THE WESTERN THEATRE.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16083, 13 December 1917, Page 7

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE BRITISH FRONT. c SUCCESSFUL RAID NEAR LENS. (Australian ond N.Z. Cable Association.) (Reuter's Telegrams.) (Received December 12th, 11.0 p.m.) LONDON, December 1--Sir Douglas Haig reports : — "We carried out a succcssful raid westward of Hulluch (near Lens). A number of enemy raiding parties were repulsed southward of Armentieres. "The enemy's aeroplanes were particularly active, on Monday westward of Cambrai. They repeatedly attacked our artillery and machine-gunners. Our aeroplanes dropped many bombs and machine-gunned villages, hutments, and trenches. Wo brought down five Gennan machines, and three of ours are missing." OFFICIAL FRENCH REPORT. (Received December 12th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, December 12. A French communique states:— "There is moderate reciprocal artillery activity on the greater part of our front." MUCH AERIAL ACTIVITY. (iiy Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright,) (Australian and N.Zi. Cable Association.) (Reuter'a Telegrams.) LONDON, December 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "There was unusual mutual aerial activity yesterday, particularly south of the Scarpe and north of the Lye. "We repulsod a raid east of Epehy, and dispersed working parties on the Cambrai front, securing prisoners." ON THE CAMBHAI FRONT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association,) (Received December 12th, 10.40 p.m.) LONDON, December 11. Mr Philip Gibbs writes: — "There are only patrol encounters on the Cambrai front. The enemy is busy digging into cover opposite our new line. We have the advantage of still being -within the deeply-dug Hindenburg line, while the Germans axe exposed to oiir artillery fire, which does Mot allow their working partios cny rest. Twenty-seven German divisions aro massed on the Cambrai section, all of which have been eiigaged in fighting. Tho Germans aro displaying great aerial activity, bombing our dumps, depots, and field-works. We retaliate with great numbers of fighting planes.