The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 318, 18 June 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

SPIRITED BRiTISH ADVANCE. CHECKED BY MACHINE-GUNS. HEAVY FIGHTING IMMINENT. Received June is, 1.05 a .m. London, Jll iii- 17, -Ihe Daily .Mail s Rotterdam correspondent -says that German machine-guns checked a spirited Jlritish advance near La Bassee. Rotterdam, June IT. There was a sever 1 engagement. after a heavy artillery action, on the Fe-on-Dixmude and Ramscapelle-Dixpurt front. J-resh German corps are .still arriving. There wa.s an engagement southward of "i pres. Mean- fighting is imminent. A groat number of German wounded in the \ icinity of Dixninde have been eonveved to llruges. GERMANS EVACUATE TRENCHES. PROdiiESS OF THE BELGIANS. Received dime IS, 12.25 a.m. Havre, .June 17. A Belgian official report says: Wo gained a footing on the western border of the grounds of a chateaux; at Boine. On the Dixmude-Wounicn road the enemy precipitately evacuated its trenches, abandoning its dead. BRITISH OCCUPY TRENCHES. SOME LOST; OTHERS HELD. Received June 17, 5 p.m. London, June lti. \Sir John French reports: Yesterday evening we captured a mile of the first line ot trendies east of Festiibert, Imt failed to hold them during tin: night ngainst strong counter-attacks. U'e successfully attacked the German position north of Hooge early on Wednesday. and occupied the fiist line of trenches on a front of a thousand yards, and also 'part of the second line. One hundred and fifty-seven prisoners were counted by noon. A German counterattack was repulsed with heavy loss. Paris, June lli. The French are equipping their infantry with light steei helmets resembling antique men ia arms, and also head pieces. They offer some protection against spent shell fragments and bullets. THE FRENCH GAIN GROUND. SHELLS HIT RHEIMS CATHEDRAL. BOMBS 'ON FRENCH TOWNS. Received June 17, 7.20 p.m. Paris, Juno 17. Official: We have gained ground at various points, notably, east of Lorettc and south-west of Souchez. We captured in the labyrinth three hundred prisoners and machine-guns. At Quciiir;viere, after repulsing several counterattacks, we extended our gains northwestward and captured :i hundred prisoners. The enemy threw three hundred shells on Rheims, some incendiary. A dozen projectiles hit the Cathedral. 'We made important progress along the Yosges, and carried Brannkop, on the northern bank of the llaute-jech, taking three, hundred prisoners, including four officers, many rifles and half a million cartridges. On Tuesday some bombs were dropped at St. Die, I'eifort, and Nancy. Some civilians were wounded. GERMANS WASTE AMMUNITION. GERMAN LETTERS. Paris, June Hi. A communique states that tile British, during the daytime on the loth, captured a line of trenches west oi La JSassee. A German airship was forced to alight in the French lines at Noroy-sur-Uurcq, east of La Eerie Miton. The aviators were imprisoned. Amsterdam, June Hi. The execution of eight Liege citizens for alleged espionage ha- produced intense anger. Twenty others are still imprisoned, and there is great anxiety as to their fate. Some relief has been afforded by a telegram from the Kaiser, exhibited alongside the list of executed, ■stating that ift \future fcvery count ■ martial and death sentence must have the Kaiser's sanction. Paris, June 10. German longe-range guns, from a distance of fifteen miles, shelled the Compeigne Forest, hut did no harm except making holes thirty ieet deep in the forest. London, June 10. A German letter intended for the British was thrown into the Ypres canal, beginning: •'Our victorious ends have been 'accomplished. The Serbs want peace with the Austrian.-*, ami Russia is ready, to make peace, as her interests in the Balkans are threatened by Italy's declaration. Russia is tired of the great loss in Galicia. Britons, don't you fear the end':'' A letter found on a German at Anas from "Gretchen" said: "Don't send any more English to Germany, as Lhcy arc not worth feeding. Kill them all." TO INVADE GERMANY BY SEA. IMMENSE EXPEDITION" FORECASTED. Anonymously, but supported -by the character and responsibility of those liivoig the statements (-a'vs the New ini l.' jie |p,Ts, regarding in v. - brought by file Lu-itania on her cut trip which 11 1,, i- l;lst. tile slii|i brought over the iOi'ei,-a-t of the reported coming invasion of ilerniiin -oil by the liritish. According to one of the passenger-, tli ' propo-cd attack Corumii territory and the pouring in oi hundreds of ilM>i!-:iii.l, of )!-,<■(! i - to be made by ! the combined fui'os of I lie na\\. I.»r I j Kitchener s recruit.-, and a stcadiiuu ' and siipi.ort'ng body of seasoned J!nli ish regular-. ••"j iiis coming expedition to Oci'ui.ne, . (h- attacks to be made simultaneous];, upon the -liorc.- adjacent to the F.a-t !"ri-i;in end South Erisian Islands." sags i tin- personal lurralor of the loutish ' War Council's ph)n. "will embrace barge land supply ship.-, cavaby irae-porl and ; a. fleet oi old merchant hulk;. plugged I \v:f>! Stem-- and junk. |.. In- sunt, in t!» Kiel Canal, a la lloli-on at Santiago. "Tile junk fl-et. which has been a--enibb-d quietly at Hartlepool, i-. in •••mi manil of Captain Haddock, formerly o the Olympic. , "Secret Service men have aseertainc 1 the location of the German minefield in Hi- Xovth Sea, and every Rrift-h ves

sel will lie provided with a wise pilot who known where lie is. "The l>a e ill' thin expedition is ScotI land, and this is the reason that Howl onlv a tin v hit ot t!ie 11 iirlihiml country and I hi' northern shores oi* (ireat Britain is open to travellers, "l.ie assemhhiee of tile attackim; fleet and transports lias h.rii kept a secret, while merchant vessels have been warned off, so in not to learn ol tile scheme. "For the. coining invasion the Xorth Sea lias heeii closed In- t!ie (loi'ei'nnlent to commerce, as it will he rei|iiivvd for space in which (he movement and the ensuin;; naval battles arc to he conducted. "Lord Kitchener and the Admiralty working together are determining with this great scientific .and timely aggression upon the Herman Ihupire itself to cam] the. war home and give the Kaiser and Admiral von TirpiU something to think of 1 n'-iili's merely the western nnd the eastern fronts and the torpedoing ot l<riti>h, Norwegian, and Dutch merchantmen. ''Not onlv are idlip-; ami soldiers to take. part in !!)'■ a->au!t upon German t-rrifnn. brt airships and aeroplanes also, the littler under the direction of the Royal Flying Corps the flyer* of the army and navy both participating. It pvomis.es to lie the biggest invasion of invasions.'' Amount tlie was tin* wireless telegraph inventor, who is hero to make a tour of inspection of bis stations and to help fig.it the suit ot the Marconi Wireless Telegratih Company of .America against the Atlantic Communication Company, a subsidiary of the Tclefiinkeu Company. Mr. Marconi said that all the Italian warships are now supplied with wireless telephone equipment that cnahhs them to communicate for a distance of 100 | miles'.