THE WEST FRONT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17081, 13 August 1917, Page 10

THE WEST FRONT

SLIGHT BRITISH ADVANCE. AERIAL SUCCESSES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 10. A statement from headquarters says the British attacked along a two-mile front at daylight from tihe Ypres-Zonnebeke road, near Freezeberg, to the Ypres-Menin road, and advanced their line about 500 yards. Their object was the Ttiigth ground of Clencorse Wood, which they occupied, despite a stubborn defence.. Enemy artillery was active all night eastward of Steonbeek, and also in the coast sector. The sky was overcast, but our airmen were active. They brought down seven aeroplanes, and l 11 others •were brought down uncontrollable and destroyed. CAPTURE OF WESTHOEK. PROGRESS BY THE FRENCH. Renter's Telegrams. LONDON, August 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports : We attacked and' completed the capture of Westhoek, and secured the remaining positions on .Westhoek Ridge. The French upon tihe left flank of the battle front continue to progress eastward and northward of Bixschoote. Our raiding parties on a wide front eastward of Monchy-le-Preux blew in the enemy dug-outs. 'Great damage was inflicted, as well as severe casualties. Machine guns stopped the German counterattack. High Commissioner's Cable. LONDON, August 10. The High Commissioner reports that the following 1 message hag "been received from Sir Douglas Haig: "We captured two machine guns and a number of prisoners." ENEMY ATTACKS REPULSED. SEVERE LOSSES INFLICTED. Australian and N.Z, Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, August 10. French communique : We made continued progress in Belgium, and occupied at night several farms oast of Bixschoote and west of Longemarck. The German attacks on a kilometre front in the Fayet region, nortlh of St. Quentin, were broken by fire and' repulsed with loss, except in our centre, where enemy fractions obtained a footing in a small area of our advanced There was a recrudescence of the artillery bombardment at night throughout the whole region south of Allemont and Filani and' north of tihe Aisne. The enemy at dawn violently attacked from Pantheon farm to Chevregny Ridge. Three battalions, supported 1 by storm troops, attempted an assault on our lines at various times, but our accurate fire stopped the assailants on most of the front, inflicting the heaviest losses. Eneany elements which penetrated our trenches were either killed- or made prisoner after hand-to-hand fighting, wherein our men showed admirable dash. We held' all our positions. Other German attempts, notably south of Allies, south-east of Chevreux, in the region: of Vauquois, towards Avocourt, and north-west of Fleirey, also failed under lire, with appreciable losses. > MORE PROGRESS MADE. ALL OBJECTIVES GAINED. • SOME FIERCE STRUGGLES. LONDON, August 11. (Received Aug. 12, at 5.5 p.m.) General Haig reports : This mornino-'s attack eastward of Ypros was on a front covering two miles southward of the YpresRoulers Taiiway. On the right heavy lighting occurred for the high ground astride tlh o Ypres-Menin road, and some progress was made. Fighting continues in the centre and on the left. Overcoming the resistance, we gained the whole of our objectives. Westhoek and the Westhoek Ridge are completely ours, and we established ourselves in the Glencorse Wood. We inflicted heavy casualties. There, is great aerial activity. Our rifle and artillery' fire beat back six assaults for the possession of important ground which we had captured eastward of Ypres. After fierce fighting all our positions were maintained, and we gained ground in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Menin road. We raided trenches southward of Armentieres. FRENCH HOLD THEIR GROUND. ALL ASSAULTS BROKEN. /T> . LONDON, August 1L (Received Aug. 12, at 5.5 p.m.) A French communique states : North of St. Quentin there has been sustained reciprcwal artillery fire in tlxe region of Fayet. *£ afternoon we stopped /two attacks at the Cetreen Menneche Mill and Cepy Farm. The artillery dud continues violently on the Paintheon-Epine do Chevregny front Prisoners state that'this morning's attack was prepared with the greatest care with the object of capturing the trenches which we carried on July 50. After an artillery preparation the enemy attacked our trenches cast of Maison de Champagne, but our fire has broken all tho assaults. In tihe centre, where our assailants gained a footing, there was a terrible struggle, which ended in our favour, our whole line being restored ore both banks o! tho Meuso. Violent artillery actions have taken place in the region of Hill 304 and cm tho Mort Homme?Bezonvaux sector.

assaults repelled, heavy enemy losses. . LONDON, August 11. (.Received Aug. 12, at 5.5 p.m.) A French communique says: North of St. Quentin wo regained the greater portion of the elements in which the enemy obtained a footing on tie 10th inst. In the Champagne district, after an artillery preparation, the enemy delivered simultaneous attacks east and -west of Mount CormUet, but our fire stopped dead the assaulting waves -with 'heavy losses. North of Mount Cornillet the enemy retreated from their advanced line, but a counteroffensive recaptured it with the exception of 50 metres. SOME DIFFICULT SIGHTING. ALLIES SUCCESSFUL. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. . LONDON, August 1L (Received Aug., 12, at 5.5 p.m.) Mr Philip Gibbs reports: There was heavy fighting this morning south-east of Westhoek after night-long artillery firinn*. The later fighting was more difficult, as the rearwards machine guns took advantage of the dheok caused to oar troops by a wire tangle in tie woods. We gained the main points attacked, on the left; and indeed more, for our men impetuously advanced too far and had to be recalled. On our right the lighting was more desperate, and less progress was made. AERIAL ATTACKS. SUCCESSFUL MISSION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. ... . , LONDON, Angust 11. (Received Aug. 12, at 5.5 p.m.) The Admiralty reports that naval airmen dropped several tons of bombs on the G hist all es aerodrome, the Zuidiwege railway sidings, and the Thouront railway junction on Thursday nigiht. Dense clouds of smoke were caused at Zuidwege. The machines also attacked' by gun fire the railway junction at Thouront. We bombed the aerodrome at Sparappelhoek on Friday. All the machines returned safely. ' GERMANS CLAIM SUCCESS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, August 10. A. Uerman official message says : After an intense " drum" fire the enemy infantry attacked cm wide sectors eastward and south-eastward of Ypres. Deep masses of attacked from tiie Moncliy 1© Preux road as far as the Arras-Camibraa road. We destructively bombarded the points of assembly everywhere and repulsed the advancing waves with the severest losses. We captured the French trenches northward of St. Quentin on a front extending over 1200 metres. Coun-ter-attacks failed. ANOTHER GERMAN ACCOUNT. NINETEEN AEROPLANES BROUGHT DOWN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, August T1 (Received Aug. 12, at 5.5 p.m.) A German official message says : Yesterday strong English attacks on an eightkilometre front between Freczonberg and Hollebeke first broke our line, but a coun-ter-attack ejected t'he enemy near Westhock jafter a bitter struggle. We brought down 19 aeroplanes on the west front. ALLIES'GUN POWER. INCREASING DAILY. ! HARASSING THE GERMANS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, August 11. The Petit Parisien's correspondent states that the number of British guns in Flanders is increasing daily. They have recommenced their intense continuous hammering of the German trenches. ENEMY ATTACKS RENEWED. SEVERE AERIAL FIGHTING. LONDON, August 12. (Received Aug. 12, at 11.40 p.m.) Sip Douglas Haig reports : The enemy reattaclced tlhis morning our new positions northward of .the. Ypres-Menin road, and pressed ns back slightly. We gained ground on the right bank of the Stenbeck in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Staden railway. There has been intense aerial activity and the severest fighting by large formations all dajr long. We brought down 16 enemy machines, and 12 of ours are missing. ARTILLERY ACTIVITY IN BELGIUM. LONDON, August 11. (Received Aug. 12, at 11.40 p.m.) A French communique reports lively artillery work in Belgium. A German attack at Fagot, north of St. Quentin, was broken. The artillery firing in the Champagne is slackening. A German attack at Monthaut and Monblond was repulsed.