GERMAN ARTILLERY.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1916, Page 5

GERMAN ARTILLERY.

JJLIXD AND STL'MBLI.VG EFFORTS. SHti'.LS DROPPED AT RAXDOM. 'Renter Service. Received Oct. 23, fij-ifi p.m. London, Oct. 24. Renter's correspondent at French headquarters testifies to tlie ntter blindness of tlic German artillery at Sailly-iNullisel, whereat, the French artillery assisted the heavy British howitzers and, helped bv the airmen, perfectly eo-oporated with the infantry. The Germans were only able, to maintain a singularly inefi'ectivc barrage of fire. German gunners literally groped their way around the. battlefield, dropping their heavy shells at random. They had not the slightest cll'ect in stopping the arrival of the French supplies. The stumbling efforts of the Germans to find the Franco-British batteries which were pounding the ground behind the German lines, were equalv futile. They had a vague idea of their whereabouts, but never got near. A typical example was the way in which they poured sheila into Combles, where there wa» nothing, while not far away in another direction were two batteries of British howitzers, which fired away unmolested, against registered targets. '

ITALY'S PART,

INTERNED ITALIANS RELEASED. Received Oct. it, 5.45 ..m. Rome, Oct. 22. The Germans are releasing ten thousand Italians, mainly women, children, invalids and old men, from the concentration camps, owing to food difficulties. NEW POSITIONS STRENGTHENED. Received Oct. 23, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 22. An Italian communique states: Rain and snowfalls are interfering with our operations. We are strengthening our new positions.