THE FRENCH LINES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVII, Issue 9051, 23 July 1917, Page 6

THE FRENCH LINES.

SANGUINARY GERMAN DEFEAT

LONDON, July 21

A French communique states; —- German attempts to extend the slight advantage gained yesterday between the Caliiorme casemates and the Plateau were equally vain; moreover, energetic counter-attacks enabled us to surround a pocket into which the enenemy had penetrated.

We hold the entire crest of the plateau, but the enemy still retains a space of 600 metres and is clinging to the norther nodge of the plateau, where our first-line positions formerly were, but which the bombardment

completely destroyed. Eenemy attacks, or attempted attacks, followed very violent bombardments at many points of the sectors, Cerny-Hurtebise and on the Craonne Road, north of Braye en Laonnais, but the accurate iire and vigilance of our troops caused the enemj's plans to fail. An enemy attack, carried out with force south-east of Cerny, twice penetrated our advanced trenches on a front of 250 metres. On each occasion we vigorously counter-attacked, and ' completely drove out the enemy. We broke up, with heavy losses, a powerful enemy concentration for an attack between Hurtebise and the California Plateau. Wo recaptured trench .elements in the region of the Moulin sous Tousvent. The artillery duel is fairly lively north of the Aisne.