ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 2734, 4 June 1915, Page 2

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

FRENCH GAINING STEP BY STEP

Paris, June 2. Official.— Wo captured the Souchez refinery. Tho enemy retook It at nighttime. AYe expelled them, and remain masters of the position, notwithstanding counter-attacks, and we inflicted heavy losses. We continue to carry, one by one, the German works m the Labyrinth, south-east of Neuville, and have made important progress in the northern part of this fortified system. We made prisoners of 150. After a violent bombardment on the outskirts of Bois le Pretre, the enemy recaptured some trenches taken by us on Sunday. A communique states: The French have taken a group of houses at Neuville, which they have held despite ,many counter-attacks. Ove 450 priso* ners have been captured since Monday last. The Germans twice bombarded Reims, particularly the Cathedral.

The final assault, leading to the'eapture of Ablain, cost the French tAvo hundred killed and wounded. Five hundred dead Germans were found in the ruins, and five hundred Avere taken prisoners. Fourteen machine guns Avere captured.

London, June 2. The Times correspondent in north France, referring to the heavy fighting at Neuville,and Souchez, says that they were two of the strongest points in tho German line. The French attacekd strongly, leading, the way through impregnable positions. Tlie Zouaves covered themselves with glory. They made three successive charges and suffered heavy losses, but finally carried a powerful German redoubt, cutting the defenders to pieces. The French offensive has long been prepared and is proceeding with gloAvmg success, despite huge difficulties. The positions already captured at Cauncy, La Tergalle, and Ablain were more strongly fortified than the other parts- of the German front.

Paris, June 3. Official.—After many months' sapping in the Carency sector, seventeen furnaces, each containing 300 kilogrammes- of explosives;" Avere pushe<s fonvard under 'the German lines. On May 9 during a heavy bombardment we exploded the 17 furnaces simultaneously. Almost all the barbed wire entanglements at Chevaux and Defrise Avere destroyed, trenches filled, many flanking works armed Avith mitrailleuses and bomb-thro Avers wrecked, and the»enemy's communications broken. Many Germans were obliged tc surrender. All ihe enemies m the subterranean works and furnaces Avere rendered useless. Seventy Germans wore captured in one gallery. Others died from suffocation. The operation contributed to our success in the Lorette, Carency, and Neuville sector. London, June 3. The official resume of the German operations round Ypres from April 22 to May 4 has been published in German papers. It discloses the enemy's motive in attacking. The Germans intended to exploit the unfavourable tactical situation in n'hich the Allies were placed by holding so pronounced a salient. The mission, of the enemy forces east and south-east of Ypres was to hold us in that quarter Avhile a decisive effort was made from the north to throw the Allies beyond the Yser in order to restrict tlie* German front, straighten their line and reduce the part of Belgium still held by. the -Allies. The Germans pay tributes to the British gallantry, notably their defence about Grafenstael on May 3. The account does not mention the'use of gas. Probably the Germans do not desire to publicly confess recourse to such methods. -

Some pretty combined Avork east of Ypres Avas carried out by our howitzers and machine-guns in co-opera-tion.

A party of 50 Germans, clad in khaki, entered the stables at the Chateau of Homge, near the Menin highroad. Machine-guns Avere trained on the doonvay, howitzers shelled the building, and drove out the enemy, Avho met a storm of lead from the ma-chine-guns. TAventy-seven fell. An officer of a medical corps eastAvard of Ypres, writing on the 24th, says the Guards charged through the gas and took the German trenches. The casualties Avere very severe. The men Avere compelled to bolt. In most cases the Avounded lay in the trenches and their comrades Avere unable to pull them out. The Germans shot or bayoneted the Avounded. The battle was terrific, the. British being slaughtered ivholesale through the gases. As soon as the gas reached a trench the Germans would rush in and bayonet or shoot the men. "Eye-Witness"'says the British hold their OAvn Avell in hand-grenade Avarfafe. German prisoners testify to heaA r y losses recently in this Avay. June 4, 8.55 a.m.) Paris, June 3. Tho French on the north of Souchez, on the road to Aix Houlette, drove the _ enemy out of the . woods, after a stiff hand-to-hand encounter. We are now advancing upon Souchez on three sides. The penetration of the labyrinth is necessarily slow, aud the loss of life heavy; but tho reduction of this strongly fortified position is essential to our further advance upon Vimy and Lens.