The Western Front

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1915, Page 5

The Western Front

BOMBARDMENTS CONTINUE. AREAS AGAIN SUFFERS. RAID BY FLYING CORPS. Received July 13, 10.30 p.m. Paris, .fuly ).">. Official: Tin' enemy bombarded Furn:s and Hast Dunkirk, and we fired, by way of reprisal, mi the Gorman cantonmenis at Middelkerkc. Tiit Germans twice vainly attempted to leave their trenches near Souchez. '! lie. cannonade at Arras is continuous, riid the cathedral epiarter lias particularly suircrcd. Three civilians were killed. We attacked and gained a footing in the (ierman trenches west of the forest of Argonuc, crossed the Kervon road, an 1 secured a little wood called Beam-in Wood, between Marie Therose and Hautchvaiiches. Our flying corps effected great destruction at l.ihereourt station, a military junction between Douai and Lille, twenty aeroplanes dropping forty shells on the buildings and lines. Gun aeroplanes accompanying the squadron bombarded a stationary train between the two stations and compelled a German ■"albatross" to 'descend.

I A BOLD BRITISH SCHEME. FLEET OF TEX THOUSAND -VERMPLANES. FOR iBOMiBARDIXC GERMAN WORKS. Received July 10, 0.30 a.m. London, July 13. A number of aeronautical men have launched a movement for the creation of a Ministry of aviation, and the building of a fleet of ten thousand aeroplanes to deluge with bombs the German ammunition works and supply routes. Desbelds, lecturer on aeronautics at Woolivicli Academy, is the leader of the campaign, and is supported by many experts. The plan is to organise public sentiment that England's salvation can come through the air. They propose to bat! ir down the Rhine bridge and make daily air raids in connection with the trench warfare in France. Desbelds says they could send one thousand aeroplanes, each carrying five bombs, over Krupp's munition works at Essen, and would paralyse the German armies. They could also destroy nine bridges over the River Heme, by which supplies are transported. "If we can smash Krupp's works," says Desbelds, we cam hamstring Germany. We want aeroplanes going into and coming from Germany like ants. It wants a daily service to bring destruction to Germany."

OUR STRENGTH IN THE FIELD. Received July 10,0.30 a.m. London, July 15. In the' House of Lords the Marquess of Lansdowne stated that there are between twenty-two and twenty-three British divisions in France and Belgium. A GERMAN DISPATCH. Received July 15, 5.5 p.m. Berlin, July 14. A communique states: We captured the French trenches on a front of a thousand metres north-east of Viennlc Chateau, taking 137 prisoners. We stormed a position on a height southwest of Bourneuillcs, on a front of three kilometres and a depth of one kilometre. La Filleinorte, known cs Height 285, is now in our possession. We took prisoner 2581 nnwounded French, and 300 or 400 wounded, and captured ten guns. Our troops advanced into the position, and held the French artillery, putting eight guns out of action, which are now between the German and French lines.

FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT,

Paris, Julv 14. A communique states After the bombardment of the Anglo-French lines Yesterday, tlie Germans attacked the trenches south-west of Pilke-n, captured by the British on the night of. the sth, eastward of the canal, but were easily repulsed. There were several grenade combats from trench to trench during the night forward of Chateau Carleul and the Labyrinth. There was mine fighting westward of Pcronne, also near Perthes. Other German attacKsJ concentrated, in the region between Marie Threse and Haute Chevauihee, -were definitely cheeked^.