WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 December 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

MUTUAL TRENCH RAIDS. SNEMY PROMPTLY EJECTED. AVIATORS' GOOD WORK, P>eceivcd Dec. 22, 11..10 p.m. London, Dee. 22. General Sir Douglas Haig reports:—A strong raiding partry yesternight approached us opposite' Lena. Some entered the trencehs, but were promptly ejected. We successfully raided the tienches southward of Armentier»s Our aeroplanes dropped a ton >f exp.osives at points of military importance behind the enemy's lines. LIVELY ARTILLERY WORK. Received Dec. 23, 1.45 a.m. I Paris, Dec. 22. , A communique states:—The enemy violently bombarded the seeto. Louvemont'Vaux. We replied. In the course of other artillerying we destroyed gas apparatus between Beniy-au-bac and RUeims. NEVILLE'S CHIEF OF STAFF. Received Dec. 22, 11.15 p.m. Paris, Do-;. 22. General Neville has appointed General Pont as Chief of his Staff. AVIATORS AT WORK. London, Dec. 21. A French communique says:—lt is calm on the whole West front. Our aeroplanes heavily bombed several railways, also hutments, bivouacs, and convoys on the march. REVIEW OF SOMME OFFENSIVE. Paris, Dec. 21. General de ia Croix, analysing the results of the Sorame offensive upon the Verdun situation, says that in June the position was serious. The Germans had 22 divisions and OOC battalions in action and 12 divisions in reserve. The Franco-British offensive by July 9 compelled eleven of the reserve divisions to be engaged on the Somme, and finally the Germans were obliged to detach units from all the calmer sections of the front. During July the Crown Prince was compelled to give up 100 batteries, and during August to give up part of his infantry and aeroplanes. Only 18% divisions were left in October, when another hundred batteries were taken. BUTCHERING THE BELGIANS. Paris, Dae. 21. One hundred and twenty Belgians were eourt-martialled on charges of espionage. Twenty were sentenced to death, and eleven have already been executed. MORE DEPORTATIONS. j Amsterdam, Doc. 21. live hundred people have been deported from Luxembourg to Germany. The Government is protesting.