WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

CRAONNE CAPTURED. ENEMY'S FIRST LINE PENETRATED. GERMAN AVIATION CENTRE BOMBED. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received May it. fl.lj p.m. London, May 6. A French communique states:—We captured the village of Craonne and several strong points east and north, after lively artillery preparation. In the region north-west of Rheims we launched an attack carrying the first German lines on a front of four kilometres, and taking 000 prisoners. The artillery duel was furious in the Champagne throughout the day, south and south-west of Moranvillcrs* A Belgian communique states:—Allied aviators bombarded tho German aviation centre at Ghistelles. CAPTURED POSITIONS STRENGTHENED. MORE PROGRESS MADE. Received May 0, 5.5 p.m. London, May 5. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We took on Thursday upward' 3 of 900 prisoners. We strengthened today the position we captured on, a sector of the Hindenburg line, and progressed eastwards along en,emy trenches. In the air fighting on Thursday U enemy machines were downed. Two of ours are missing. HARDEST BATTLE OF THE WAR. A DEADLY STRUGGLE ON BOTH SIDES'. A REAL .MASSACRE OF THE ENEMY. ORIENTAL DISREGARD OF LIFE. Australian Cable Association.' Received May G, 6.5 p.m. London, May 5. Mr Philip'Gibbs states that ever since our great) attack on the Vim/ Ridge the enemy lias fought desperatiiy and ferociously, flinging great forces into tlie battlo in order to keep us away from tho Hindenburg line between Drocourt and Queant. Fresh divisions of troops, with guns, travelled across including many of those which were recently fighting on tho Eastern front. Speciallytrained sturm-truppen (storming forces), which have been hurled on our lines, suffered terrible losses. Opposite Gemappe and Gavrelle tho dying aro in heaps, but there are masses behind, and other masses behind them. So the gruesome business goes on, particularly around tho Gavrelle'windmill, which, as cabled yesterday, has now changed hands eight times, and at present ire hold it. Scarcely less bitter even were the straggles at Oppy and Roeux, where the piclkcd enemy troops which hold the villages, are suffering the bloodiest losses. Under our .bombardments south of the Scarpe, enemy losses were so large'that ! they amounted to a real massacre. This is no figuro of speecli), but an utter truth. Yet other waves were ordered forward, with Oriental recklessness of human life. The enemy has greatly increased his gun power of all calibres, also of machine guns and trench mortars, thus our men are fighting the hardest of 'battles. There is a deadly struggle on both sides. The enemy seems lighting for life, knowing he must now win or die. His men arc so hard-pressed that he has be<p obliged to send three pioneer battalions into itiho fighting line until reinforcements of lighting troops have arrived. Our shells are devastating the defences at Oppy wood, but the enemy is bringing up many n6w batteries, including long-range guns. Our aeroplanes are spotting the new gun positions, and already a number have been knocked out by, direct hits. .Hyr-jf ■ SUCCESSFUL BRITISH RAIDS. FRENCH RESIST VIOLENT COUNTER ATTACKS. : NEW ENEMY DIVISIONS TAKE PART. A. iSs N V .Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received 'May 0, 6.5 p.m. , London, May B. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We made a successful raid eastward of Leverguier and progressed northward of Havrincourt wood and in the neighborhood of Fresnoy. Tho enemy thrice counter-attacked at nighttime our new positions on the Hindenburg line. Our artillery broke the first attack, and the infantry the others. _We repulsed raids in the neighborhood of Messines. A French communiquo states: —The Germans violently counter-attacked the Craonne positions wo captured yesterday. Macliine-gun and artillery fire inflicted very heavy losses on the assailants, who were unable to reach our lines at any point. We also repulsed a strong attack south-east of Berry-au-Bac. The enemy north-west of Rheims attempted violent infantry reactions after our attack yesterday. The struggle was particularly stubborn. Our troops several times repulsed counter-attacks, which were carried out with large effeotives. During the evening important German reserves were thrown in, but our batteries smashed the attempts with heavy enemy losses. We identified two fresh divisions on this part of the front, where we have taken .700 prisoners since ost.erdiiy. In the Champagne), after an intense ; lillery struggle, a violent tight began rewards evening in the region of Mont Lorvillet. We advanced on tie eastern and northern slopes of Mont Blond. The enemy attacked with two fresh divisions, wflje remilsed.

BRILLIANT FRENCH ATTACK. SEVERE BLOW AT ENEMY SALIENT. GERMAN COLUMNS SHATTERED. A WHOLE PLATEAU CAPTURED. A. & X.Z. Cable Association and Renter. Received May 0. 11.15 p.m. London, May 8. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig has i nothing to report, except that 10 Ger- , man aeroplanes were brought down yesterday. A French communique states .►—We brilliantly and successfully attacked north-east of Soissons and Chemindes Baines, despite the desperation of the Germans, who recklessly employed great contingents. We attacked the salient of the Hindenburg line south-east of Vauxaillon and carried a position on a front of six kilometres, inflicting exceptional losses during many counter-attacks. Shattered German columns, which were marching in the direction of Chearnszy and Chamomile, were caught and shattered by our heavy batteries. We captured the whole plateau in the region of Chemin des. ©ames from east of Cerny-en-Lonnois to east of Craonne, and reached the ridges dominating the valley of the Arrettc and the Vauclftc forest. Hitherto over ifflOO prisoners had 'been captured, and we counted an additional lOOD yesterday. A German evening official mesf-ag: 1 states:—A new battle is in progress on the heights north of the Aisne. OPEN FIGHTING. AUSTRALIANS' DASHING WORK. APPALLING GERMAN LOSSES ADMITTED. United Service. Received May 0, 11.15.p.m. London, May 0. Mr Beach Thomas says that there is open lighting along tne whole 'battle front. The British are rapidly regaining a knowledge of this forgotten form of warfare, but tad it dif'cult to shake off their trench habits, numbers still preferring bombs to rifles. The Germans, while desperately fighting with storming troops, special machine guns, and automatic rifles, are at the same time digging 'hard over the whole breadth of a strong line, four or live miles behind the present) fighting line. Correspondents pay a tribute to the dashing work of the Australians at Buillecourt, against picked German troops. Though they do not yet possess tilie whole of the village, they hold the ground north and south,, and also trenches on the Hindenburg lino front. They repulsed: nine counter-attacka 'by fresh troops, and took prisoner German officers, who admit having sustained' appalling losses, in some instances as high as 50 per cent. DIMINISHED GERMAN STRENGTH. YOUTHS OF ID IN THE RANKS. THEIR ARTILLERY INCREASING. '%; l: (Received May 13, 11.15 p.iri. : London, May C. It is estimated that the Germans, since lAipril 1, liave brought 33 divisions against the Anglo-trench, 15 whereof were shattered and withdrawn after the battle of Airas, and at least 20 have been broken now. Allowing for the reduction of the strength of a division sinco the autumn, this means 150,000 men, whereof 20,000 have been taken prisoners. The casualties behind the 1 front line must have been tremendous, owing to the weight of our artillery. Other notable facts are the number of youths, half of the prisoners from two divisions being youths of 19. State- i ments show that half the troops of 19 i are already serving at the front. The Germans appear no longer to employ the Guai;ds in solid divisions, but use the regiments thereof to stiffen the other divisions. Apparently, the Germans, despite their 1 lavish use of troops against the 'British, < are employing every expedient to make ' thejnost of their available man-power. 1 On the other hand, the German artillery is greatly increasing. The British artillery is as tremendous as before, but we are more economical of our men, THE GERMAN VERSION^ USUAL SUCCESSES CLAIMED, ' 1 ( •- 'Admiralty, per Wireless Press. ■ Received May 6, 5.8 p.m. I London, May 5. j German official:—An English attack \ on both sides of Builleeouctj was re- j pulsed. Our English prisoners have been increased to 1"235. Excessive artilleryirig on the Aisne front continues. The fighting for the possession of Winterburg is not concluded. Attacks by four French divisions between the Aisne 1 and Brl- t mont broke down. The French tempor- v arily penetrated eastward of Nouville, but wero driven out. We took 500 pri- t soners. Several French divisions unsuc- li cessfully attempted to take the heights I northward of Prosjies. t' ■British attacks on both sides of Buillc- i: court and strong Frencli attacks between Berry-au-Bac and Bremont were I repulsed. " SERIOUs"iIRE AT RHEI'MS. Received May <), 11.30 p.m. v Paris, May 0. t A wireless message states that during a tlio bombardment of Rheims the Town j Hall became ignited, and 'SO buildings in v the vicinity were destroyed. li PARIS CONFECTIONERY SHOPS CLOSED. t Received May 6, 5.5 p.m. d Riris, May 5. 5 Confectionery shops have been com- v elouju "

ALLIED WAR CONFERENCE. ] DELEGATES WELCOMED BY . j '■f FRENCH STATESMEN. , J A WAR FOR 'PEACE. EFFECT OP AMERICAN, INTERVENTION. Received May 0, 5.5 p.m. (Paris, May 5. 'At the Allied Conference, M. Clemenceau, in welcoming the Anglo-Italian delegates, said:—"The. war lias united us for a common safeguard. It is a war for a jicaco which will guarantee us against any return to primeval ferocity, instead of the former precarious peace of the world, when we were living under perpetual threats." He paid a tribute to liie way in which England had tackled and solved all tlie problems oi the war, adding: "America's intervention at the decisive hour brings, like a thunderbolt, a contribution of gold, iron, and blond. We will fight to the end on the battlefield and in the economic Held." If. Ribot said: "ThoVe no longer.remains with the Germans the initiative of attack. Despite the enemy calling up all their reserves, they are doubling under our grip. America's entry gives certainty of ultimate victory, and Germany feels this to be bo. Wo truly desire peace as much as anyone, but wo do not desire a peace which will leave untouched the problems wherefrom the war sprang, and which the war must solve. Wo have not stoically accepted so many sacrifices merely in order that our children should he compelled to struggle again to-morrow. We do not dream of oppressing any people—not even our present enemies—and after the war shall not summon revenge to our aid,' but) justice, pure and simple." DEAdLY CHARACTER 'OF FIGHTING. FURIOUS ENEMY RESISTANCE. London. May 4. .War correspondents dwell on the extremely bitter nature of the fighting In the new battle. The armies are at close grips mi tlie whole frpnt, and it is difficult thus far to view the struggle in perspective. Vivid incidents, indicate the deadly character of the fighting. The mill near Oppy, which /changed hands four times before noon, was practically isolated. While the struggle lasted the artillery on both sides looked on helpless, as the observers dared not trust the signals. Meanwhile the combatants were so mixed up that the British overran or wero sandwiched among the enemy. The Alorning Post's correspondent states that the Australians are fighting grimly around Bullecourt. TheWustralians and Canadians successfully attacked the flanks at Bullecourt and Fresnoy, while the English, Scottish, and Irish battalions were aligned between them. The enemy's resistance at Bullecourt was furious aid was assisted by the Hindenburg defences. t- , , > SITUATION' UNCHANGED. ( London, May 4. Correspondents at headquarters say that the war has seen no harder lighting than is occurring north and south of the scaipe. The Germans are fighting as they never did before. Despite most violent counter-attacks and a ding-dong hand-to-hand struggle, the situation i 3 unchanged. The Germans are using artillery vastly more than formerly. FURTHER FRENCH PROGRESS. ___ / London, May '4. A French communique states that artillery has teen active in the region north-west of Rheims. We progressed in tho woods west of Mont Cornillet and stopped an enemy attack west of Mort Homme. Five enemy aeroplanes were brought down. OFFENSIVE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. Washington, May 4. Mr. Balfour ha a received a cablegram from London which states that Sir Douglas Haig's offensive as "well ahead of schedule." FRENCH DELEGATES IN AMERICA Washington, May General Joffre and M. Viviani are touring the middle west districts. Crowds greeted them at Gary, Indiana. Elaborate precautions for their safety have been taken.