GREAT ENGLISH ATTACK IMMINENT.

North Otago Times, Volume CV, Issue 13940, 25 July 1917, Page 6

GREAT ENGLISH ATTACK IMMINENT.

GERMANS SUFFERING SEVERE LOSSES IN PRELIMINARY . ENGAGEMENTS, ~ SIGNIFICANCE OF PARTIAL FAILURE IN TIIE ' DUNES. , i (Australian nnil New Zonlnnd CaWo Association.) i LONDON, July 23. Mr Philip Gibbs, writing to The Daily Chronicle-says that since the Gorman thrust at Lombaortzydc on the 10th, there have been no important actions oh the British front, but ninny raids and minor activities. The shelling is sometimes ol ! great violence about Lous and A pros, and close to the coast. The enemy is suffering great wastage of men, and a single division which went into Lens has been burying eighty Germans daily for several weeks. Blood flows in a steady stream from the Germans at Lens. The Germans. retaliate.by shelling Wyteluieio ) Messines, Armentioros, and Loos, but the bombardment does not reveal any definite purpose. The enemy pour out gas shells, and we retaliate with gas clouds, which creep into the German trenches and craters ,and kill any man taking a breath. The enemy carried out a particularly leroeious bombardment to-day between Lombaertzvde and Nieuport, using many gas shells. They are'apparently doubtful when the next, blow will fall, and are trying to do as much d: image as possible before it happens, when the heavy guns must hurry back, as at AVytscliaete and Messines.

("The Times''' Service,) LONDON, July Dismissing the Dunes battle General von Ardenne writes in the Tageblatt that the English meant to make Nicuport a starting point for an advance on Ostcnd and Zeebrugge, which, as base's for submarines,.are thorns iii their fieslh but the loss of the bridges over the Vser spoilt their [ilan for the next great attack. They intended their left wing under the shelter of the Fleet, to envelope the German right. General von Ardeune forecasts that the British will proceed with these plans, despite the - partial failure, and remarks on the tremendous artillery action and other signs that indicatc that a great English attack will .be made shortly. (Australian nnd Xcw Zealand Cable Association.) LONDON, July 2:1. Sir Douglas ILaig reports; We have conducted successful local operations southward of Avion where we reached our objective with little loss, We raided and bombed enemy dug-outs southward of Ilavrincourt and in the neighbourhood of Butteeonrt and llollebeke. AVe repulsed raids at Lonibaertyzde and south-east ward of Loos. A French Communique says: German attacks, accompanied by violent bombardments, continued last night on the plateau before Cnionne to the Casemates. _ Afterwards extremely violent infantry attempts succeeded in penetrating our first line,' but immediately vigorous counter-attacks ejected the enemy from.all lint a siliall pof> ?•' tion. The struggle at California Plateau only at nijff^ nnd despite all efforts the enemy has been unable to drive us'off tlie Plateau.