The Western Front.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 297, 25 May 1915, Page 5

The Western Front.

GERMANS CO BACK. (.SHORTER FRONT FORMED. RESULT OF ITALY'S ENTRY. BRUGES REPORTED EVACUATED. ALLIES MAKE PROGRESS. Received 24, 11.5 p.m. London, May 24. Telegrams from Holland and Paris agree that the "Germans are preparing to withdraw to a second line on a shorter front to release troops to act against Italy. It is reported that Bruges has been cvacutatcd. Paris, May 24. Official.—there is fighting at certain points north of Arras with extreme violence. Following the previous German defeat the British progressed east of Festubert. We carried a series of trenches north of Neuvillc and St Vaast, and reached fie cross roads north of the village. Northeast of Notre Dame Lorctte we advanced several metres and took some prisoners. Enemy aviators dropped bombs on the town of Chateauthiorry.

BRAVERY OF TERRITORIALS. LITTLE 'PICTURES OF BATTLE. Received May 25, 12.35 a.m. London, May 24. Correspondents visiting Ypres eulogise the gallantry of the Territorials. The flth Argyle's held trenches despite nine hundred eight-inch shells falling in the trenches. The London Rifle Brigade did wonders on the night of the 13th. Sergeant Belcher and six men held a trench which was blown to pieces and they repulsed a German attack by means of rapid rifle lire, and a heroic piece ot bluff, which saved the flank of the 4th Division. Captain Raillston, of the 2nd Rifle Brigade, though wounded, similarly bluffed the Germans, who believed the trenches were held by a force, though he had only three men with him. A battalion of Suffolks and regulars came out of an action a dozen strong. Durham and Northumberland Territorials, many of whom had never seen a shot fired in battle, faced the devilry of poison gases and afterwards fought 'with great spirit.

WORK OF THE FRENCH. THE EXEMY DRIVEN HACK. BRITISH USE THU BAYONET EFFECTIVELY. Paris, May 23. An aeroplane dropped three bombs in Paris, without doing damage. It was driven off. A communique states: We repulsed several attacks last night north of Ypres, east of the Y'ser Canal, north-east and south-east of the plateau of Lorette, and in the village cemetery of Xcuville, and inflicted very heavy losses. The enemy gained a footing in our advanced trench at Neuville, but were driven out, leaving many prisoners. The enemy exploded many mines. In the Argonne strong forces attempted to occupy craters, but our infantry, under a storm of bomb* and grenades, threw them back to the original line, inflicting licavy losses.

London, May 23. A French official note, reviewing th: fighting from April 24 till .May IS, states that the operations resulted in the complete driving hade of the enemy). •'Eye-witness" describes th.' driving out of the Germans from entrenchments in the area between the. Richcbourg anil Fostubort salients. The llritishers pressed on them upon three sides and subjected tliem to a crossfire from several directions and a continuous bombing.! The position became untenable and over three hundred surrendered. The firitish joined hands and pressed the enemy further eastward, forcing th.'iu from one post after, another. Entire groups surrendered. .Meanwhile the Britishers in the front of Fcstubcrt progressed to a point south of that place, where they met with a strong resistance. A series of desperate hand-to-hand combats with the bayonet and hand grenades followed. As the Germans were outflanked and enfiladed at many points their losses; were very heavy. There was no room to escape from the narrow trenches, and it was either death or surrender, It was a horrible sight to see trendies heaped with German corpses, many of which were blown to pieces by the initial bombardment. The Germans, on the extreme right were pre-so'l 'jack in such large numbers that they formed an excellent target for our machine-guns posted north of Givenchy. which did great execution bv night. In all we held the whole front of trenches from Kestubert to liiclic':ourg. Anion;.; (he strongest spectacles of'the war is the masses of Faxons who surrender, sending amid the dead and dying with hinds: raise:!, and being butchered by their own coinriv'e- b-'ffire the Britishers' eyes.