FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 17 March 1915, Page 5

FRANCE AND BELGIUM.

A BJtILLIANT ATTACK

GERMAN HOLD ON LILLE

PRECARIOUS

BRITISH TROOPS AT NEUYE

CHAPELLE.

IHMM DASH NOT LOST DUHING

WINTJJR

PARIS, March 16

Official.— The French infantry, by a v brilliant attarik, captured three lines of trenches -on a spur at Notre Dame de jLorette, and reached the edge of the gplateau. They took a, hundred isqn•ersand blew .up an ammunition store. They also blew up several German ttrenefces at *Le Curie and Roelincourt. Serious fighting occurred at Albert, north-west' of . Nouvron woo3s, northeast of 'Souvain, and norfk^east of "Ferthes. Numerous eouiiter-attacks "were repulsed. . In the Argonne, at Bois lie Pretre, •cur infantry captured the western part of Vauquois, making pfisorrers. "The Allies' bombardmeirc in the .^neighborhood of Lille compelled part of the '"German headquarters staff to retire "to Tournai. It is believed that the Germans will shortly Tae forced to evacuate Lille. This would "be a severe loss,*bßeause it is the iunefiion of many Tailway lines commanding Belgium. LONDON, TVtarch 16. The "Dairy Mail correspondent cables ithat the "British attack on Neuve Chapelte proved that the troops had not lost their dash during "-fche winter, and exceeded their eommariders' high-, «st hopes. "The district is dotted with v -miners? little houses anil occasional slag "heaps. The Germans had concerted "the "houses into -strongholds "bristling with machine . -guns. The Germans left .five thousand dead. It is estimated that altogether'their dead totalled "five thousand, and at least 13,000 were wounded. Fog "is hampering further operations. PARIS, March 16. Belgians 'captured a windmill at

DixmuHe, which the Germans had ■*~- -transformed into a fortress by means . of reinforced concrete. The Belgians •mined, "blowing the mill to pieces, including 30 machine guns. XONDON, March 16. From 'Berlin it is officially reported iibat'tho Governor^General of 'Belgium lrns introduced compulsory schooling.