IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1915, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

nearing the second line. ALLIES' SUCCESSES MAINTAINED. • Received Oct. 10, 3 p.m. Paris, Oct. 9. A communique states: There was an intense German bombardment at Loos, and a violent infantry attack followed, which was completely repulsed with heavy enemy losses. We have made marked progress in llie Champagne, and gained a footing on the work called ''The Trapeze," south-east of Tahure. We captured several trenches and two redoubts in front of the enemv's s ■cowl line.

THE NEW OFFENSIVE. WORK OF ARTILLERY. (Times and Sydney Sun Services.) Received Oct. 0, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 0. Colonel Repington says that the French are deserving of the heartiest congratulations for the capture of Tahure and the adjoining hill. The Germans thought Tahure invulnerable, and the much-vaunted second line has lost one of the strongest links. The statements that the Allies' offensive failed are rubbish, and were circulated to hearten the troops and create a political effect in neutral countries. The German headquarters is welcome to its extra dance in Serbia if it is indulged in at tire cost of success on the Russian and French fronts. The Franco-British artillery surpassed themselves in the last attacks. With their heavy guns and howitzers they are able to blast a way anywhere. Modern artillery is able to utterly ■ devastate a whole defended front and pave the way to a successful assault.

SIR JOHN FRENCH'S REPORT. COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. ALLIES PUSH FORWARD. Received Oct. 11, 12.5 a.m. London, Oct. 10. Sir John French reports:—"Since October 4 the enemy have constantly shelled our new trenches southwards of La Bassee Canal, and have made repeated bombing attacks on the southern portion of the Hohenzollern redoubt, which ia held by us. All the attacks were repulsed. Despite artillery fire, we pushed our trenches steadily forward northeastward of Loos, between Hill 70 and Hullock, and gained ground, varying from five hundred to a thousand yards in depth. The enemy on Friday afternoon heavily bombarded the whole area we recently won, and followed this by attacks in successive waves of infantry on the whole front from the southward of Loos to the Hohenzollern redoubt. This attack was everywhere repulsed with heavy losses to the tnemy. "We pained possession by a counterattack of a trench five hundred yards westward of Cite Saintelie. Great numbers of the enemy's dead are lying in front of our lines. Our losses were comparatively slight.

HILL 199. ATTEMPTS TO RECAPTURE BLOODILY REPULSED. Received Oct. 11, 12.5 a.m. •.Taris, Oct. JO. A communique states that the Germans renewed the attack on the trenches before Loos, but were driven back to their own trenches. We repulsed a counter-attack against Tahure Hill and dispersed concentrations indicating preparations for another attaok. The Germans tried to recapture Tahure Butte. Three terrific onslaughts of the most desperate character on Wednesday night were repulsd with enormous loss. Piles of dead lay outside the defence works. Prisoners state that the General Staff had ordered the recapture of Hill 199 at any cost. GAS DEVICE AN OLD SCHEME. Received Oct. 11, 12.5 a.m. Paris, Oct. 10.

The French in the Champagne district captured a machine for curing gas victims. Inscriptions showed that an earlier model was devised in 1910.

GAS AT LOOS. SOLDIER SAYS BRITISH USED IT. Received Oct. 11, 12.5 a.m. London, Oct. 10. A soldier's letter to the Cardiff Express states that in the recent battle the British who were attacked were worn out by their exertions, aiid a colonel ordered gas to be loosed to give the riflemen a chance. This was successful for a time, but owing to rain the fumes kept low and had not dispersed when the British attacked the quarry. They found that the shells had not penetrated the dug-outs, and swarms of Germans came out. The British fell back and more gas was loosed, and the British plunged in, taking the quarry, fifteen hundred men, and six cuna.