BITTER STRUGGLES WAGED ON THE FRENCH FRONT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16499, 27 March 1917, Page 5

BITTER STRUGGLES WAGED ON THE FRENCH FRONT.

I ' GERMANS DRIVEN BACK WITH SERIOUS- LOSSES. SUFFERINGS OF CIVILIANS AVENGED BY THE ARMY. ';£■ . . By Telegraph— Association—Copyright. '.''•..\ ?■■..'. ■"•/•'■-..=■' H||. Australian, and N.Z. Cat!*. (Eeceired 9 p.m.) := "■,,'%./> LONDON, .March, 25. ' , A French communique states: " From the. ; Somme to the Aisne " we have- continued our offensive.. ; .A, bitter' struggle has resulted, - from the/ energetic defence of the enemy, but our soldiers are :so . exasperated by, the enemy's ravages' everywhere that they have driven ; ; back the Germans with serious losses. On the Somme-Oise front we threw back the enemy beyond an important position at '■; :■--.-■' - • , and Essigny-le-Grand, seven', miles .. south and . west of St Quentin. '■ A violent counter-attack was repulsed South of the Oise we -have;. '.■"■ penetrated several points at Coney Forest, reaching to the outskirts of Folenbray. .In this region the Germans were caught by our 1■ - artillery and dispersed'with great losses. -..'North of ':, Soissons? our a-", .gains have been increased, and a counter-attack .* repulsed." ' : ;;;;;An earlier French; communique/stated '.:'■". We? made progress to ?: ' ;. 'the north of Grand Seravcourt. We advanced appreciably' north of Chauny, -and on the east bank ofr the? Aillette, arid consolidated ;• ? positions there and in the region north of Soissons. There is little - ,; ". change north of Soissons, which the German, long-range guns are /"" bombarding.. The prisoners- taken yesterday, belonged to -seven dif- ['- > -ferent regiments." ' '. ' -.' -■ . j ' "'■ '' . - p:i?K?: '■ '" ■ ■■-■"■.:: ■" : '-' r? ;■■•"■" ■' : . ; f'?? ■'•: ; -'"'-?-? ; "?;'-?' -■"--■■,' ;•"■ :'v ■'?«•?''V--- : A report from Sir Douglas Haig states: "We have? improved "J?" our position west of Croisilles, nine miles. south-east 'of Arras."; -".'.. ■.'•■' ■:-'•-.. '..■■.:• . '. '-■ '■■'" _il'- ,; '''- : :?' ; . : ':••'■ .?>' , ■-- , ' ?'-.".•'' ■' ''.'Y'-'C '■■'■• .