THE BRITISH FRONT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4526, 18 April 1917, Page 5

THE BRITISH FRONT.

STEADY CAINS MAINTAINED. RE-CAPTURE OF LAGNS- - ENEMY TRAPPED IN THEIR OWN WIRE. Reuter’s Telegrams. (Received April 17. 6.15 p.m.) LONDON, April 17. Reuters’ Headquarters’ correspondent says:—The news that the great French offensive was started this morning ran through our army like wildfire, and evoked the greatest enthusiasm. The correspondent states that the captured six-inch naval guns mentioned in the communiques are being employed effectively against the Germans.

The other booty included great quantities of eight-inch shells, bombs, high explosives, and steel rails. Describing the counter-attack at Lagnicourt, the correspondent says: The Germans were caught in their own wire, which was not but in tlie direction in which they were forced back. While they ran wildly up and down, trj'ing to find a passage, our men, firing with deliberate aim, shot them down in hundreds. The intensity of the' rifle fire has not been equalled since the days of the Marne. Many of our men fired hundreds of rounds. The desperate Germans doubled right up to the attackers, holding up their hands.

HORRORS OF LAGNICOURT.

ENEMY’S LOSSES ENORMOUS. PRUSSIAN (GUARDS TRAPPED BY AUSTRALIANS. United Services. LONDON, April 16. An Australian counter-thrust cut up the Prussian Guard at Lagnicourt, upon their own entanglements. The Australians killed no less than fifteen hundred of them. The Australian rifle fire inflicted most appalling slaughter. Tlie Prussians screamed and sought to escape like rats from a trap until they dropped. The Evening Standard states that the Australians suffered in the check experienced at Bullecourt > on Easter Monday. They broke Hindenburg s line and went 'two thousand yards beyond . Tlie Australians were then caught in a snowstorm, and. deprived of 'aircraft observation, the artillery could not co-operate. They were forced to G Correspondents describing the recapture of Lagnicourt state : The German victory was shortlived. Our men rested, reformed, and stiffened with supports, went forward under the cover of a barrage. They advanced in alternate companies' one halting and firing whilst the other advanced, on the principle of a flanking fusilade. , When the positions were recaptured after three hours’ absence, fourteen hundred German corpses lay among a much larger number of wounded, while there were three bundled pus At a most conservative estimate the Germans lost two-thirds of a diAn authoritative explanation is given of the retirement of the. Australians after piercung (the Handen burg lines. A sudden snowstorm pre vented aircraft observation and artillery co-operation. _ „ The Petit Pansien states that lour German divisions participated m tne counter-attacks at the BapaumeCambrai road,, attempting to iecapture important points. ; , It was the most ambitious pio gramme undertaken for Hitherto the Germans have merely attempted to slop the Allied advance. The fighting was extremely fierce. When Lagnicourt was partly lost, important reinforcements, supporte by formidable artillery, rushed into the flame and smoke, captured tne village, and re-established the line.