WESTERN FRONT.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 349, 7 February 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE. CANADA PROVIDING RAILWAY LINES. [AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.] Sydney, Jan. 31. Mr. Frank Coffee, of Sydney, who has returned from a trip to America, gives some interesting information of what Canada is doing in connection with the great offensive which is expected in the West in the coming spring. He said that large gangs of men were now actively engaged tearing up the railway lines and sleepers from one end of Canada to the other wherever they could be spared; and this railway material was beingsent over to France in order to construct lines for the conveyance of troops and war material w ; as being sent over to France means Canada would supply 3000 additional miles of railways for the use of the troops. Colonel Stewart, one of Canada’s largest railway contractors, is the moving spirit, and he is personally directing the removal of this huge quantity of rails and sleepers. Colonel* Stewart has also got together 1000 engineers and others tc lay down these rails, and this -work is now being carried out with all possible speed.

BRITISH CAPTURE 500 YARDS OF TRENCHES.

POSITIONS CONSOLIDATED

[AUSTRALIAN AND N.Z. CABLE ASSN.]

(Received 7, 8.55 a.m.) London, Feb. 6. Sir Douglas Haig reports.—We repulsed three attempted raids on the Somme front. . In a local operation we carried out yesternight, north-eastward of Queudecourt we were entirely successful. We occupied five hundred yards of trenches and repulsed two counter-attacks. We entered lines yesternight at three points in the neighbourhood of Bouchavesnes, Pys and Grandcourt. The enemy made four unsuccessful counter-attacks on our new’ front. Eastward of Beaucourt- our positions were consolidated. A partv which reached our lines north-eastward of Vermelles was ejected.