WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

BRITISH STILL ADVANCING. DETAILS OF FIGHTING. London, Fob. 28. _Mr Philip Gibbs, telegraphing on the 27th, says the troops am still advancing al! along the line to positions from which the enemy is withdrawing. They are meeting with resistance here and there from bodies of men left behind with machine-guns in order to delay the pursuit. Their outposts are fighting in the neighbourhood of the Vanx Wood, Rossignol Wood, and east of Gommecourt. The enemy's guns put over a shrapnel barrage, but did not succeed in checking our men long. We captured ground north of Puisieux. Thus far Puisieux' has not been heavily bombarded, and many of the ruined house?, still stand, forming good cover for the enemy's machine guns. Apparently he is determined to sell the place as dearly as possible. Early on the 27 th a party of British established themselves securely in a corner of the village, and are now routing out the hornets' nest from Puisieux. Thence our line is thrust out far Tieyond Miraumont, and Beuregard Dovecot. The enemy, before retiring, built obstacles. The wire entanglements in some places are thick and unbroken, particularly in the trenches south of Loupart Wood. In one case ihe outposts found belts of wire twelve feet thick, and German gunners hidden on the other side. Heavy explosions have been heard in the direction of Bapamne, where there is great destruction in order to hamper our entry. THE BRITISH ADVANCE. CREATES UNEASINESS IN GERMANY, REGARDED AS A BAD OMEN. I Received March 1,-5.30 p.m. Amsterdam, February 28. There is uneasiness in Germany over the British advance at the Ancre. Newspapers are now allowed to comment on the German retreat, which informed circles consider a bad omen for the coming offensive. ANOTHER 1000 YARDS ADVANCE GOMMECOURT bCOUP'IF.T). SECOND LINE REACHEi;. Received March 1, 7.15 p.m. London, February 2S. Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig reports:—This morning we captured a portion of the trench north-east of Sailly Saillisel, and occupied Gommecourt. We captured the villages of Thilloy and Pusseux-au-Mont, with the trench systems adjoining, and pushed our line 1000 yards north-east of Gommecourt. During a raid in the neighborhood of Clery we reached the second line, and also entered positions r.orth-east of Arras and south-west and westward of ljens. We repulsed a raid north-east of Armentieres. FRANCO-BRITISH CONFERENCE. PREMIERS AND MILITARY CHIEFS PRESENT. Renter Servicef , Received March 1, 7 p.m. Paris, February 28. Official.—A Franco-British conference is being held at Calais, attended by M. Briand, Premier of France, Genera] Lyantay, Minister of War, General Nivdle, Mr. Lloyd George, British Premier, General Robertson, Chief of Staff, and Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. _ v BELGIAN DEPORTATIONS. GREATEST HORROR OF WAR. New York, Feb. 28. The New York Times' Bordeaux correspondent interviewed an American 'Consul .who returned with 'Mr Gerard. The Consul made a most significant statement that the Belgian deportations were the greatest horror of the war. When the real reasons of the deportations was known, which was not the case now, the whole world would shudder with horror. GERMANS ABANDON DEPORTATIONS. London, Feb, 28. The , Times' Maastricht correspondent eays that the Germans are abandoning deportations from Belgium because, despite the increases of tortures, 00 per cent, of the deported men refuse to work GERMANS BLOW UP THEIR C\UNS. Paris, Feb. 28. The Petit Journal states that the retreating Germans blew up a number of large calibre guns. The fact that the Germans abandoned strong positions and have stopped on a mediocre line indicates that- it was a forced retreat and not a strategic operation. SPECULATION ON ENEMY MOVEMENTS. London, Feb. 28. Some French experts anticipate '& strong German resistance west of Bapaume; others a retirement to the Ar-ras-Cambrai line, after a delaying battle in the Bapaume section. The Matin states that the enemy is established along a new line on the hills west and south-west, of Bapaume, and blew up a number of heavy guns during the retreat. A GARBLED GERMAN REPORT. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Wireless, per Admiralty Press. Received March 1, 7 p.m. London, February 28. German offlcial.—The British were repulsed between Le Transloy and Sailly. Righting continues at two points' of ou»