AIR RAIDS AND LOCAL ACTIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 204, 17 May 1918, Page 5

AIR RAIDS AND LOCAL ACTIONS

STILL NO SIGN OF MAJOR OFFENSIVE

NEWS OF THE NEW ZEALANDERS

By Telegraph-Pross Association-Copyright. London, May 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Wo repulsed an attempted raid north of Lens, and made a successful raid north-east of Robecq. The hostile artillery was active during the night in the Somnio and An ore Valleys, north of Bethune, and in the Nieppe Forest, and its activity increased this morning south-west of Morlancourt and of Kemuiel."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Rcuter. ' (Hoc. May 16, 11.45 p.m.) London, May 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The French captured prisoners and successfully advanced their line in local fighting northward of Kommel to-day. J '—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Ronter. (Rec. May 17, 0.5 a.m.) r.. t. , rr •.■ •,- London, May 16. fair Douglas Haig 8 aviation report statos: "We brought down eight aeroplanes on Tuesday and drove down another. Two of ours are missing. Bombing continued actively at night. Twelve tons of explosives were dropped on Menin, Chaulnes, and Peronne; also on the station at Lille, the Gorman billets at Bapaume, billets south of the Somme, and the docks at Bruges. All the machines returned. We successfully raided on Wednesday the railway station sidings at Thionville, dropping twenty-four heavy bombs. Bursts were observed on the sheds, track, and furnaces. We hit the Carlshntte. factory, alongsido the railway, four times. All the machines returned in spite of heavy anti-aircraft gun-fire."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. • BATTLEFIELD MODERATELY QUIET (Rec. May 16, 7.30 p.m.) London, May 15. The United Press correspondent writes: "The battlefront is moderator? quiet to-day. There has been some fighting northward of Kemmel, where Hill 14 which had been taken already several times by Von Arnim's storming troops' had been regained by the French in a snappy counter-attack. A fimilar stato of things prevails eastward of Amiens, whore the Australians sturdily 'biffed' the Germans out of Morlancourt. The artillery has been barking loudor during the past twenty-four hours tround Corbie, Morlancourt, Arras, and eisowhere Both sides are jostling for positions. The Germans are desperately eager to ol>" tain certain advantageous jumping-ou" places before the big smash."—Ana -N Z Cable Assn.' THE NEXT PHASE OF THE OFFENSIVE London May 15 Mr. Phillip Gibbs writes: "The Somme battlefield is again a quagmire following upon'heavy, rain. The Germans are experiencing the difficulties our'men had in 1917; but the difficulties are not insuperable. The- next phase of tho offensive has been postponed, but not prevented. I believo it will come very 60on The enemy has merely revised his time-table. One thing he cannot do now mid that is to separate the British and French. It is too late. They aro' one homogenous army."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Ass n .-Router.

THE NEW ZEALAND FBONT

(Special dispatch from tho New Zealand Official War Correspondent, Captain Malcolm Ross.)

London, Mav u. A calm that is almost uncanny prevails on our sector, and, indeed, over a laigo part of the front. In the- meantime our daily casualty list has fallen very much. Such casualties as occur arc almost entirely from 6hellfire, but all the evidence points to the greater effectiveness of our a'rtillorv. It may bo' that this unwonted calm is merely a prelude to another extensive German onslaught, for which ammunition and even aeroplanes are being saved. There have been minor affairs between the'patrols. During a raid on the enemy's trenches wo captured ten Germane. ON THE FRENCH FRONT . _ . / London, May 15. .A French oommunique states: "There 13 an intermittent bombardment in the Grivesnes 6ector. Enemy assemblages and convoys in the 'egion of Montdidier and the Noyon-Guiseard Eoad were dispersed."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.Eeutor. (Eec. May K, 7.30 p.m.) ! , _• . London, Mav 15. A French official communique states: "There have been violent boiubardmants north of MontdiderandbetwoenMontdiderandNoyon. Last evening we seized a wood on the west bank of the Avre. A strong counter-attack this morning was repulsed with heavy losses. A German attack. south of Bollot was also completely defeated."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable AssD.-Beuter. 'Eec. May 16, 11.45 p.m.) London, MaT 16. A French official communique states: "Great reciprocal artillery activity prevails north of the Avre. One of our air squadrons dropped several tons of projectiles on the railway station at Chatelct-sur-le-Toulne. Tho memy bombarded the region of Dunkirk and did slight damage, but there were no rictims."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eouter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT London, May 15. Admiralty, per Wireless Press:—A German official- report states: "We carried out a successful local thrust on tho Bray-Corbie Eoad. Vigorous counterattack failed."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Beuter. (Eec. May 18, 11.45 p.m.) London, May IG. A wireless Germau official report claims that 120 prisoners were taken during successful attacks northward of Kemmel. There was intense artillerv firing in the Kemmel region, where, in connection with French thrusts, fresh infantry engagements developed. We bombed Calais and Dunkirk."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.Eeuter. (Eec. May 17, 0.5 a.m.) „ . , London, May IG. A wireless German official report states:—"During the repulse of an enemy attack northward of Kemmel a limited breach in our foremost lines remained in the enemy's hands."—Aus.-N.Z. CaWe Assn.-Eeuter. WESTERN FAILURE ADMITTED New York, May 15. The Copenhagen correspondent of the New York "Times" says that the "Politikon" quotes a prominent German politician as admitting lhat Germany's Western offensive has not been a success. Too many lives have been lost. Von Hindenhurg professes tho belief that tho Gorman Army can reach the coast—but Von Hindonbiirg has been stopped.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE CONFERENCE OF EMPERORS Paris, May 15. The Zurich correspondent of "L'o Matin" states that tho Emperor Kail tins returned suddenly to Vienna. Tho Gorman newspapers aro apparently dissatisfied with the results of the conference.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.