IN FLANDERS AND FRANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 19

IN FLANDERS AND FRANCE.

NOTABLE FRENCH GAINS, PARIS, Jane 17. Official: We gained ground at various points, notably east of Lorette and south=west and south of Souchez. We captured in the Labyrinth 300 prisoners and machine guns. At Quenneviere, after repulsing several counter-attacks, we extended our gains north-westward and captured 100 prisoners. The enemy threw 300 shells into Rheims, some' of them incendiary. A dozen projectiles hit the cathedral. We importantly progress in the Vosges, and carried Braunkop, on the northern bank of the Hautejech, taking 3do prisoners (including four officers), many rifles, and 500,000 cartridges. On Tuesday some bombs were dropped on St, Die, Belfort, and Nancy. Some civilians were wounded in the last-named town. A communique states ; The British, during the daytime of June 15, captured a line of trenches west of La Bassee. GERMAN BIG GUNS PARIS, June 16. German long-range guns from a distance of 15 miles shelled Compiegne Forest without doing any harm, though they made holes 30it deep in the forest. KILLED IN ACTION. LONDON, June 16. Captain W. Johnston (who won the Victoria Cross at Missy-sur-Aisne on September 14, throughout which day he worked two rafts with his own hands, bringing back wounded and returning with ammunition, thus enabling the advanced brigade to maintain their position across the river) has been killed in action. LIEGE CITIZENS SHOT. AMSTERDAM, June 16. The execution of eight Liege citizens for alleged espionage has produced intense anger. Twenty others are still imprisoned, and there is great anxiety as to their fate. Some relief has been afforded by a telegram from the Kaiser, which is exhibited alongside the list of the executed, stating that in future every court-martial death sentence must have the Kaiser’s sanction. SIR-JOHN FRENCH’S REPORT. LONDON, June 16. Sir John French reports: “ Yesterday evening we captured a mile of the first line of trenches east of Festubert, but failed to hold them against strong counter-attacks. We successfully attacked a German position north of Hooge early on Wednesday, and occupied the first line of trenches on the front for 1000 yards; also part of the second line. A hundred and fifty-seven prisoners were counted by noon. A German counter-attack was repulsed with heavy loss.” HELMETS FOR FRENCH SOLDIERS. PARIS, June 16. The French are equipping the infantry

with light steel helmets resembling antique men-at-arms headpieces, as some protection for spent bullets and shell fragments. A BELGIAN SUCCESS. HAVRE, June 17. A Belgian official report states : We gained a footing on the western border of the grounds of CJfateau Boinc, on the Dix-mude-Woumen road. The enemy precipitately evacuated the trenches, abandoning their dead. BRITISH ADVANCE CHECKED. LONDON, June 17. The Daily Mail’s Rotterdam correspondent states that the German machine guns checked a spirited British advance near La Bassee. i HEAVY FIGHTING IN FLANDERS, j ROTTERDAM, June 17. A revere engagement, after a heavy artillery action, has taken place on the EesenDixmude and Ramscapelle-Diexport front. Fresh German corps are still arriving. Abo, southward of Ypres, Allied airmen dropped a warning to civilians. At Ostend heavy fighting is imminent. A great number of German wounded in the vicinity of Dixmude have been conveyed to Bruges.