BRITISH LINE IMPROVED FOR NEARLY FIVE MILES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16895, 6 July 1918, Page 7

BRITISH LINE IMPROVED FOR NEARLY FIVE MILES.

AUSTRALIAN ATTACK ON VILLERS BRETONNEUX. AWKWARD INDENTATION REMOVED BY ADVANCE. Neuter. (Received 11.25 p.m.) LONDON, July 5. Renter's correspondent at the British headquarters, writing yesterday, states that the morning's operation near Villers Bretonneux was carried out by the Australians, who were assisted by tanks. The object was the remedying of an awkward indentation in the line northeast of Villers Bretonneux, resulting from the German drive in March last, the filling up of which will carry our front in a direct line through Hamel to the Somme. In addition to Hamel village we captured two small woods on the south, and pressed up to high ground south-east of the village. The aligning of the new front with the trenches fronting Villers Bretonneux, putting the new four miles of front on a practically level stretch of ground falling steeply to the river at the north-eastern end, is the greatest improvement on the old line. At the same time an advance was made on the north side of the river between, the- Somme and the Ancre, thus completing an improvement in our line for nearly five miles.