WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

VIOLENT ARTILLERY STRUGGLE. FRENCH GAIN ADVANTAGE. London, May 20. A French communique states:—A violent artillery struggle occurred in the region of the Chemin-des-Dames and on the whole front between La Bovelle, Cernay and Hurtebise. An enemy attempt on the salient at La Bovelle was easily repulsed. A small action enabled us to carry suine elements of trenches north-east of Laffeux mill. GERMAN RETREAT INDICATED. HIXDKNBURG LINE HOLLOWED ONE Paris, May 20. M. Tudesq reports that the Germans are hastily digging switch trenches in Artois and Champagne. There have been indications of a retreat for the last three weeks. Fires and explosions arc of daily occurrences; moreover the enemy are emptying their artillery parks The Mindenburg line is hollowed out or burst in for over fifteen kilometres north-west of Queant to Neuville Sitassi. The Britsh in a month have taken lines which occupied the enemy over a year in their construction. ENEMY ATTACKS BROKEN. London, May 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Our artillery broke the enemy's attack on our advanced posts south-east of Epehy. THE GERMAN REPORT, 'London, May 20. •A wireless German official message says:—Fighting activity has increased near Arras. 'We repulsed a strong English attack on both sides of Ouchy. An English attack broke down southwards of the Scrpe. The artillery was most active on the Queant sector. We maintained a captured position near Bratte against a strong French attack. The enemy losfc eight aeroplanes,

STORMING HINDENBURG LINE. SUCCESSFUL BRITISH OPERATIONS. Received May 211, 5.3 p.m. London, May 20. Mr. fPhilip Gi'bbs writes: There is fighting astride the Sensee river, northeast of Croiselles and west of Bulleeourt, where the English are storming along the Hindenburg line. We are threatening the garrison of Fontaine-lcs-Croiselles and Cherisy. A correspondent at headquarters states: An operation of considerable tactical importance waß launched early this morning against tfio Hindenburg line north and south of the Sensee river, with the object of capturing the length of the Hindenburg Trench passing through Fontaine-les-Croiselles. It resulted successfully, notwithstanding an enemy artillery reprisal all day. LIVELIEST FIGHTING. RESULTS IK FRENCH FAVOR. Received May 21, 10.15 p.m. London, May 21. A French communique states: Enemy artillery was most active at Cbemin-des-Dames, from east of Hurtabise to north of Saucy, and directed a rolling fire with heavy shells and asphyxiating .projectiles. The strength of our counterpreparations rendered abortive the general assault which the Germans were preparing upon the greater part of our threatened front, and they were unable to leave their trenches. The liveliest fighting at different points ended in, our favor. The enemy lost heavily by our barrages and counter-attacks. The enemy succeeded in gaining a footing on the advanced elements north-east of Cerny on a front of two hundred metres, but everywhere else our positions were maintained. N.Z. TUNNELLERS IN FRANCE. SPLENDID MINING WORK.

PATIENT EWORTiS REWARDED,

(Special from the Official New Zealand War Correspondent). ' ' 1 , • May 4.

wow that our victorious armies are far in advance of Arras it may be stated that New Zealand has played a not unimportant part in the success of the initial stages of the great tattle. For some time the Tunnelling Company of the New Zealand Engineers and the Miners have been burrowing underground in the region of the old town, yet nothing could be said about their splendid work. You could walk for some distance through their drives and tunnels connecting the old caves. It was military mining on a vast scale. The tunnels were eighty and ninety feet below the surface, and theft were great caverns and chambers lit from dynamos working underground. The New Zealanders, and others too, had laid mines that on the fateful morning when the German line was broken sent vast quantities of earth and trench mterial, and, We believe, many German soldiers, hurtling in the air. During the past twelve months the New Zealand Tunnelling Company did most praiseworthy work. They are mostly coal and gold-miners, but time after time they outwitted the German miners, and obtained the initiative, and gradually blew the enemy 'back till the safety of the British front trenches was ensured. They worked with great vigor, breaking all records in tunnelling. They have had little sickness and very few casualties. After long waiting for the fruition of their great work, they 'ofell thug maed*,

FLOODING THE OISE. A MYSTERY EXPLAINED. Received May 21, 5.50 p.m. London, May 20. The Daily Chronicle's Paris correspondent states that thirty-two miles of the French front, between St. Quentin and Laffaux, had been a mystery since the early days of the German retreat. The explanation is that the Germans played a similar trick as we played on them by flooding the Yscr valley. The Germans flooded the Oise valley between Berthcnemcourt and Tergnifer tn south of the Is Ililly-St. Gobain forest. But for the marshes and forests the Allies would have reached Laon plain. The heat lately reduced the floods, but a large canal running between the several branches of the river makes crossing the valley most difficult.

If the western end of Chemin Dernaures is taken, the German defence system between the Oise and St. Gobain Will bo taken in the rear. This fear largely accounts for the desperate German 'Counter-attacks on the Aisne.

ALL DAY FIGHTING. BRITISH BITE FURTHER INTO THE HINDENBU'RG LINE. Received May 21, 8.5 p.m. London, May 21. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: As the result of an early morning attack we occupied a further section of the Hindenburg line, over a mile front, between Fontaine-lesCroisclles and Bullecourt. The enemy unsuccessfully counter-attacked. Fierce fighting was continued all day long. We inflicted heavy casualties. The fighting continues in our favor. We repulsed raids near Oppy, southeast o£ Wijtschan, and successfully raided southward of Armentieres. We downed eight aeroplaneß. Four of ours are missing. PITILESS PLEA. An appeal from Belgian workmen for organised assistance by neutral governments and laboring classes in neutral nations was made public in Washington at the Belgian Legation on March 28. It says 500,000 have been thrown out of work and kept in forced idleness, which has led the Germans to drcree that "either you must sign a contract for work in Germany or you will be taken as slaves." As a result, it adds, the whole of the working classes of Belgium are threatened with slavery, starvation, or death. "Germany," the appeal says, "has condemned her victims to pay an immense war levy, which already amounts to more than 200,000,000 dollars, and which is increasing at the rate of 10,000,000 monthly. "She has carried off ana transported into Germany by pillage, confiscation, requisition, and forced sale, foodstuffs and merchandise to the value of more than' 1,000,000,000. She has seized and sent to Germany the greater part of the raw products in our factories, the machinery and all accessories; she has thus stopped our industry and caused an almost general and enforced state of idleness of the working classes." The plight of those deported is pictured as painful in the extreme.