WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

> MASSED ATTACKS. * DO NOT SHIFT THE AMERICANS. Received July 4, 11.15 p.m. London, July 4. Reuter's correspondent at American headquarters states that the enemy on the morning of the third counterattacked with massed groups of fresh storm troops against the Americans' new positions at Vanx and the Bois de la Koche. The entire attack was broken ly intense artillery fire and machinegun fire without loss of a foot of ground. A part of the ground is piled with enemy dead. Futrher attacks are anticipated —Reuter. AMERICANS SCORE AGAIN. NO DOUBT NOW ABOUT THEIR BEING IN THE WAR. London, July 3. The Daily Chronicle correspondent at American Headquarters says the Americans scored again in a deft operation in Hie Marne Valley. They captured Vaux and 400 prisoners in 40 minutes. The attack was the logical development of their earlier sueeesseb m the Chateaux Thierry sector and entailed ousting the Germans from La Roche Wood and the occupation of a knobby crest called Hill 192. Vau was heavily garrisoned with machine-guns, but the Americans found a French mason builder who knew the interior of almost every house- Scouting parties were sent out night after night, thus craftily drawing the machinegun fire, and when everything was known the attack was launched. There were 4000 Huns in Vaux when the American bombardment commenced, and al! but 700 fled before the Doughboys went over the top. The Americans closely hugged an almost perfect barrage, and, advancing on a two-mile front, within 23 minutes were inside Vaux and had taken Hill 192 in 30 minutes. The wood was taken in 40 minutes. The American machinery was too perfect for the Germans- There is no doubt now that the United States is in the war.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

GROUND RECOVERED. BY THE GERMANS. London, July 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports that after a heavy bombardment the enemy on the night of July 2 attacked and rc-capturcd the greater part of the ground taken by us in minor operations on the evening of June 30. We carried out successful raids in the neighborhood of Boyells, Monynneville, and Morris —Aus. -N.Z, Cable Assoc, and Reuter. THE BRUTAL HUNS. PRISONERS AND WOUNDED MASSACRED. Received July 4, 8.5 p.m. Paris, July 3. A French army order asserts that the Germans are again resorting to killing the wounded and prisoners. The evidence comes from escaped French prisoners at various parts of the West front. When Athenay was captured, the enemy massacred prisoners, including several of the wounded. French soldiers saw the Germans kill French prisoners with bayonets at Oligy. At another place the Germans, with fixed bayonets, finished off all the French wounded. These instances are of recent occurrence. —Reuter.

FRENCH SUCCESSES. ENEMY POSITION CAPTURED. Received July 4, 8.5 p.m. London, July 4. A communique reports: Between the Oise and the Aisne we executed a local operation. North of Moulin sous Touvent we captured an enemy position on a front of three kilometres to a depth of 800 metres at some points. West of Chateau Thierry a hostile counterattack failed, also attacks north-east of Monsel, upper Alsace.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. FRENCH OFFICIAL. London, July 3. A French communique reports: —Between the Oise and the Aisne, we repulsed two raids east of Vingre and captured the village of St. Pierre de PAigle. South of the Aisne, a German coun-ter-attack upon positions in the region of Vaux, west of Chateau-Thierry, capturrd by the Americans completely failed and fresh prisoners remained in our hands. An American communique says: —We stormed the village of Vaux, La Roche Wood, and the neighboring woods in cooperation with the French, who advanced their lines on Hill 204. We advanced our positions 1000 yards on a one-and-a-half-mile front, and the enemy's losses in killed and wounded were heavy. His regiment holding the sector resisted obstinately, and was practically annihilated. Our. losses were relatively light. A German counter-attack was entirely repulsed.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc and Reuter.

ENEMY MAKE FOUR ATTACKS. A MENACING RIDGE. Received July 4, 11.55 p.m. London, July 3. The ridge north-west of Albert was ?o menacing to Albert and Avelny Wood that the Germans determined to re-lake it al all costs, and succeeded in their fourth attempt sinca Sunday.—United Press. A French communique slates: There is artillery of a reciprocal nature in the ArgQnne region, Vauquois, and the right bank of the Mouse. The total prisoners captured north of Moulin sous Touvent has reached 475, besides 30 .machineguns.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. AVIATION REPORT. Received July 4, 11.15 p.m. London, July 3. Sir Douglas Haig states: There is nothing to report in respect to aviation. The weather on the 2nd was fine, but hazy. Our machines worked as usual, but the enemy was less active. We destroyed thirteen aeroplanes and drove down nine uncontrollable. Four of ours are missing. We dropped nineteen tons of bombs on enemy railways, dumps, and billets.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.