WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1917, Page 6

WESTERN ATTACK.

SOUTH AFRICANS' TRIUMPH. TURN GERMAN GUNS ON ENEMY. Eecoivod Apiil 14, 5.5 p.m. London, Anvil IS. Mr Philip Gibbs gives prominence to tlic South Africans' share in Jlondav's attack. The colonials charged ahead'of the men and captured the first linn without casualties. Afterwards they fought the wicked macliine-gun fire and gathered in hundreds of prisoners, many guns, including- six-inch howitzers, and a vast haul of ammunition. They reversed the guns upon the enemy, it was a triumph for the South African!), revenging the 'tragic episode at Delvi'le Wood, ADVANCE ON ST. QUENTIN. GERMANS FIRING THE TOWN, H'INDENBURC LINE THREATENED. Paris, April 13. Mr Wood, the war correspondent, giving details, states that the French have reached t'lie suburbs of St. Quentin. He asserts that the capture of St. Gobain (about 20 miles south of St. Quentin) and St. Quentin, according to French strategists, means breaking the Hindenburg line. The Germans are believed to bo engaged in sacking St. Quentin, where there are many fires. Prisoners as* i that Prince Eitel Friedrich has ordered the town's destruction, London, April 13. A Trench communique states:—We attacked this morning German positions south of St. Quentin, and despite the enemy's desperate resistance carried several lines of trenches between the Somme and the La Fere-St. Quentin road. Our advanced elements progressed south of the Oise, eastward of Coucy'la-ville. We captured prisoners and material. An artillery struggle is proceeding in the Aisne region and the Champagne. Two enemy coups-de-main in the Verdun region failed undet our fire. London April 13. A German official message states:— Our counter-thrusts balanced strong attacks from the Arras-Gavrelle road to the Searpc. Wo repulsed several attacks. British attacks against the Ancres-Givenchy-en-Gohelle line we?e twice repulsed, including a cavalry attack 'south-eastward of Arras. French attacks southward of St. Quentin failed. i BRITISH INFANTRYMEN. CAPTURE A BATTERY. Paris. April 1". Le Journal recounts the exploit, of 12 British infantrymen who penetrated the enemy's line on Monday night. They dug in and slept till morning, when they discovered a German battery 50 metres away. They bombed and bayonetted the artillerymen and seized the battery. FRIDAY'S FIGHTING . GERMAN VERSION. Received April 15, 5.3 i p.m. London. April 14. A wireless German message states that there was a pause in the fighting yesterday north-eastward of Arras anil the Scarpe. Further southward at Croiselles and Bulleeourt, after violent artlllerying, the British vainly attacked several times, and our afterthrust inflicted considerable enemy losses. Strong enemy attacks failed against St. Quentin positions. During the past week the heart of St. Quentin has been violently bombarded. The Palace of Justice, the cathedral, and the Town Hall were seriously damaged. The artillery is fighting in full strength at Soissons\. Rheims, and in westerh Champagne. The enemy lost on the West front on Thursday 11 aeroplanes and on Friday 24. CONTINUED SUCCESS. MORE GROUND GAINED Eeceived April 13, 5.5 p.m. London, April H. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Last night, after sharp fighting we carried the village of Fayet), a mile north-west of St. Quentin. We captured important positions at Ascension farm and Grand Priel farm, on the high ground eastward of Le Vorguier. We also progressed northward of Bapaume, on the C'ambrai road, in the direction of Queant. Our constant pressure compelled the enemy to yield further ground northward of the Scarpe. We seized Vimy station;, "Laehaudiere, and enemy positions at Fosse and Buquet Mill, between Givcnchy-en-Gohellc, and. Angres. The guns captured in this area include eightinch howitzers. The ground gained by the recent operations links up with t'lie positions gained in the battle of Loos, and includes Doublecresier We drove off an attempted raid eastward of Loos. The fh'ess Bureau states that the King becomes Colonel-in-Chief of the Royal Flying Corps to mark his admiration of their services on both vripgs since the beginning of the war. A French communique states: South rti St. Quentin ivc continued to bombard the Gorman positions between tin Somme and the Oise. There was great mutual artillery Activity in the Champagne, where w» effected numerous reconnaissances.