Official News.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 268, 22 April 1915, Page 5

Official News.

I HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Wellington, April 21. , The High Commissioner reports, linger date April 20, 3.50 p.m.: Submarine El 5 grounded at Kephez 'Point on Saturday. There was danger of her falling into the enemy's hands in t serviceable condition and great efforts were made by the Turks to secure her. Attempt-; to destroy her by the longVangc fire of the battleships failed. During Sunday night two picket-boats oi H.M.S. Triumph, under Licutenant-Com-mander Eric Robinson, commanding the ( expedition, assisted by Lieut. Claude Godwin, of H.M.S. Majestic, were manned by 1 volunteer crews and attacked the submarine. The boats were subjected to a very heavy fire, estimated at over "200 rounds, by fort 8, only a few hundred yards distant, and a number of smaller forta at short rang& Not'withstanding the fire the submarine was torpedoed and rendered useless. The .Majesties' boat was holed and sunk, but .the crew were saved by the other boat. The only casualty was one man who died of woundß. Vice-Admiral de Roebuck speaks in the highest terms of all concerned in the gallant enterprise. .Lieutenant Eric Robinson has been pro-mr'-ed to the rank of commander by the Admiralty. _ A report has been called for on the individual services of the other

.©(Titers and men with, a view to their recognition. Wellir.gtr.n, Li,,t X; K V„. The High Commissioner reports under daie Jjoiulu. anil, Al#n i ,;_ w ~.„ .__' Official: "Eye-witness'' stattA 'that'a i'iv:icli civilian, recently returned from '"•i:.an captivity, writes: 'of 120,000 t..:iun.s i ;l ,:,'.i in (la-u.ui.y and hoj dier prisoners, a 'unart.. v v.ili ,1 , ,„ six month. ~,,<( ih , ri ., llttiuU( ,. v , m „„ s „ ( , mg for the rest of their live;-, tluough ii..■ "-"W, „i_ captivity. Tell the uoleaptivii}-.- ""' <k ' iltll in I)rcfc,rcnce t0 nii° fl t? t^ d , lfl ' wound ''' l 23 . »««'«« nj killed H,!, wound d 178, mi* re',!!h„' 1 m ! )rm . < '"'" nt in tllc wither has ,„ increased activity in both .'■■> n.u.il, the advantage n evchanmw Ttt „ aer ,°P l l a,le9 w «c bought down !" th ° P» st three dnvs, two to -us and two to tho French/ On Sunday £ I eDgaged and "'ove off three hostile aeroplanes, suhscmientlv completing the reconnaisance „' vS it was engaged. Early on the morning of the 15th the enemy heavily shelled our trenches near M. Eloi, exploded a mine, and injured IZ\ Z r f arapets - N ° attack ** paired ge Was P rom P ll y r °-

min" tI?C th ? e encm >' ex P-o<l«l three SessV BaBSCe di9trict ** »\?L th 6 " Cning of thc "«>-»o exVw?7r. a • n " ne u , nder Hi " °° on the l.£ r2? mes railwav - ,VCfi t of Zwartc , leen. This was immediately followed 17th* ™. tae \?; hich gaincd -WW** the hill The enemy Buffered heavily by. the oxplosion. We tOQk two of(icor / an y fifteen men prisoners. Despite the heavy bombardment, which caused many casualties, the trenches captured wore £?■ J n a M State of dcfence durin £ the night. The enemy renewed the bombardment towards the morning, follow* ing with a. determined counter-attack 1 ,, -this attack was pressed home, and stiff hand-to-hand fighting ensued, our infantry fighting with great gallantry and determination, and being well supported ■by artillery they drove off .the enemy with complete success. Our losses were very heavy, but the. Germans suffered still more severely, particularly with ma-chine-guns, which caught them in close order in the open. Throughout the 18th thc enemv made repeated attacks, making desperate efforts to regain a very important position. Once he succeeded in gaining a footing on the southern slopes of tho hill, but was promptly driven back. By I nightfall the whole hill was in our hands and the ground gained was consolidated. This morning the'enemy attacks had ceased, but he continued to bombard the hill. The total captures were four officers and forty-five men. The statement in the Tceent German communique that we had been usinj? asphyxiating gases in the Ypre 5 district is false. It was doubtless made to justify the use of these nascs, which were freely employed by the enemy in attacks on Hill fW. Germany signed tho clause, of the Hague Convention eliminating the use of asphyxiating gas.