WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 May 1918, Page 6

WESTERN FRONT.

EXTENSIVE BOMBING. ITALIANS PARTICIPATE. London, May 24. A French communique reports: There has been intermittent artillery activity at some points south of the Avre, but no infantry action. Our bombing squadrons by day anrt night on May 20 dropped 17 tons of bombs in the St. Quentin, Noyon, and Tergnier region oii the stations at Peronne, Kosicrcs, and Nesle, and on the aerodromes at Villesilve. Thirty tons of explosives were dropped in the same region by day and night on May 21, in addition to 11 tons on the cantonments and stations in the region of Ville-au-Bois, Hirson, Le Catcau, and Aulnoye. Italian airmen participated.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. AWAITING THE OFFENSIVE. ALLIES MAKE GOOD USE OP TIME. London, May 24. Mr. (Percival Phillips writes to the Daily Express: We are still awaiting the great German offensive. The respite is welcomed by the Allies' troops. Artillery has poured in steadily to the front areas of the British zone. Trains laden with timber and wire have been brought up. The infantry have had a muchneeded rest. The new drafts have had field training.

HOSPITAL BOMBING BY HUNS. FURTHER DETAILS. London, May 24. Mr. Philip Gibbs gives details of a ghastly outrage by the Huns in bombing a Red Cross hospital and huts filled with badly wounded men, some with open wounds. There were only eight nurses and orderlies on duty when the Gothas were heard and tho first bombs crashed in. The Germans dropped a great number of bombs and each one burst in the midst of the huts. A third of the bombs were of the largest size, making great craters in the earth. They killed many wounded men, including Germans, who were receiving precisely the same treatment as the British. The total of killed and wounded runs to some hundred. The nurses displayed heroic devotion, and not one went to the bombproof shelters near by. The raid lasted for two hours and the nurses throughout moved through the wards encouraging the wounded men.

The captain of the bombing squadron, who was captured, merely shrugged his shoulders and said: "If you insist on putting hospitals near railways you must expect them to be bombed.''—Press Association. (ENEMY ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. GAS SHELLS USED. Received May 25, 5.5 p.m. London, May 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy's artillery was active at night southward of Lens and in the neighborhood of Givenchy and Fcstubert. They gasshelled our positions at Nieppe —JPress Association. VIOLENT GUNFIRE ON BELGIAN FRONT. London, May 24. A Belgian communique states there is fairly violent reciprocal artillerying at Langemarck and Mirckem.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.