The Western Front.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 270, 24 April 1915, Page 5

The Western Front.

YPRES BOMBARDED AGAIN. THE GERMANS ENRAGED. Received April 23, 9.5 p.m. Amsterdam, April 23. Enraged at the British successes southwards- of'Ypres, the Germans bombarded the town on Wednesday night, doing considerable damage. A number of persons were killed and wounded . MORE ALLIED SUCCESSES.

A STRATEGIC GAIN. Received April 23, 9.5 pm.. Paris, April 23. The British repulsed two attacks neai Langemarck. We carried two lines of trenches forming an embarrassing salient in the forest of Apremont. The Germans left a large number of corpses. , THE BATTLE OF BOiS DAILLY. GERMANS ©RIVEN OUT OF EORTIFIED POSITION. ATTEMPTS AT RECAPTURE FAIL. Received April' 23 7.30 p.m. London, April 23. The Press Bureau has issued the story of the capture of Bois Dailly, which had been strongly fortified. ■ The enemy employed large forces of artillery from Metz. The French on the morning of April 5 concentrated their artillery on the German position, and, aided by aerial torpedoes fired from short dis- , tances, soon shattered. the parapets. vThe corpses could be seen still gripping their rifles hold over the trendies. Then the intensity of the artillery lire was redoubled. Some of the prisoners state that the bombardment left the impression of anguish and stupefying fear. By noon we had exploded a chain ol mines close to the fort, annihilating the garrison. This caused a panic in the neighboring trenches, and was the signal • for our attack. The infantry poured into the trenches in three successive waves with fixed bayonets, but they fired not a single shot. Detachments of bomb-throwers accompanied them in the advance .Some carried small boxes fixed on wooden handles, filled with explosives.

Sappers accompanied the infantry, dragging a gangway, to enable the troops to cross the wide""trenches and so get behind to attack the enemy from the flank, crush them with grenades, or pin them to the earth with bayonets. This programme was carried detail by detail. The trenches were rapidly cleared. Many of the enemy took refuge in the subterranean shelters, which collapsed, asphyxiating them. On the Bth the Germans sought to recapture the position, and brought up the -whole of the St. Mihiel artillery. We had to repel eight attacks. Not an inch of ground remained unchurned by explosives. In this hell, under a hurricane of steel and iron, we held our own. There was no shelter whatever, our ttillcry having previously destroyed all the cover. In the afternoon a final attack was made by six companies or Germans. They were annihilated. They had no more fresh infantry, but still they had ammunition, and their artillery; hurled _ twenty-six thousand shells on the spur of Bois Dailly and our trenches. There was a continuous crash of thunder, and our losses were heavy. But the enemy's fire eventually dwindled and ceased, and left us in possession."

WOMEN AS BULLET SCREEN. GERMAN "BRAVERY." (Times and Sydney, Sun Services.) Received April 23, 6 p.m. London, April 23. An American correspondent in the French lines says: "Screams gave warning at one place of a German attack. . When the French advanced, the Germans shouted, 'Don't shoot; we have women with us.' The Germans had taken wo--1 men from the village and driven them ahead of the attack. The Frenc-i charged on the flank, rescued the women, and smashed the advance."

A NEW ZEALANDER KILLED. Received April 23, 11.40 p.m. London, April 23. Corporal Maurice Ballinson, a New Zealander, has been killed in France. GERMAN ATROCITIES.

NO OFFICIAL INFORMATION. OF REPORTED MUTILATIONS. Received April 23, 11.40 p.m. Melbourne, April 23. Replying to requests for information regarding certain Gorman atrocities, Mr. Fisher, the Federal Premier, stated that the Government has no evidence beyond that contained in the reports of the Belgian Commission, which discloses no de-' liberate practising of (imputations of Belgian children. Sir George Reid lias advised that the committee had no evidence of the mutilation of Belgian males by the Germans.

ALLIES' AIRMEN DO GREAT WORK. ENABLE HILL ViO TO BE TAKEN. Received April 24, 12.10 a.m. ondon, April 23. Allied airmen did valuable service in the fight at Hill (SO. Their skill and daring drove off or captured every enemy airman venturing near the Allies' lines, and five were brought down, enabling the preparations for the attack to be secretly, carried out.

A LURE THAT FAILED. London, April 22. "Eyewitness" states that Saxons in , the centre of the line stuck up the national flag over a mine, in the hope of luring our men to take it away at night. A better way was, however, found. The British hoisted the Union Jack and l downed the enemy's flag with shot from , a trench mortar. '_ "Eyewitness" at headquarters reports , that motor machine-guns did invaluable , service at Hill 00, where they were rushed to the front during the counter- ,' attack. - THE KAISER AT THE FRONT. 1 Geneva, April 22. i The Kaiser is visiting the front in Alsace.