SURPRISE ATTACK ON FRENCH FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 169, 17 July 1916, Page 5

SURPRISE ATTACK ON FRENCH FRONT

* GERMANS MAKE TEMPORARY GAIN AT BIACHES. T ARTILLERY STXIX ACTIVE AT FLEURY. . LOXDOX, July 16. A French official communique says:—South of the Somme this evening the Germane, profiting by the fog. slipped along the canal, launching violent attacks on Maisonette and Biaehes, a mile east of Peronne. which were captured by surprise, but the Trench, counter-attacking vigorously, Tegained the position as far as a smnJl wood northwards, where the enemy is still resisting. "In the region of Chauines, after a violent bombardment, an'enemy detachment penetrated the first line of trenches north of Chilly, but was promptly thrown out by .a counter-attack. •Xorth of the Aisne, near Ouichee. we effected a surprise attack on. the German trenches, w-hich were cleared of the enemy. - ■-* •In the sector at Fleury, north of Verdun, artillery activity, oa both sides remains very marked. REPRISAL FOR THE LUNEVILLE BOMBARDMENT. " PARIS, July Is. A communique save:—"The day was comparatively quiet on the-whole French front. "French aeroplanes last night, in reprisal for the German bombardment of the open town of Luneville, dropped several heavy shells on the town of Mulheim. "We repulsed a German grenade attack north-east of the Avocourt redonbt. Several German attempts to advance at Apremont failed under pur curtain lire/