WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

SUCCESSFUL BRITISH WORK. ON POTTI BAMS OF THE ANCRE. MILE AND A HALF ADVANCE. OTHER POSITIONS CAPTURED. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received Feb. IS, 11.50 p.m. London, Feb. 18. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Jlaig reports: Successful operations on both banks of the Ancre progressed considerably. We. attacked southward of the river and captured positions on a front of one and a half miles opposite the villages of Miraumont and Petit Miraumont. We penetrated, over a thousand yards and advanced our zone within a few hundred yards ol Petit Miraumont. We captured, northward of the river, an important position on the upper slopes of a spar northwards of Baillescourfc farm, on a thousand yards front. We successfully repulsed a eounter-at-tack, in which the enemy's losses were heavy. We made raids southwards of Neuve Chapelle and north-east of Ploegsteert, and reached the second line. At 'the latter a largo number of the enemy were killed and many dugouts destroyed. We repulsed hostile parties westward of our lilies eastward of Givenchy. NAVAL AEROPLANES AT WORK BRUGES HARBOR ROMBE7D. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received Feb. IS, 1.1.45 p.m. London, Feb. 18. The Admiralty reports that naval aeroplanes yesterday effectively bombed the Ghistelles aerodrome, also Bruges harbor and shipping. OFFICIAL REPORTS. STRONG- ARTILLE/RY WORK. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received Feb. 18, 11.45 p.m. London, Feb. 18. A French official report states ithat there has been intermittent artillerying on most of the front, especially in the direction of Ribccourt. A German evening official report states that there has been strong artillerying on the Ancre during the forenoon, and that fresh infantry engagements have developed. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED. GREAT AIR FIGHTS. A. '&' N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received Feb. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, Fob. 17. We made a successful raid southward of Soucbez. An enemy party reached our line north-east of Armentieres, but was immediately driven out. In air fights on Thursday nine German machines were brought down, and four English machines are missing. A French communique reports that several successful rftjds were carried out at Berry au Bao and Argonne. There was an active artillery duel west of Missons de Champagne, Lourmont, the Vosges, and south of Col St. Marie, in Alsace. One of our detachments penetrated and wrecked a salient at Amertzwiller. THE GERMAN VERSION. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. Received Feb. 18, 5.5 p.m. London, Feb. 17. A German official mesage states: We repulsed a strong English attack southward of Maraumont. French' advances westward of Berry au Bae and southward of Riport failed. Our aeroplanes bombed important establishments behind the front and blew up ammunition dumps on the Somme.