The Western Front.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 306, 4 June 1915, Page 5

The Western Front.

BRITISH GRENADE WORK. GERMANS IN KIIAKI. HAVE A HOT TIME. RESUME OF GERMAN OPERATIONS. Received June 3, 7.30 p.m. London, June 3. "Eyewitness" states that tho British hold their own well in hand-grenade warfare. German prisoners testify to the heavy losses the enemy have sustained recently in this way. Some pretty combined work east of Ypres was carried out by our howitzers and machine-guns co-operating. A party of fifty Germans, clad in khaki, entered the stables of the Chateau of Honigs, near Menin, on the high road. Machineguns were trained on the doorway, and the howitzers shelled the building and drove out-the enemy, who were met by a storm of lead from the machine-guns, Twenty-seven Germans fell. An official resume of the German operations around Ypres from April 22nd to May 4th is published in German papers, and' disclosed the enemy's motive for attacking. The Germans" intended to exploit an unfavorable tactical situation wherein the Allies were placed by holding a pronounced salient. The mission of the eneiny forces east- and south-east of Ypres was to hold us in that quarter while a decisive effort was made from the north to throw the Allies beyond the Yscr in order to restore the German front, straighten their line, and reduce it. Part of Belgium is still held by the Allies. Germans pay a tribute to British gallantry, notably their defence about Grafenstal on May 3. The account does not mention the use of gas, probably because it was not desired to publicly confess recourse to such methods. FIGHTING AT YPRES. GAS CAUSES HEAVY CASUALTIES, WOUNDED KILLED BY GERMANS. Received June 3, 11.30 p.m. London, June 3. An officer of the medical corps eastward of Ypres, writing on 'May 24, says the Guards charged through the gas and took the German trenches. Their casualties were very severe, the men being compelled to bolt. In most cases the ■wounded lay} in the trenches, their comrades being unable to pull them out. The Germans shot and bayonetted the wounded. The battle was terrific, the British being slaughtered wholesale through tho gases. As soon as the gas reaches the trench the Germans rush, in with the bayonet or shoot the men. STEADY PROGRESS. ' .BLASTING THE WAY THROUGH. ENEMY'S TRENCH WORK

RENDERED USELESS. Received June 4, 12.40 a.m. Paris, June 3. Official: After many months' sapping at the Carency sector, 1J furnaces, each containing three hundred kilogrammes of explosives, were pushed under the German lines. On May Mfcli, during a • heavy bombardment, we exploded the ' 'seventeen furnaces simultaneously. Almost all the barbed-wire entanglements, chevreux and defrise wen; destroyed, .and trenches were filled. Bomb-throwers 'wrecked t'.ie enemy's communications, which were broken. Many Germans were 'obliged to surrender. All the enemy's subterranean works and furnaces were rendered useless. Seventy 'Germans were captured in one gallery and others (lied of suffocation. The operation contributed to our success in the Lorette-Carency-Neuville sector. BRITISH BAYONET WORK. FURTHER GROUND GAINED. Received June 4, 12.30 a.m. Paris, June 3. Official: The British carried Chateau Hooge at the ibayonet point. We gained Ifurther grourld in ttlie labyrinth. Our division between May 9 and June 1, near Carency, Ablain, St. Nazaire and Souchez, took 3100 prisoners, including 04 officers ,and buried 2GOO German corpses. Our losses were 3200, whereof two-thirds were slightly wounded. RHEIMS BOMBARDED. Paris, June 2. The Germans twice bombarded Rheims, particularly the cathedral.. A'FRENCH SUCCESS. Paris, June 2. A communique states that the French have t'iken a group of houses at Neuville, which they held despite many counter, attacks. Over 450 prisoners have been taken since Monday.