FRENCH OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 144, 19 June 1915, Page 5

FRENCH OFFENSIVE

FIERCE STRUGGLE NORTH OF ARRAS NOTABLE SUCCESSES IN ALSACE. (By Telegraph.— Press Association.— Copyright.) PARIS. 18th June. Official:— The fight northward of Arras is extremely intense. There were numerous desperate infantry actions, and a violent artillery duel continues. We made important progress, and almost wholly maintained our gains, despite the eneaiy's furious counter-at-tacks. We captured several lines of trenchec on both sides of the Aix-Nou-lette-Souehez road. The Germans still hold ground at Buval Bottom, but are almost surrounded. Wo captured the Souchez cemetery, and gained ground on the slopes south-eastwards, ' known as Hill I^9. We cariied by assault, southward of Neuville, the first line of the enemy, using the bayonet and handgrenades, under violent artillery fire. Our infantry, after attacking with extreme vigour, effectively supported by nearly 300,000 shells, met, during Wednesday night, violent repeated counterattacks, and repulsed them on the whole front. We only evacuated a small wood southward of Hill 119, owing to artillery fire. The Germans had eleven divisions engaged, and suffered high losses. We experienced serious losses. We took prisoners totalling upwards of six hundred, including twenty officers. Our air squadron effectively bombed the enemy reserves at Givcnchy and La Volie wood, dispersing masses of troops in progress of formation. The enemy's grave defeat at Gueunevieres, between the Aisne and the Oise, is confirmed by the great riumbe.ji.of corpses in front of our trenches. Incendiary shells were dropped at Reims. In the Alsatian Vosges, we captured Alteahof, a suburb of MetzeraL and t-h«u

Steinbrnck. We continue our progress on both banks of the Fecht. The Germans- set fire to Metzeral. We took five hundred prisoners, including ten officers, and captured three trench mortars, three machine guns, and an asphyxiating gas plant. Our aeroplane brought down a German machine in Alsace, and the occupants were killed.