THE WESTERN CAMPAIGN

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVI, Issue 16870, 31 May 1915, Page 7

THE WESTERN CAMPAIGN

THE FRENCH OFFENSIVE. IMPORTANT CAPTURES. By Teloeranh—Press Association —Copyright. PARIS, May ‘2B. The following communique has been issued : Our offensive jprogretsse.s at Ablain Saint Xuzairo. We occupied a. group of houses near the cemetery, which the Germans strongly held, and a ftp-wards carried by assault German trenches along the road to Moulin Xalon, south-east of Ablain. AVo also captured a large Gorman earthwork in the direction of Souehez, after heavy fighting, the enemy sustaining a serious defeat. \Ve captured seven officers, four hundred men and a dozen machine gun*.

I ALLIES PROGRESSING. BRITISH SUCCESS .NEAR LA BASSEE. FRENCH REPULSE ALL ATTACKS. (Received Alav 30. 11 a.in.f PARIS., May '29. 'Hie following official report lias been issued : The British progressed near La Bassee. The enemy's counter-attacks near Angres were continued with increasing violence, but failed. There ware seven within twenty-four hours. Our artillery and .infantry prevented any progress by our assailant., and the integrity of our position wa.s maintained despite a continuous bombardment of extreme intensity. Me progressed a hundred metres northward of Ecuri and took 1-I>o prisoners in Le Pietro forest. We progressed several hundred metres on Sehnepfenrietli height'-, in Alsaee. CONTINUED FRENCH SUCCESSES. VJLI.ACJ E OF AULA IN CARRIED. PARIS, .May '29. The. following official report has been issued:—

We carried the whole Tillage of Ablain after very hot fighting, anuih:-Ir-ting or putting to flight three German companies. Fighting continues at Neuville. We captured a fresh group of; houses in the western outskirts. We brought down an aeroplane near Thiau- ... court-. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. :f: FRENCH ATTACKS REPULSED. (Received May 31, 12.15 a.m.) AMSTERDAM, May 29. The following official German state ment lias been issued French counter-attacks on the road . from Bethune to Souchez were repulsed. . along the entire front with terrible * losses. Weak German force® were withdrawn unoliserved by night from tlie east part of Ablain, otherwiso there would have.i been useless bloodshed.':;;’ Gravelinei*, Dunkirk and St Omer wei'r'3 bombed by airmen. . > OFFICIAL NEWS.' HIGH COMMISSIONER S MESSAGES. The Prime Minister-has received tho. following mesages from the High Commissioner: v • - - t LONDON, May 28. ! ; At Ablain St Nazaire the French pur-; sued the offensive with complete suo. ■ cess. They made themselves masters of the cemetery captured on Thursday and a whole group of neighbouring! houses, notably the presbytery, which the enemy had strongly entrenched, afterwards taking by assault German trenches on the road Ablain-Moulin Halow. In a violent counter-attack during , the night they retained all the ground captured, simultaneously inflicting heavy losses on the enemy. At daybreak, in the direction, of Soucliez, they captured an important German earthwork at Quatre Bouquet Eaux, where, lively fighting, the enemy sustained a serious repulse. LONDON, May 29. Last night the French progresed. east of the Aix Noulette-Souohez Road. Toward midnight the Germans counter-at-tacked the French trenohes at St Nazaire, but were easily repulsed. In the Argonne. district, at Fontaine Madame, the French took portion of a German t-renoh.