BALKANS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 May 1917, Page 5

BALKANS.

BRILLIANT FRENCH SUCCESS. .•CONSIDERABLE 'ENEMY LOSSES. Received May 13, 5.5 p.m. Paris, May 12. A French Macedonia communique states: West of the Vardar, over difficult gronud, we brilliantly captured Srkpdilegen, south of Huma, repulsing violent Bulgarian counter-attacks. There iia» been lively artillerying at'the Cerna bend. At the sector in the region of Monastir, in the fighting on the 10th and 11th May, the Allies captured 353 prisoners and three machine-guns. Enemy losses were considerable. A BULGARIAN REPORT. GREAT SUCCESSES CLAIMED. A. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. Received May 13, 11.60 p.m. 11 'London, S&y 13. A' Bulgarian communique of May 10 gives ft very long description of the Mace-1 donian lighting, which it describes as exceeding in extent of violence all previous, battles. This front claims a complete repulse of the Allies' furious attacks everywhere, and says that on the positions near Doiran the British, on the 9th 'May, after fighting with unheard of violence during the night), began at 5 in /the morning a furious attack, iwihich we repulsed after Woody hand-to-hand fighting. The enemy suffered incredible losses, heaps of British lying in front of our position. The communique concludes with ~ a panegyric on the invincible stubbornness of the German and 'Bulgarian troops, who repulsed the enemy forces which i penetrated the positions by hundreds. I ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED.

London, May 11. A British report from Salonika states that the enemy attacked on Wednesday night south-westward of Lake Doiran and obtained a momentary footing on Goldie's Hill. Our counter-attack immediately drove them out. We repulsed a second attack on Thursday, inflicting losses. Our aeroplanes carried out four 'successful bombing raids, dropping quantities of explosives on dug-outs, dumps, and transport columns. A Bulgarian communique, dealing with the latest account of the fighting west and north of Monaptir, singles out British attacks _ south of Doiran, which are described as persistent, four being made between nine o'clock in the evening and two o'clock in the morning. It admits that the British thrice penetrated the positions, but asserts that they nvere ejected by counter-attacks.