WESIERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1917, Page 5

WESIERN ATTACK.

BRITISH CAPTURE VILLAGES. MORE GROUND GAINED. . GERMAN TRAINS SHELLED. FRENCH RECOVER TRENCHES. ' BELGIANS PENETRATE FIRST. LINE. Received.April 1, 5.5 p.m. London, March 31. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We occupied the villages of Ruyaucourt, Sorre-le-Grand and Fins. We gained ground after sharp fighting in the neighborhood of Hendicourti.. and drove off an attack to the south of Nenviile. sous Jonval, inflicting loss: Wo raided enemy lines at two points cast of Neuvllle St. Vaast. Our heavy artillery obtained several hits on German trains eastward of Vcrmelles,

A French communique states:—-North of the Somme, between the Somme artd > the Oise, there has been reciprocal vigorous artillerying on the first lines. Northeast of we progressed in the Vercgny-Margival sector. A vigorous counter-attack west of Maison de Champaane enabled us to eject the enemy from the trenches wherein he obtained a footing on the 28th. A wireless Belgian official report states that a Belgian detachment penetrated the first line at the Steenstraat ridee after a lively fight, in which severp enemy losses were inflicted, and some prisoners taken.

RUYAUCOURT CAPTURED. INFANTRY IN CONTACT WITH ENEMY LINE. Received March 31, 5.5 p.m. ■ London, March 30. The British captured Ruyaucourt. The infantry came into contact with the new German line in the Aisne-St. Quentin region. . THE ADVANCE CONTINUED. MORE POSITIONS TAKEN. A WHOLE GARRISON SUCCUMBS. Received April 1, 11 p.m. | London, March 31. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured Seudeeourt and progressed considerably eastwards of the village. We also took possession of Martevillc-Vennans and Soyecourt. Our artillery forced the enemy to retire from St. Emalie, which we occupied. We captured the villages of Jencourt-sur-Villy and Scsbecburt, and captufed posts in the neighborhood of Otnon St. Symein and Henin-sur-Sojeul, aftor killing or capturirtg the \\|jy>le garrison. We successfully executed raids, north-east of Neuville St. Vaast and Loos, and north ward of Ypres, destroying dug-outs and taking some prisoners. We repulsed a hostile< raid in the neighborhood of Neuville St. Vaast.

GERMAN FALSE STATEMENT. .. AS TO BRITISH DEAD. THE REASON EXPLAINED.

A MICROBE FIEND CAPTURED.' Reuter Service. V Received April 1, 5.5 p.m. London, March 31. ' Mr. Philip Gibbs, telegraphing from headquarters, states that the Kaiser, when recently in the vicinity of the British front, ordored that villages like Loisel and Taquiecourt should not be abandoned without fighting, hence the probably false statement m a German communique that a thousand British dead were counted at Taquiecourt. In reality, our casualties there were few, not a single corpse being left on the ground. Such a statement would be significant of the necessity for encpuraging the German people and troops. A German spy was caught in the British lines with microbes for spreading disease among horses.

HUN DEVASTATION • BY FIRE AND FLOOD. 1 Received April 2, 1,40 a.m. London, March 31. The Germans are flooding the West front and have burned several villages. It is. believed that they contemplate shortening their line. BRITISH RAIDS. London, March 30. A wireless German official message says:—Four'Canadian attacks eastward of Neuville St. Vaast were repulsed. Our rearguard withdrew before strong English forces from both sides of the Peronne-Fins high road to the line of Ruyancourt-Sorrel. Wo repulsed French attacks north-west of Soissons, inflicting losses. FORESWORN AMERICA AND JOINS BRITISH ARM?. New York, March 30. Mr. Austen Hoey, whose mother and sister were drowned in the Laconia, has foresworn his American citizenship and joined the British Army because he demanded that President Wilson should avenge his relatives' murder, but received aa r»sly to bit eaVlwrtam.