WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

A TREMENDOUS DRAMA. CURTAIN ABOUT TO ASCEND. INTENSIFIED FRIGHTFULNESS Received March 10, 7 p.m. London, March 9. Renter's correspondent at French headquarters states there are signs of spring everywhere. Soon the curtain will ascend upon a tremendous drama. According to the German-American correspondents remaining in Berlin, the Germans are depending upon a long spell of bad weather preventing operations before April. Correspondents also make great play of the intensified frightfuhicss, including terrific mortars, throwing bombs lt> inches in girth, besides, larger and more systematized use of poison gas and liquid fire, not to speak of an immense increase in machine-guns, automatic rifles, and grenade rifles. Where barbed wire defences formerly v/ere five yards deep they will now be a hundred. The . retirement pf the enemy continues more slowly, but appearances may be deceitful. Anyhow, the British higher command accurately knows what the Germans are doing, and is making plans accordingly. BRILLIANT FRENCH ATTACK. ENEMY POSITIONS GAINED. Received March 10, 5.5 p.m. Paris, March p. A.French communique states: Onr attack yesterday between the Butte du Mesnil and Maison de Champagne was brilliantly successful. Despite snowstorms, rendering marching difficult, we carried enemy positions on a front of fifteen hundred metres, with a depth of six hundred to eight hundred metres. A violent German counter-attack was made on the left of the sector in the evening, but was repulsed with grenaded, after an obstinate struggle, with serious enemy losses. Two enemy attempts on the trends at Avocourt Wood failed under our fire. FRENCH SUCCESSES. DESPITE SNOW AND FOG. Australian Cable Association Received March 11, 5.5 p.m. London, March 10. Accounts of the French success in the Champagne Bhow that the Frenwi equanimity at the German capture in mid-February was fully - justified. All the weather conditions on Thursday were unfavorable, there being several inches of snow on the ground. Aeroplanes were useless, owing to the fog, yet the attack progressed exactly according to programme—the usual methodical bombardment, then a steady advance of infantry close behind the advancing barrage. It is true that some, lost ground was not recovered, but it was not wanted. The infantry was asked to take certain trenches and important posts, and they took all. OBSTINATE FIGHTING. FRENCH BEAT BACK. ENEMY. THIRD GERMAN TRENCHES PENETRATED. Received March 11, 5.5 p.m. London, March 10. A Freneh communique -states: In the Champagne there was all night obstinate fighting between the Butte, du Mesnil and Maison de Champagne. The Germans made several attempts to recapture the trenches we took in the west of that sector, but, after alternate advances and retirements, we finally beat back the enemy. We made some progress on the right of the sector. Our fire smashed German attacks. We maintained all onr positions on the right bank of the Meuse. The Germans again attacked the trenches retaken by us north of Caurieres Wood. Our immediate counter-attacks drove out the enemy. We carried out several coups-de main south of Avre, notably at Armancourt, where our detachment penetrated the third German trench. ENEMY ATTACKS ON BRITISH. THE COMPLIMENT RETURNED. r -, ' FRENCH SUCCESSES. ENEMY EFFORTS SHATTERED. Received March 11, 5.5 p.m. London, March 10. Field-Marslial Sir Douglas Haig reports: Yesterday evening the enemy launched five raids on our trenches northward of Wulverghem, and they reattacked with four parties this morning, but only one party in each case reached the trenches. The enemy left some prisoners.

We raided the first line south of Biaehes, damaged dugouts and inflicted many casualties. A French official message states: We entered and wrecked enemy trenches at several points south of Eoye. The enemy thrice furiously countrr-attaeked the positions we captured yesterday on the sector Maison de Champagne, but our curtain of maxim lire- everywhere shattered the efforts of the enemy, who was obliged to retire, leaving numerous deaa. Wo captured fresh trenches north of ( the Butte du Mesnil and Maison de Clampagne road. ■ '