WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

CLOSING ON LENS. FURTHER PROGRESS MADE. London, Aug. 22. fir Douglas TTaig report l !: :\Vc maintained tin; position captured yesterday morning' on Gie outskirts of Lens and made further progress at certain points, nnil also secured additional ground north-westward and northward of Lena us the result of heavy iiLfhtiiiir In which We lepulsed strong counter-attack*:. j here is artillery activity eastward and north-east of i'pres. ANOTHER ATROCIOUS CRIME. GERMANS 'FIRE HOSPITALS. Paris, Aug. 22. Infuriated at their defeat at Verdun, the Germans have committed a fresh and Inexcusable crime. Their aeroplanes, frith incendiary bombs, set lire to three Trench hospitals full of wounded and fired with machine-guns on medical men '•vho were rescuing the patients. The victims include seven medical men, seven wounded men killed, and 33 injured. A K-ed Cross nurse aDu~ii male nurse were also killed. There was no panic and the wounded men were able lo walk assisted by their comrades. Although the red crosses on the roof were plainly visible in the glare of the burning buildings the Germans returned and bombed them a third time. SEVERE ENEMY ATTACKS. BROKEN WITH GREAT EDSS. LMPORTAXT BOOTY TAKEN. Received Aug. 23. 10.40 p.m. London, Aug. 23. A French communique s.iys: Severe enemy atttempts to reaaptvre our new position on the right bank of the Meuse v.ere broken with great loss witnout dnywhero reaching our lines. Attacks h'illi lkjuid fire in the Couriered Wood tnerely increased the enemy losses. Since the 20th we have taken prisoner BUG unwounded men, including 154 officers, also 60n wounded men. \\ e secured important booty in one of the three tunnels captnreT" at- Mort Homme, we taking piisoner thm whole regimental sin IT, the corps commander, officers, and engineers. HEAVY FIGHTING. ! ABOUT LBN'S AND YPRES. London, Aug. 20. The United Tress correspondent at her '-juarters says: Heavy lighting continues about Lens and Ypres. The British, at daybreak, attacked positions between Langemarck and Frezenberg. The battle is progressing. The Bavarian'-, and Prussians are lighting desperate!;, among the nr-s of Lens. The Canadians, despite two violent counter-attacks in rapid successions-suc-ceeded in establishing th°ir advanced posts. The Canadians at one time were fighting into Lens proper, and the Germans Were pouring iip from eoncrHed cellar®. n "d mineshafts like, ants from disturbed anthills. The Crown Prince threw in the sth Grenadiers, belonging to the Ist Prussian Guards' Reserves Division. Portions at least of sis divisions \vere concentrated against the Canadians, showing the importance tho High Command attaches tq Lens. ' SEVERAL GERMAN ATTACKS. CHECKED BY FRENCH. London, Aug. *2*2. A French conimunir|ue says: The enemy at night violently bombarded different points of our first line on the A tane. The Germans made several Strong attacks in the region of Mecejean farm, east of Brave, south ( ' La Pov'elle, and between Ailles and Hurtebise ino nnient, and the ''aliiornia Plateau. We entire.ly maintained our positions every-, where and took piisoners. We repulsed violent, counter-attacks last night between Hill :ii>4 and 'Mort ffonu..e. and, by a Im'llianfc counteroffensive, drove out the enemy element which had obtained a,footing in our new front line. A FEROCIOUS BATTLE. HUNS TRYING DESPERATELY TO HOLD LENS. Renter Service. Beceiveu Aug. 23, 11.40 pjn. London, Aug. 23. A headquarters correspondent says the ferocious battle continued throughout festerdav round Lens, the Canadians holding their guins on the western fringe of Uie <ity, but north of the railway station the situation i.; not clear owing to the sway of Ihe gr«'at fight. The German artillery fire is the heaviest vet experienced. The Ist Prussian Guards, a. T3serve I tliv'swti o c tie late i t troops, were Ihr ivn i-1 t.o try arc! rcheve the sitnn•icK. It is mainly a soldiers' battle. Meth. wis of frigbtfulness are impossible owing to endangering one's own people equally with the adversary. Few prisoners were taken. ft locks as i - the Huns realise they taust take Hill 70 or quit Lens.

j CANADIANS HARD PRESSED. ENEMY FIGHTING REGARDLESS OP LOSSES, Received Aug. 24, 1-2.5 a.m. * London, Aug. 23. Mr. Ptiilip Gibbs states that there has been severe fig-iiUnjr eastward of St. Julieit, extending southward across the Eonnobeko and beyond T>e , /oxi'hor<r re* tlouht, while our right again penetrated i-iloncorso vopsc. which tho enemy is tlcfending ntromjly. Tin; Canadians arc still 'heavily engaged at Lens, checking viok*it eountorattneks, of which th<>rc have been at least 20. "Never have the Canadians been so hard pressed by the enemy, who is fighting regardles* of losses to long as he holds the ground. The enemy ■h&s massed many new troops and guns for the defence of Lens, but the Canadians ■wont's loose their grip till strangled it. AN ARTILLERY DUEL. ENEMY CEASE ATTACKS ON VERDUN POSITIONS. Received Aug. 24, 1 a-tn. London, Aug. 25. A French contmunifp'e states: An artillery duel, of a somewhat, violent nature. occurred in the regions of Brayc find Cerny. ,Batteries in the Champagne destroyed more of tho enemy's gas reservoirs. On the Verdun front the enemy in the course of the day retaliated with artillery, especially onithe left bank of the Meuse, but did not attempt to attack the new positions. Six enemy aeroplanes were destroyed In air fights and five 1 others fell damaged. BRITISH ADVANCING. DITTER FIGHTING AT ALL MINI'S. FEW PRISONS TAKiRW, Received Aug. 24, T tuTn. London. Aug. 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Wc eondactcd successful operations eastward and tiorth-er, -tward of Ypres for the capture of a series of strong ipoints and fortified farms astride the. Ypres-Menin rood ttlid between the Ypres-Roulers railway* and Langenrarcke. There was bitter fighting at alt points. The enemy repeatedly eounter-attaekod. Our artillery and machine-gun fire inflicted heavy losses. The straggle wa, the fierce.?t on the high ground in the neighborhood of the Yprcs-Menin road, where we advanced te j a depth of 500 yards on a front of a mile and captured important observation positions, also tho western portion Dl' the Invemrc-s copse. Our line further horth was advanced to a maximum depth of over half a mile on a front of i\ Miiles. _ The enemy resisted stubbornly. Owing to the obstinate nature of the fighting tho number of prisoners i» unusual !y small. | There was fierce air fighting. We brought down 12 and drove down 5 aeroplanes, and 12 of ours are missing.