WESTERN FRONT FRENCH PROGRESS AT KEMMEL

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 113, 17 May 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT

FRENCH PROGRESS AT KEMMEL

SUCCESSFUL BOMBING RAIDS

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. 1

LONDON, May 16

Sir Douglas Haig reports: The French captured prisoners and successfully advanced their line in "local fighting northward of Kemmel. We brought down eight aeroplanes on Tuesday, and drove down another. Two of ours are missing. Bombing continued actively both night. Twelve tons of bombs were dropped tat Mer£n, 'Chaulnes, _ fcnd Ptronne, and also at the station at L"Jel, billet at Bapaume, billets south of the Somme, and the docks at Bruges. All the machines returned. We successfully raided on day th e railway station and sidings at Thionville, dropping 24 heavy bombs. Bursts were observed ou the sheds, track and furnaces. We hitTtlie Carlshutte factory, alongside the railway, four times. AH the machines returned despite a heavy an-ti-aircraft fire. A French communique says:— There is great reciprocal 'jartill ery activity north of the Avre. One of our air squadrons dropped 7000 kilogammes of projectiles on the Tourne.

The enemy bombarded the region of Dunkirk, causing slight cTamage. but no casualties.

VIOLENT BOMBARDMENT AT MONTDIDIER.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.)

LONDON, May 15 (evening)

| A French communique says : i There have been violent bombardi ments north of Montdidier and between Montdidier and Noyon. i We yesterday; evening seized a wood ' on the west bank of the Avre. J A strong counter attack this morn- . ipg was repulsed with heavy losses.

A German attack south of Rollot was also completely defeated.

GERMAN REPORT.

(Australian and N.Z. Association.) and Reuter.)

(Admiralty per Wireless Press.)

LONDON, May 16. A German official report says :—We took 120. prisoners during successful attacks northward of Kemmel. There is intense artillery fire in the Kemmel region, where in connection With jjagements developed. We 'bomjbetl' Calais and Dunkirk.

A MODERATELY QUIET DAY.

{Australian and N.Z. Cable Association

j -'-=-•. • LONDON, May 15. I The United Press correspondent ' writes r—The battle front was moderately quiet .There was £ ome fighting i.orthward of Kemmel, where Hill 44, taken already several times by Von. Armin's. stormers, has been re- . gained by the CFrendh. in a 'snappy counter-attack.

A. similar state of things exists eastward of Amiens, where the Austra-. lians sturdily "biffed" the Germans out of .Morlancourt.

The artillery has been "barking louder during the past 24 hours around •Corbit, Morlaneourt, Arrais, and elsewhere. Both sides are jostling for position. The Germans are desperately eager to obtain certain advantageous jumping off places before. the big smash.

AMERICAN. FRONT.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Rec. May 17, 11.20 a.m.)

. LONDON, May 16. An American communique states : There was a marked increase of reciprocal artillery activity north of Toul and l in Lorraine. ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.) (Rec. May 17, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, May 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports : The- > was reciprocal artillerying in the burame and Ancre Valleys, eastward of Arras, and on the northern battle-front. AIR RAID AT PARIS.

NO 'CASUALTIES

(Reuter's Telegrams.)

LONDON, May 16. Aeroplanes bombe6*--?'aris. There were no casualties.

NO ENEMY MACHINES. REACH PARIo. *

fAustraKian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Rec. (May 17, 11.20 a.m.) '(Official.; PARIS, May 16. The air raid alarm " was given at 10 in the evening. Guns opened fire and defending aeroplanes ascended. No enemy machines reached Paris, but bombs were dropped in the suburbs. The rignal "Ail clear'' was given at midnight. '.','-.. ",,-.'. '