot and ignited the incendiary material in the hands of a German soldier, win burst into flames. The light disclosed on the ground a number of German snipers, the majority of whom were shot.