WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1918, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

GERMANS'ENTPR FRENCH LINE. AFT UK IN I'JiXSli BOMBARDMENT Aus. and X.Z. Cable ..Assoc. and Renter. Received Jan i'-o, J. 30 a.m. l.ondon, Jan. -21 A French communique stat'.'s: An important raid, after an intense bombardment, enabled the Germans to gain a fooling in an advanced element of our front line east of Nieuport, a town in Belgium. HAND TO HAND FIGHTING 4 GERMAN REPORT. Received Jan 24, 8.10 p.m. London. Jan. 23. German official; Vic Heat back by violent hand to ham' fighting a French attack north of Souain arid north-east of Avoeourt. ~ THE GERMAN OFFENSIVE. FRENCH ARMIES READY; New York, Jan. 23. The Paris correspondent of the New York Times says that France is awaiting confidently the great German offensive on the West front, which is believed to be imminent. This will be the decisive, perhaps the final, 'battle of the war. M. Joseph Reinach and other writers opine that Nancy will be one of the principal S»jectives. It is known that the Germans are heavily concentrating forces in Lorraine, but Franch has perfected her defences and'the enemy attack is doomed to failure. SOME PATROL ENCOUNTERS. j | AIR RAID OVER GERMAN BORDER. London, Jan. 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We had successful patrol encounters last night er.sttward of Ypres. The enemy raided, one of our posts southward of St. Quentin. There was hostile artillery activity at Oambrai. Our aeroplanes during the night dropped over 200 bombs on aerodromes near Courtrai and billets at Roulers and Rumbeke. We also made an air raid in Germany and dropped two tons of bombs on the steel works at Thionville, a railway siding at Bernsdorfl', and Arnaville Junction. ENEMY PARTIES DISPERSED. PRISONERS CAPTURED. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. deceived Jan. 24, 11.30 p.m. London, Jan. 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We dispersed a small party which was making an effort to approach our positions west of Villers Guislain. Another party, which succeeded in entering our trenches northwest of La Bassee, was ejected, leaving prisoners in our hands. The enemy also raided our sap west of La Bassee. Hostile artillerying occurred between St. Quentin and the Scarpe, also in the neighborhood of Messines and Zonnebeke.