DESPERATE FIGHTING

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXII, Issue LXXII, 10 July 1917, Page 5

DESPERATE FIGHTING

FRENCH POSITIONS EXTENDED

GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY

LONDON, July 8. A French communique states: An intense German bombardment from north of Laffaux mill to Froidmont farm preceded violent attacks on four different sectors on this front. After desperate fighting, the enemy masses were driven off with very heavy losses, our positions being entirely maintained. Between dcs Bovettes and Froidmont farm an attack developed on a front of three kilometres for several hours. In the struggle the enemy was ejected from the first line elements which he penetrated. We appreciably extended the position which we re-took on July 1 to the east of Cerny. We brilliantly carried three strong salients on the left bank of the Meuse, west of Mort Homme, and southwest of Hill 304 counter-attacks being reoulsed ' Q- Tl 1 it .LOND°N, July 9. Sir Douglas Haig reports: There is continued enemy aerial" activity. Our pilots yesterday frequently broke up large formations, and carried out successful raids. We bombed and ma-chine-gunned enemy aeroplane depots and troops. W e brought down six German machines, ten being driven down; Hiignt of ours are missing. (Australian-N.Z. C.A. and Reuter.) . . _. n LONDON, July 8. A wireless German official report says: Artillery duels are taking place on the coast in the Yores and Wytschaete sectors, also at" Lens, between ' the Somme and the Oise. French attacks westward of Cerny, southward of | JL«a Bovelle farm, south-westward of Allies, also at Mt. Cornillet, Hill 304 and on the western slope of Mort Homme failed. m Enemy aviators droooed a hundred incendiary bom hs in the Westphalian industrial region, at Trier, Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Rodalben, hut n» military damage resulted. The enemy yesterday lost nine aeroulanes at the rront.