FURTHER PROGRESS IN THE LENS SECTOR.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 156, 2 July 1917, Page 5

FURTHER PROGRESS IN THE LENS SECTOR.

ENEMY'S DEFENCES ON A HALF-MILE FRONT CAPTURED. (Received 10.3j a.m.) LuXDuX. -July 1. Crneral Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Following yesterday - * success southward of 1.c.,- up attacked lust night on the north bank of the Soucuez and i-ujitured tin- enemy's defences on a half-mile front south-west of the town. We successfully raided last niglrt noith-eastward uf lOpehy. south of the Arrast'ambrai road.- i.\ and X.Z. and Keuter.) iU-v,i,-r-< opecial correspondent .it Hritwh head.parter* says: -l"ji to Thursday eveniug w« wire systematically pushing the i.iTinan-; in v north-easterly direction. The double operations « hieh developed o:i Thursday eveniug. although distinct in their phases, wen- part of the same tactical scheme. The i-neimV withdrawal from the outer defences of Lens tended to weaken the resisting powers on the Oppy line, between there and Soiiclu-*. so occasion »::., taken to strike a blow, with HatUfaetor.v results. \\> made a sulsstanlia! gain i.i territory round the Lens salient at the cost of light casualties. With except inns, the enemy is not lighting well, lie knows ]„. i» „„•,„'« backward, and whether told that it i* in uecordam-e with plnn or that lie realises that he is being beaten back, the result must equally bo to produce the "under dear" feeling. More than once tup oeciipants of trenches and p<,-i, liavr bolti'd at the approach of our men.—i Renter.j ADVANCE ALONG A FGUR-imE FRONT. LuNDoN. ,h,!\ 1. A report from Mr Dor,-ia- ilaig stun-: Additional iiiformatioi; loniirms the Micri'fs uf our itH.-ni operation-, in the neighbourhood o! I.en*. We made an important :ii<ruiice on a front of l-nr miles to a depth of over a mile, and captur.-! a series of -t i i>ti; ..rs,-:i ni:-.-d defensive sv.-teni* tin both iiaiiks of the Siitiche/ I-iiver covering I.en-. We ruined thw whole of our objective*. We ;i.Hided considerable casualties on t! nem\. while our losses were slight.. Kiiemy positions of great strength and tacutal and strategic importance are now in our hand:-. A later report from Sir Uoiiglas Haig state": — We again made progress south of Lens. We have captured a further portion of the enemy trench system. '1 here have been several encounters with larjji formations of hostile aircraft. We brought do« a ten enemy machines. One of ours is missing. — (A. and X.Z. and Keuter.l 6ERIMNS EVACUATING THE BELGIAN COAST. HEAVY LOSSES UNDER BRITISH BOMBARDMENT. (Received 10..v> a.m.) AMSTKKIUM. .Tul.> 1. '■hem is full of people evacuated from (Mend. I oiirtrai. and Meuin. Kefupees stati' that the Hermans have nhandon.'d the i-oiu-t. retiring a- tHr as • '.-tend, fearing annihilation under the British luimbardment. which wnmgnt liavoe in many towns. A lierman from Xeebruffffe dwlarep that nearly forty torpnlo hoats and submarines were in-t in the recent actions with the British naval forces. — lA. and X.Z. I able.l LIVELY FIGHTING VERDUN SECTOR. POST AT MORTHOMME LOST AND RETAKEN FIVE TIMES. i Kecciied l.ai) p.m.) I.i »N l)i iN. lui\ 1. A French cnmmunii|iie says:- Despite a rPcriiiloM-nnce of the bombardnn-iit eaft of Cerny. onlj local engjijicments wt-re fouifht in the .sector from ( cms to the A,Me. where v,. repul-ed pnriiiy attempts at various points. The enemy viuli-ntly bombarded the front lines i-ust of Kheim-. The artillery struußlf continues intent ;„ the reijion of Avoeourt Wood. Hill :;oi. and Mnrthomtne. Hiir tire Miia-hed ail attack cm Avejcourt Reilnulit. A livid\ i-npisrement i- in progress v.--t of Morthomme around one of our advanced )>o.-t-. which «»< ]~~t and retaken live times, and linnllv übandoni'd I>v both -ide-. "iinlirc hud rn:npU>telj destroyed it.—'A. and 5.7.. and Keutcr.i INTENSE ARTILLERY DUELS ON HiLL 30A-. L' 'MX IX, July 1. A I'reucii communiijue states:—The artillt-rv strujisfli' h;is beru continued w itii extreme violence throughout the Avoeourt-.Morthouime region. Ut delivered a counter-attack west of Hill Wll. the portion of trenchta prfviour.lv occupied by the enemy. ! .lv the lit-rniand undertook ;t violent olfensive west of Morthommc on a front oi about a mile and a halt. A lat-r communiiiuc states; The artillery duel has continued intensely in the sectors ol Hill :»i>4 and Avoeourt Wood, nuv tii. nearly annihilated the (.erman storming troops, wlio at first mm e.-ded in penetruting our iir-t line abmi; the whole length of the front attacked. Tiny were reptlUed on tha great; r part by our eounter-attaek** expect on the western slopes of Mortiiorame. where they retained a footing , , iA. and N.Z. and Keuter.l The latest Krench communii]Ue state?: Creat artillery acth ity continues lietwepn Avoeourt Wood ami Morthommc The enemy's repeated attempts to improve his gam- were frustrated, otherwise there is nothing to report. — (A. and S.X. l'able.l Anot! it Krench communique state-: North-east of I'erny, the enemy r.newcd strong attack-, launching two »n La Hovelle supported by a stream of liquid tire. Alter a violent lipht. the Germans gained a foothold in a salicit , v |i ~., )ia<l I n completely llatt-ni-d out by the bnmbardment. After the heavi defeat iiillicted on him last evening in the region of ferny, the runny further attackeil our positions north-east cf the village, and Biieeeeded. after sevenl fruitlehs attempt-, c-tmc; heavy casualties. in again penetrating our first line elements, from wliieh we had driven him. Smith east of (orlieny. the lierman; launeued a particularly violent attack during the same niylit. Sever.il linttalioii.< of special assaulting troops were engaged. They made several attempt.- to carry the salient on both sides of the Laon-Rhehns road, but the vuves of assault were broken and rolled back, heavy losses being inflicted on the enemy.—i.A. and X.Z. and Reuter.l "DIGGING OUT" THE GERMAN FLEET. AMERICAN ADMIRAL DECLARES FOR THE PLAN. (Keceived 1J.1.j p.m.) NKW YORK. July 1. Cear Admiral I- i-k<- durliirrs that the Allies must in alter the I.erman llr-et before lack of oil tics up the British Dreadnoughts. The Hermans could bo swamped in their own harbours and the war won if a swarm of torpedo boats and plain's accompanied the Allied Meet. The American Navy has almost doubled its personnel since the war. and requires less than J"),ll'iu men to reach the authorised strength of 150,000. — (KeUtcr.J AUSTRIAN' HEAVY LOSSES ON ASSAGO PLATEAU LOXDOX. July L *An Italian official report states:—Our advanced posts were withdrawn from the Agnella lass. on the Asiugo Plateau, owing to the violent bombardment. We occupy the cits Tern end of the pass. Enemy attack? on Mont? I'iccolo and (.'olbrieon. :n the valley of the Tirenton. failed.—i A. and $.Z. and Keuter.l It ls estimated that the Auetrians lost seven battalion? in their attcmrit to take Huunt Ortigara on the Asiago Plateau.—(A, aud X.Z.)