WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

CAPTURE OF HINDENBURG LINE. A GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. SEVERE GERMAN LOSSES ■AEROPLANES ATTACK FRONT TRENCHES. Received May 22, 10 p.m. London, May 22. 1 Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports:—New positions on the 'Hindenburg line north-westward of Bullecolirt were secured to-day, with- little interference from the enemv.

Ihe severity of the German losses in the recent fighting in this area is eonfirmed. Excepting a sector, two thousand yards in length, immediately westward, of Bullecourt, we hold the whole Hindenburg line from a point one mile eastward of Bnllecourt 10 Arras. There was a number of successful aerial bombing raids yesterday. Our aeroplanes actively co-operated with the infantry in attacking the enemy front line of trenches with machine-guns. Sixteen German aeroplanes were downed and four of ours are missing. THE BULLECOURT FIGHTING. RIVALRY AT TAKING PRISONERS. London, May 21. Correspondents at British headquarters say that the fighting at Bullecourt and Roeux continues intense, equalising thoße at Pozieres or the most serious struggles on the Somme. The Germans have thrown in large masses of troops, but Bullecourt and Koeux are more strongly in our hands than ever. . A surrendered German officer excused himself by saying it was impossible to do anything else as the British attacked in such overwhelming force. A British told the German tho number of attackers. The German si\id: "Impossible; we came into line 3000 strong." As a fact the British took more prisoners than the whole number of attackers. The prisoners include ex-con-victs released from long terms of imprisonment in order to fight. There is considerable rivalry as to which British corps shall take most prisoners. The Canadians reached 5000 first. A neighbouring mixed English and Scottish corps now lias a short lead. Already two German divisions have been cut to pieces around Bullecourt. The Anglo-Australian success is the result of a curious situation. We cut into the Hindenburg line around Bullecourt and have eaten off the end towards Arras, so .lie enemy is left with an island section of four miles between our two forces. This the Germans are ordered to hold to the death, a special order saying they ml;, v rely on the absolute certainty of their rescue as the Germans were much stronger than the British in attack. i . i . MOST DESPERATE FIGHTING. 8900" YARDS OF SECOND .TRENCHES TAKEN. Received May 22, 5 30 p.tnLondon, May 21. Mr. Philip Gibbs states: The English and Scottish captured eight thousand yards of the second line of trenches westward of Bullecourt, and the Australians took eight hundred on the right. The fighting was most desperate. OFFICIAL REPORTS. .SUCCESSFUL BRITISH OPERATIONS BRILLIANT FRENCH RESULTS. Wellington, May 22. The High Commissioner reports under date London, May 21 2.20 p.m.):— 'Sir Douglas Ilaig reports;—On the Bullecourt-Fontaine-les-Croiselles portion of the Hindenburg line operations were successfully continued, and at night several counter-attacks were repelled. We renewed the attack, and, after fierce hand-to-hand fighting, . the support trench was captured and further coun-ter-attacks beaten off. A large number of dead were found, and 150 prisoners taken. Two German divisions have been engaged since yesterday. Wellington, May 22 The High Commissioner reports under date London, May 2, (3.5 p.m.):—

A French official report says:r~ln the region, of Champagne the operations on two sectors of the Massif at Moronvillers had a brilliant result. We took several line 9 of trenches on the slopes of Mont Cornillet. All the important obnervation points in that region are ours. German counter-attacks 'were caught under fire and thrown 'back with heavy losses. Eight hundred prisoners were taken. The German dug-outs were cumbered with dead.

Admiralty, per Wireless Press. Received May 22, 8.30 p.m. London, May 22. A German official report states:— English attacks were made on Sunday astride the AiTas-Camhrai road, on a front of twelve kilometres. Our Are broke up the enemy wherever they emerged from their trenches. Between the Scarpe and Sensee brook the enemy penetrated, east of Croiselles, but our counter-attack drove them out. Repeated attacks between Fontaines and Eullecourfc failed. We captured trenches at Braye, Cerny, and Hurtebise farm. There has been heavy fighting in the Champagne. Strong French attacks northward of the Prunay road resulted in the French obtaining a foothold at Mont Cornillet and Mont Keil. The enemy lost fourteen aeroplarM,

GERMAN DEFENCE. "MERE MASS. OF SHELL CRATERS." •ENEMY EORCES ISOLATED. 'Received May -22, 11.10 p.m. London, May 22. Mr. Philip Gibbs, wiring on Monday, said the lull between the battles ended on Sunday, wlion the English and Scotch attacked tho Hindenburg line between i'ontainc-les-Croiselles and Bulleeourt. Hc-avy guns had been bombing the enemy, hurling thousands of high explosives into the defences until the system of parapets, traverses, dugouts and entanglements were a mere mass of shell craters. The garrison, consisting of. the 49th Reserve Division from Posen and Breslau, were caught by the hurricane of shells and had to retire to their dugouts, where it was impossible !or food to reach them. The Germans beeamo physical wrecks as a result of their .imprisonment under the intense shelling. When the English and Scottish went over the top the surviving Germans surged in the communication i trenched and endeavored to man the machine-gun emplacements. They fought fiercely. We took many prisoners from the dugouts on the first line, but the advance was held up awhile by isolated machineguns in the support lines. The second British attack in the evening penetrated the enemy's second line, the British taking 3;IX) yards t)f the Hindenburg line to the left of the Bullecourt ruins, and added to the 80 yards which the Australians were holding on the right of the village. Thus far the English and Scotsmen have experienced' no counter-attacks, though several bodieß of Germans massing to attack were caught by gunfire and smashed. VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT. AEROPLANES DROP EXPLOSIVES. Received May 22, 11.10 p.m. Paris, May 22. A French communique states: In the Champagne the enemy violently bombarded the positions wo captured yesterday in tho region south of Moronvillers. Bombarding aeroplanes during the night of the 19th dropped 2200 kilos of explosives on railway stations and bivouacs in the region of Epoye and Bet'heniville. BRILLIANT FRENCH OPERATIONS. IMPORTANT HEIGHTS CAPTURED. Received May 23, 1.30 a.m. Paris, May 22. Importance is attached to t.ho brilliant operations at the Moronvillers pla> teau. The heights captured are 1800 feet elevation, and overlook the Sulppes Valley and the neighboring lowland, which is 350 feet high. Sunday's advance carried the French well down the northern slopes, and enabled them to shell positions at Noget-la-Chesse from whence Rlieims was bombarded. The advance makes the German salient westward dangerous. BELGIAN RELIEF. AMERICA TAKES RESPONSIBILITY. London, May 21. Thei National Committee for the Relief of Belgium announces the suspension of its appeals to the British Empire, the American Government having assumed all financial responsibility for the work of the Relief Commission.