WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

SEVERE GERMAN ATTACKS. BRITISH HOLDING THEIR GAINS. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH RAID. London, May G. Sir Douglas Haig reports that the enemy at night in a sharp fight unsuccessfully endeavored to it-establish himself eastward of Le Vergil ier. Wo successfully Taided a front of 11 miles north of Gonnelieu. The enemy again determinedly attacked our positions on the Hindenburg line eastward of Bullecourt, liut were entirely unsuccessful. Our artillery stopped a renewal of the attack in the morning. We captured a section of trench south of the Souchez River. Received May 7, 8.20 p.m. May 6. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, in later reports, shows that the German attacks upon the Hindenburg line, eastward of Bullecourt, were particularly severe. The enemy had thrown in heavy forces, which we repulsed after fierce fighting. We repulsed two counter-attacks in the morning which endeavored to recover a section southward of the Soufhez river, which we captured yesterdaynight. Wc drove off raids southward of Acheville and -westward of Hulluch. We successfully raided south-east-ward of Loos and downed 11 German aeroplanes yesterday. Two British machines are missing. A wireless German official says that, contrary to-day's report, Chevreux remains ours. / FRENCH MAINTAIN POSITIONS. LARGE CAPTURES MADE. Wellington, May 7. The High Commissioner reports under date London, May 5 (4.5 p.m.) ! A French official message says:— North-east of Soissons tin? Germans, during the night, made numerous heavy counter-attacks on the positions captured yesterday. The fighting was specially desperate in the region of Laffaux, north of the farm of Froidment, north of Braye- en Laonnois, and north of Cerny. Everywhere the efforts of the enemy were broken and the waves of the assault were repelled by our fire or the bayonet. We wholly maintained our gains. The German sanguinary losses in the combats yesterday, as well as in the counter-attacks last night, are confirm?.!. The prisoners hitherto counted reach 5800, including 150 officer".. We also captured seven cannon, including several heavy guns. ENEMY ASSAULTS SMASHED. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED. A. & N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Received May 7, B.S p.m. London, 'May 6. A French communique states:—North of Soissons the Germans delivered at night time a largo numiber of counterattacks, with large effectives ~against the positions we captured yesterday. The struggle was particularly violent in the region of Laflaunt, north of Froidmont farm, north of Bray-en-Laon, and north-east of Ceonyi Everywhere the enemy's efforts were smashed up and tho assaulting waves 'beaten back. We entirely maintained our gains, which we are now organising. It is confirmed that the Germans suffered sanguinary losses both in yesterday's fighting and in the counter-attacks last night. 1 Received' Miiy 7, 5.15 p.m. London, May 0. Generally, the operations carried out on the sth and Oth, in harmony with tho British operations, have rendered us masters of the crest whereon the Cliemin des Damea runs over a front of 30 kilometres. Up to tiha present we have taken 5800 prisoners, including 150 officers. We have taken also several guns, some of which were of heavy .calibre. Violent artillery. actions have taken place northfwest of Hheims and Champagne. Wa carried the fortified points of west of Mont; Cornillet. We repulsed two attacks on our trenches in the region of Mont Hjant. HAIG'S PLAN. TO WIPE OUT ENEMY RESERVES. HINDENBURG'S PLAN SPOILED, London, May 6. A military expert, summarising the result* of the western offensive, states that it. is not at present a question of breaking through, but of smashing the German army. The plan of Sir Douglas Haig and General Nivelle is to wipe out tlie German reserve of a million men, which Hindenburg massed for the great German offensive in 1917. About half of these have already gone. Hindenburg's plan has been -spoilt unexpectedly, and. he has been compelled to use his reserve for the defensive battles in France. The reserve represents Germany's last supplies of fit m(fu obtainable from any source, except youths and recovering wounded. If the present ifitfi of wastage continues on the west front the last reserve will be used up in a few weeks. ! HUNS ALL AROUND THEM, j AUSTRALIANS IN AWKWARD PLACE. Received May '7,10 -p.m, 'London, May fi. The Morning Post says the Australian wedge east of Bullecourt is undoubtedly a dangerous salient. They have the | Hun 3 to right, Huns to the left, Huns (behind, and Huns in front- qf them, but they stuck in the deep trenches ajid concrete dug-outs of Hindenburg's line, a new fortress w<hich they hope to transform into a kind of jig-saw puzzle. When the Australians attacked ißulleoouii, some of the detachments actually drove the enemy into the open country around IReincourt, but thpy UUo >vith&pn4| Trtttajfi line. j

A GREAT BOMBING MATCH. INTENSE ENEMY COUNTERSTROKES. AUSTRALIANS' TENACITY. Received May 7, 11 p.m. London May 7. iA' headquarters eorresppndnjnt js'nys that during the past hours there has been ii succession of intense- German counter-attacks in the vicinity of Bullecourt where tho Australians are tenaciously maintaining and extending the breach in tho Hindenburg line. The fighting has become a great) bombing match, wherein the Anzacs excel. The German machine guns at present dominate the ruined l yillage of Bullecourt. The struggle is ebbing and flowing, but the artillery is rendering the enemy's tenure of the costliest kind. The Australians have repulsed 13 desperate counter-attacks since Thursday, inflicting the heaviest losses. One was. delivered in four directions simultaneously. On one occasion a large party of Bosclies emerged from' a dug-out- and were 'blown up by another Bosche section, who had been reduced to jumpiness by the Anzacs' pressure. At another time the Anzacs swept a German trench and found a couple of minnemverfers and plenty of ammunition, which were effectively turned upon the enemy. They also took over a hundred prisoners. THE CRAONNE VICTORY. FRENCH DOMINATE AISNE VALLEY. GERMANS' DOGGED DEFENCE. London, May 6. | Reuter's correspondent, at Headquarters says that the French successes at Craonne assure them of ihe definite possegsidn of the long rocky crest dominating the Aisne Valley and make another breach in the defences of Laon. He mentions that airmen flying at a | great height see great numbers of Ger- | man dead, which are quite a feature of the landscape. I Received May 7, 8.45 p.m. London, May C. Tho Daily Chronicle's Pariß correspondent says the Germans are still holding out round Fort Malmaison, the only part of the Aisne heights in their possession. The ground captured by the French at Craonne was most important in regard to the enemy's scheme of defence. They therefore fought with the utmost determination and reckless expenditure of life in face of a stern order to hold the first line at any cost. The Germans in Ctaonrio fortress had hold out for a fortnight against a tremendous bombardment from a great crescent of hidden batteries. Finally a famous Fi'eneli corps surrounded Craonne village and fought their way across the Chemin des Dames and pointed their hands to their comrades who had already established themselves in Hurtchise farm. SUCCESSES COMPLETED. ' s DESPITE STRONG COUNTER- : ATTACKS. : . \ ! Received May 7, 10 p.m. 'Paris, May 7. A French communique states:—Northwest of Soissons wo completed yesterday's successes and extended the conquered ground, capturing several strong points north of Laffaux and north of Brcvy-en-Laoimais. There was a furious artillery duel in the whole region of Chemin des Dames, where the Germans again launched strong counter-attacks against our positions of Froidjnont farm, on the Varclcrc plateau-, and' the Craonne sector. We everywhere maintained our gains and repulsed the enemy, inflicting heavy losses. During one of these attacks a German battalion was caught by our fire and retreated in disorder, leaving a. (great part of itß effectives on the ground. Hitherto SIOO prisoners have' been counted. One army corps took I'SOO prisoners and, on a front of four kilometres, captured almost the whole Siegfried line, s THE GERMAN VERSION. A TISSUE OF FABRICATIONS. Wireless, per Admiralty Press. Received May 7, 0 p.m. London, May C, A German official report states: We repulsed strong English attacks southward of Lens, the Searpe, and Queant. A fruitless English attack on a threekilometres front between Villersplouicli and Gonnelieu suffered heavy losses. The French artillery on the Aisne developed its greatest power yet recorded in preparations for a renewed attack by fresh divisions yesterday morning between Aillettfe and Craonne, on a front) of 35 kilometres. A hand-to-hand struggle, which continued till late at night, ms entirely repulsed. We occupy the northern slope of the Chemin des Dames. The French occupy tho Chevreuy-Winterburg height, where Our positions were completely destroyed. We took several hundred prisoners. French attacks eastward of Laneuville and south-west of Nauray were unsuccessful. The enemy lost 14 aeroplanes. 'INTER-ALLIES CONFERENCE. Paris, May 0. The inter-Allies joint conference had sat for the past four days and settled most important matters. A CONFERENCE AT PETROGRAD.. Paris, May 0. M. Ribot stated that the next Allied .Parliamentary Conference would be held ,at Petrograd. He hoped that China., Japan, and the South American Republics would send delegates.