WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

ADVANCE IMPEDED. BY HEAVY SNOWSTORMS. Received March 23, 11 p.m. ' London, March 23. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: Tlio enemy's resistance is increasing along the whole front westward of St. Qiientin tA southward of Amis. Heavy snowstorms impede our advance. A French communique states:—ln the region of St. Quentin there have been ]:itrol skirmishes. North m' Dollon, between the Somme and the Oise, the enemy attempted violent cocuiter-at-tneks in order to dislodge n<.

On tlio east bank of St. Quentin Canal there were successive enemy attacks. The front of Clastres-Montcscourt v.us broken by our inacbmc-gun fire, inflicting heavy losses upon the Hermans. Equally violent fighting west of Latere terminated in the .complete defeat of the enemv.

VIGOROUS FIGHTING. { -ITCRMANS ENFILADED. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. Received March 23, 11.30 p.m. London. March 23. A Trench communique states:—South of thp Oise our detachments crossed the Aiiette at some points. Tlie German's nortii of thp Aisne renewed their attempts between the Laon road and ithe river. Three attviek? on the Yrpirnv-Chiveers lane were, stopped by our barrage fire. Our artillery in the region south of thp Aisne enfiladed the Germans, inflicting the heaviest losses. There was fairly heavy artillery in» in the Woevre. The enemy attempt upon Raiuainvilh; farm, near St. Mihiel. failed. SYSTEMATIC PILLAGE. NO MILITARY REASON". Received Mar'etl 23, 11 p.m. Paris, March 23. The enemy is st.il! systematically pillaging the evacuated zone, without the slightest military reason. Reports are continuing to pour in of German vandalism in the evacuated zone. General Fleck, commander of the Seventeenth Army Corps, parried oil' the furniture of a house wherein lie resided at Ham. FRENCH POSITIONS EXTENDED, London, March 22. A French communique says:—After a lively struggle we extended our positions east of the St. Quentin Canal in the region north of Tergnier. and drove the enemy from several important points. We advanced south of the Oise, and north of Soissons, and occupied several villages, despite resistance in the region of Vregny (north-east of Soissons).