The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 232, 10 March 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

ALLIES' RAID ON OSTEND. CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE. London, March S. Official.—Six naval aeroplanes raided Ostend on Sunday, dropping eleven bombs on the submarine repairing base and four on the military headquarters. Considerable damage is probable. AEROPLANES RETURN SAFELY. | Received March 9, 7 p.m. London, March 8. Commander Longmore, in charge' of the Ostend raid, reports that two seapV'nes returned owing to their petrel h\ e/.ing, and the others returned safely. A ZEPPELIN DISASTER. SEVENTEEN MEN KILLED. Amsterdam, March 8. Zeppelin LB, when descending on account of engine trouble in Belgiir.u, crashed into the trees. The airship broke in two, forming a V. Seventeen were killed and several wounded. The Zeppelin is beyond repair. « Paris, March 8. The Government has appointed a commission to study the conditions of utilising frozen meat in order to protect livestock during the war.

A WRECKED ZEPPELIN. , FLOATING IN THE CHANNEL. Received "March 9. 11.25 p.m. Paris, March 9. It is rumored that the wrecked Zeppein L 9 was sighted in the Channel, a few miles from Boulogne. Apparently this was one of the three which have been manoeuvring between Boulogne an<l Calais during the last three days. MORE TRENCHES TAKEN. Received March 9, 10.30 p.m. Paris, March 9. Official.—Snowstorms in the Champagne district are interfering with operations, but,we continue to advance west of Perthes". We lost some ground between Mesnil and Beausejour, but gained a hundred metres north-east of Mesnil. Wo continue to progress north of Badonvillier. THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE. EVERY DAY SOME SUCCESS. DELAYED NOW BY RAIN. Received March 9, 5.30 p.m. London, March 9. The Times' correspondent in Paris says that the wet weather which set in on Saturday will probably delay further progress in the Champagne district, which l; a pity, because it will give the Germans time to re-organise their defensive position. The French offensive began on 2Rth February and not a day passed since witnout some progress being made. The total advance at any point does not amount to a mile, but each day the enemy has a more difficult defence problem to face.

TRENCHES MINED BY GERMANS. RE-TAKEN AFTER TERRIFIC STRUGGLE. MORE FIGHTING AT YPRES. Paris, March 8. Details of the loss and recapture of the trenches at Notre Dame-de-Lorette show that the Germans blew up the foremost trenches with mines and expelled the Freneli from the second and third lines by weight of numbers. The French artillery bombarded the Germans for several hours next day, enabling the infantry to retake the second" and third lin?s. Then there was a lull till the evening, when tlic rain poured down. The French charged irresistibly, and there was a fearful struggle in the darkness, with indescribable uproar, as the French bay onettod the Germans, who bolted to their own lines. Daylight revealed nearly three thousand Germans dead on the field. The French losses were one thousand.

Amsterdam, March 8. Heavy gunfire has been heard from Roulers in the direction of Ypres. Many trains of wounded have arrived at Roulers. There is much water traffic from Ghent to Bruges, including boats with machine-guns. Paris, March 8. A communique states:—"We capture] trendies north-west- of Souain. Tiic Germans, who regained a footing on til - hilltop west of Munster were driven back after a hand-to-hand fight with extremely heavy losses.

German prisoners in France will heiu'.eforth be. treated similarly to French prisoners in Germany. Various privileges have been withdrawn, owing to Germany's refusal of better treatment.