WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

FURTHER BRITISH PROGRESS, ENEMY FORCES DISPERSED. FRENCH ACTIVITY. ENEMY ORGANISATION WRECKED. Aust. and N.Z. Cable Assn and Renter. Received March 7, 10.45 p.m. London, March 7. Field Marshal Sir Douglas llaig reports: We further progressed northwest of Irles and northward of Puisieuxau Mont. We raided trenches eastward of 'Bouchavesnes, and, later, our artillery dispersed the enemy, who was massing for counter-attacks on the trenches recently captured there. A French communique states: Between the Oise and the Aisne our destructive fire wrecked enemy organisation north-west of Moulin-sous-Tous Vents. We demolished casemates and dug-outs north of Autrtches. Violent artillery actions took place north of the Meuse, along the Chamhrette Bezonvaux front. There was no infantry work.

GERMANISING FLANDERS. TRAITOROUS DEPUTATION DENOUNCED. Received March 7. 8.40 p.m. Amsterdam, March 0. Prominent Flemish political leaders in Holland have repudiated the traitorous deputation to Heir von BethmannHolhveg. They declare that when Flat, ders became free, the so-called Council of Flanders ceased to exist. Dependence on Germany would be equivalent to loss of language as well as economic and hereditary freedom. The Berlin declaration would merely unify closer the Belgians and- Flemish'.

SNOW DELAYS WITHDRAWAL. BRITISH STILL ADVANCING. London, March 0. Renter's correspondent at headquarters states that several inches of snow have fallen on the battlefields, delaying the German withdrawal and our forward movement, though the former is worse affected. It appears that the German line between Puissieux-au-Mont and Le Transloy has accomplished the first stage of the withdrawal and is resting along a spur of the Bapaume Ridge temporarily. North-west of this the Germans are still withdrawing. Our troops everywhere are ioi!ov;ir,g up. The reports of advance parties show that the enemy movement north-east of Gommecourt had extended very considerably in the 2-1 hours preceding the snowfall. Later a heavy thaw set in.

Le Petit Parisien states that the obstinate struggle for the Bucquoy salient has turned to the advantage of the British, who have crossed the Gommo-court-Puissioux road at several places and stormed the Rossignol Wood, a rectangular area 400 yards long, and reached the outskirts of Les EssartsBucquoy. They are also within a few yards of Hill 154. The evacuation of the salient is expected. Further south the British are occupying the Mallasise Spur, outflanking St, Pierre Vaast Wood, which has been the scene of sanguinary actions. The British are closing on Moislans, opening the road across the Nord Canal to Mont St. Quentiu, which dominates 'Peronne; The British are fighting with great vigor.

A French communique states:—We have recovered our old line, and our counter-attacks smashed German attempts to drive us from the positions in the trenches we recaptured yesterday north of Canrieres' Wood. A French airman 'bombed the railway station and military establishments at Fribourg-in-Brisgnn, and mills at Kohl, near Strassburg. We also dropped three tons of bombs on the aerodrome at Varonn-in-Oise, seriously damaging the sheds. London, March 6. The Admiralty reports that naval aeroplanes on March 4 dropped many heavy bombs on the blast furnaces at Brebach. ' A FORCED RETREAT. Paris, March 6. French military critics considei there is a tendency in England to exaggerate the voluntary nature of the German retreat. They declare that the Germans have been forced from their positions by guns and men. La Liberte states that a fierce battle raged for 48 hours between Gommecourt and Irlcs. The Germans resisted desperately, but without avail. The paper adds that the German resistance increases daily and is marked by a series of violent artillery and infantry engagements. Tfce British, with superb dash, drove out the Germans, gho continue a harsh and slow retreat.