NEAR MONT OCRNILLET

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17038, 23 June 1917, Page 9

NEAR MONT OCRNILLET

COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSED. ENEMY'S FRONT TRENCH TAKEN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. . LONDON, June 22. (Received June 22, at 9.45 p.m.) . French communique : Fighting was' continued to our advantage east of Vauxaill°n. . Our counter-attack on trenches in the sector of Moisy Farm gave important results. We recaptured all the. positions, with the exception of a salient on a 400metre front north-eastward of where enemyparties are still holding out. Artillery duels are extremely lively in this region of our lines. There is a fairly lively bombardment between .Hurtebise and Craonne, in the Champagne. Our advance north-east of Mont Cornillet was particularly brilliantly accomplished. The enemy attempted to recapture the positions wrested from them on the 18th inst.., but were repulsed by bombers, who pursued them and captured their trench. We thus advanced 300 metres deep on a 600-metre front. FIGHTING AT VAUXAILLON. GERMAN GAIN NEUTRALISED. GOOD WORK BY FRENCH AVIATORS. LONDON, June 2L (Received June 22. at 8.15 p.m.) French communique : A German attack yesterday east of Vauxaillon, preceded by a fierce bombardment, was carried out by special assaulting troops recently from the Russian front.. Our troops resisted obstinately all fcli© enemy's efforts to develop, and few advantages were acquired. The first shock was smashed by our fir© and counter-attacks. The Germans finally only penetrated tlhe first line in two places— namely, south of Mont Demungs, on a front of 400 metres, and north of Moisy Farm, on a front of 200 metres. An energetic counter-offensive this morning enabled us to recapture the former position, where we disoovered numerous bodies testifying to the enemy's high losses. ' Between the Bth and the 20th June we destroyed 14 enemy aeroplanes, and seven others fell in their own . lines. Our air squadron dropped 12 tons of bombs on enemy railway stations, factories, blast furnaces, bivouacs, and ammunition dumps, •causing important damage.