ON THE MEUSE.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15606, 2 June 1916, Page 7

ON THE MEUSE.

GERMAN ATTACKS AGAIN FAIL CONDUCT OF THE WAR DEBATED. ME ASQUJLTH'S DEFENCE OF LORD KITCHENER. (669 th DAY OF THE WAR.)

THE WESTERN THEATRE. | THE BRITISH FRONT. ' | A FORTNIGHT'S OPERATIONS. AN INTERESTING REVIEW. HEAVY FIGHTING NORTH OF ARRAS. (Received Juno Ist, 7.10 p.m.) LONDON. June 1. The following record of the happenings on tho entire British front during the past fortnight, in -which the oversea troops have taken a full and active shnre, has been issued. The most active centres of fighting jjvere Sonchcz village and the Vimv I Ridge. Tho fury of the artillery attack on Vimy Ridge had not been equalled since the Allies' -offensive n September. During the bombardment on May 21st. the smoke and dust could be seen for miles'.' and all the subsequent 'fighting occurred in the cloud. The enemy concentrated the fire of 100 batteries on the small front, wiping out the trench. The German infantrv had little to faco except our barrage of fire. During the 22nd and 23r<l our patrols' Vimy were engaged in gallant bayonet fighting, and accounted for a considerable number of the* enemy. Severe fighting south-east of Souchcz village lasted from the 15th to the 2oth. The position is now comparatively static. The enemy's artillery fire in Flanders reached .its .greatest intensity on the (sector between Ilooge and the YpresRoulers railway. "We replied, punishing the enemy's artillery. Our firo burst five gas cylinders in the German trenches oi) the 23rd. the enemy's troops suffering from their own poi-

Though the general situation from Arras to the Sonmie was unchanged, there was considerable local activity. Tho result of the trench raids lias encouraged our men in tho belief that they are more than a match for the cnemy. v Typical German raiding parties attacked our trcnches at three points, but our men invariably flung them back. Patrol work also led to encounters, in which the enemy suffered considerably. These incidents were valuable in keeping up the spirit of adventure and initiative among our men. Our artillery on the southern part of the line organised heavy bombardments which practically demolished the enemy's barrier on the Albert-Peronne load.•

ON THE ItEUSE.. DESPERATE STRUGGLE CONTINUES. ATTACKS ON MORT HOMME FAIL. SITUATION SAVED AT CUMIERES. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, May. 31. West of the Mouse there was a sanguinary combat yesterday, and in the course of the night between Mort. liommc and the river. Following up a bombardment of unprecedented violence which lasted two days, the enemy launched repeated concentrated attacks on the trenchcs cast of Mort Homme and in the vicinity of Cumieres. Everywhere the enemy was repulsed with" imnortant losses. In the region south of Caurettes Wood the French front line trenches, which had been completely levelled by the bombardment, were evacuated. South of Cumieres the German attacks made on both sides of the village succeeded at first in throwing us back in the direction of the station at Chattancourt, but lively counter-attacks drove the enemy up to the borders of the village. Some parties of Germans, who crent along the Meuse, favoured bv fog, "until they reached the upper end of Chattancourt station, wero completely annihilated by our fire. East of the Meuse the artillery combat was intermittent. FRENCH SUCCESS AT MOET HOMME. VIOLENT BOMBARDMENTS PROCEEDING. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, May 31 (10.30 p.m.). West of tho Meuse there was a violent bombardment with shells of large calibre of our positions in the region of Avocourt and Hill 304. On Wednesday afternoon, during the course of a lively attack by our troops, a strongly organised German work on tho sonth-west slopes of Mort Homme was carried. Wo captured 200 prisoners and seven machine-guns. East of the Meuse there is very great artillery activity ©n both sides between the Meuso and Fort Vaux. Our batteries caught under their fire and dispersed assemblies of the enemy north of the Fosses Wood.

THE GERMAN RESERVES. DRAWING! ON OTHER SECTORS. PARIS, 31. Tile semi-official review ot the situation on the Meuso says that another lull in the enemy's general operations against the wholo of tho M'ort Homme-Cumieres line followed Monday afternoon's double bloody defeat at Mort Homme and Hill 304. Tho Germans succeeded in takin.-j; temporarily at Louchress some portions of the first lino of trenches by whole divisions upon a two-milo front. Tho men who took part in this action were fresh troops drawn from another part of the Western front, wliicji •proves that the exhaustion of his reserves is compelling tho enemy to deplete liis forces on the quiet sectors. The French look forward to the an".' results of these costly blows with absolute confidcnce. IN ALSACE. GERMAN ATTACK DEFEATED. 1 The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, May 31. In Upper Alsace -the enemy, after intense artillery preparation, attacked our positions on a front of about 220*. 1 metres east of Seppois, taking foot in sonio portions of our trenches, but wcr-' immediately thrown out bv a counterattack. L- IN GERMANY. j • I THE NEW WAR LOAN. | COPENHAGEN, May 31. I The. Reichstag will next week b* asked to authorise a war loan « f j 12,000,000,000 marks (about £600,000 000).