LOCAL AND ARTILLERY ACTIONS ON BRITISH FRONT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16848, 13 May 1918, Page 5

LOCAL AND ARTILLERY ACTIONS ON BRITISH FRONT.

FRENCH IMPROVE THE FLANDERS LINE AT LOCRE SHARP STRUGGLE FOR TRENCH POSITIONS AT ALBERT. Australian and N.Z. ond Reuter. (Reed. 6.5 p.m.). ■ LONDON. May 10 Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was local fighting to-day at Aveluy Wood, north of Albert. The hostile artillery was particularly active on the Vimy sector and at Robecq, north-west of Bethune, and south of Dickebusch. The French advanced their line slightly northeast of Locre. We made successful raids west of Merville, and stopped an attempted raid east of Ypres.

An earlier report stated: At the conclusion of the fighting on Thursday morning in the La Clytte-Voormezeele sector, south-west of Ypres, the French and British positions were completely re-established. The enemy, after artillery preparation, launched two early local attacks in the neighbourhood of Albert and Bouzincourt. Our rifle and machine-gun fire broke up the latter attack, the enemy not reachJig our trenches. The enemy, after suffering heavy casualties from our are at Albert, effected a lodgment in our advanced positions on a front of 150 yds. Our counter-attack recaptured a small portion of the front trench. Hostile artillery is active in the Somme and Ancre valleys, and at different points on the Lys battlefront. A Belgian communique states: German artillery bombarded Belgian works and communications in the Nieuport the night while the British were attacking the coast.