BRITISH AND FRENCH CAPTURES

Nelson Evening Mail, 16 May 1917, Page 5

BRITISH AND FRENCH CAPTURES

NEARLY 50,000 PRISONERS. 444 HEAVY GUNS TAKEN. , (Australian arid N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, May 14. The correspondent of the United Press at Headquarters says the English and French between April 9th and May 12th j captured 49,579 prisoners, including .976 ! officers. They also captured 444 heavy. field guiis, 943 machine guns, and 386" trench mortars. A SWISS ESTIMATE. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) BERNE, May 14. The German losses in the West since the New Year are heavier than anything hitherto experienced. It is estimated that 150.0C0 were killed and .taken prisoner in four months, and at least' 150,000 were seriously wounded. The losses of officers were especially h-avy. Including machine guns, the Germans lost 3000 pieces of artillery which they are only able to replace by taking guns from" the Russian and Roumanian fronts/ The German gun factories are unable to keep pace with the ordinary armv demands. A factory at Elbmg is constructing tanks,'which the Germans * claim will be much more formidable than the British and French machines. 1 A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. < Australian J and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) LONDON, May 14. A German official message says: "There is increased artillery activity at Ypres and Wvtschaete. An isolated English advance near Oppy and 'Fam- . poux failed. Bitter fighting continued at Bullecourt. We retained the ruins "against several attacks. The destruction, wrought by the enemy shelling -St. Quentin. is increasing aaaW. Tweive enemy aeroplanes and a Balloon brought down yesterday."