IN THE WEST.

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1916, Page 5

IN THE WEST.

DAILY WANING. (VICTORY NOT NOW EXPECTED. ~ . „ Paris, March Iff. semi-ofiieiul: The latest fighting in the Verdun region has shown that the enemy's ardor i fl daily -waning and his confidence in victory increasingly shaken. Jt is now foreseen that the successive bursts will gradually ease off, because the enemy is destined to be broken against the f#rtrcss. BOMBING EXPEDITIONS. A BIG AIR BATTLE. Paris, March 19. A eonuminique says: Tha enemy nude a uirly lively attack on our front be* tween Vaux and Damloup, but was hurled back by our curtain of fire. A FreHch aeroplane brought' down a German machine in flames in our lines near Motzeville, Five double-motored aeroplanes dropped twenty heavy bombs on Metz station, ten on the inanition depot at Chateau Salins, and the-aero-drome at Dienze. Aeroplanes dropped 72 bomb* on the aviation groutid at Hapeheim and Mnlhonse goods station. 1 An aerial battle followed, one French and one German aeroplane bringing each other down with machine-gunß. Two German machines fell in flames and three of ours wer 0 seriously damaged and forced to alight in enemy territory. OFFICIAL FROM GERMANY. SUCCESSES ON LAND AND IN AIR. Received March 20, 9.35 p.m. Amsterdam, March 10. A German communique says: Northeast of Verniilles, after artillery preparation, we recaptured the small British gains during the fighting of March 2. Tlie majority of the British were buried in the flattened trenches, and we captured thirty survivors. A.British counter-attack failed. Heavy British artillery re-bombarded Lens and the right bank of the Meuse, and artillery activity temporarily increased with considerable violence. Hand-to-hand fighting developed ,in several places southward of Fort Doiiaunioni and westward of Vaux and still continues. We drove out the French from their positions at Chiaville, north-eastward of Ravonvillers, and after destroying the French dugouts we returned to our positions. Our aeroplanes bombed the railway buildings on the Clermont-Verdun line, and the Espinal-Lurevesoul line. The air attack at Metz wounded three civilians, and we shot down four French aeroplanes in an air battle while they «ere raiding Mulhausen and Habshedi. Twenty civilians were killed. HOHENZOLLERN REDOUBT. ENEMY REGAIN A FOOTING. Received March 20,' 11.25 p.m. London, March 20. General Sir Douglas Haig reports that the enemy, by exploding mines, re-cap-tured three craters of the Hohenzollern Redoubt. There have been many air combats, and we downed two enemy machines. GERMAN DODGES. Paris, March 19. Le Journal says that Germans in America recently put tiny steel spikes in oats shipped to France in order to perforate horses' insides. Now they are putting small steel hooks with double prongs in preserves intended for French troops.