THE LYS FRONT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue LXXIV, 20 April 1918, Page 5

THE LYS FRONT.

SEVERE FIGHTING ON GREATER PART. ALL ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED FIERCE STRUGGLE AT GIVENCHY FRENCH STOP ASSAULTS AT VERDUN. (Australian-N.Z. C.A. and Reuter.) LONDON, April 19 (12.30 a.m.)' Sir Douglas Haig reports: There has •• been severe fighting on the greater part of the Lys battlefront. Strong at- j tacks followed a bombardment from | La Bassee canal to the Lys river eastwards of St. Venant. All were repulsed with extremely heavy losses. We took 200 prisoners. The struggle was particularly fierce :, in the neighborhood of Givenchy, where determined enemy efforts failed. The fighting here is continuous. The enemy's artillery is active on the whole of this front. Further attacks developed later in the morning southward of Kemmel, but they were repulsed. LONDON, April 18 (4.40 p.m.) A French communique states: In the region of Corbeny our. fire dispersed strong enemy detachments which were attempting to reach our lines. After heavy artillery preparations the enemy launched several coups-de-main in the Champagne on the right . of the Meuse, east of Caurieres Wood, and in the direction of Damloup. We repulsed all, and made several successful attacks north-east of Rheims and in Lorraine. LONDON, April 19. j Wireless German official: Following the retreating enemy, we captured I Zonnebeke and drove back the enemy j behind Steenbrook. A counter-thrust j south of Blankaert Lake checked our . forward movement. We gained ground north of the Lys. We took 2500 pri- 1 ■sons during the last few days, also numerous machine guns. A stiong French thrust north of Fleurey sanguinarily failed. French attacks north •of Moreuil broke down.