SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S LATER REPORT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14590, 27 April 1918, Page 3

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S LATER REPORT.

FIGHTING WITH GREAT SEVERITY

IN TWO SECTORS.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.)

(Reuter's Telegram.) , (Received April 27, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 26t#, 12.10 a.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports 5 : On the French and British positions from northward of Bailleul fighting has been proceeding all day with great severity on the whole of this, front, particularly m the neighborhood of Dranoutre, Kemmel, and Vierstraat. In the course of repeated attacks and counter-attacks the Allies were compelled to withdraw from the positions held m the morning.

The fighting continues

South of the Somme,, successful Australian and English counter-attacks last night regained positions m and around Villers Bretonneux. We advanced our line to within . a short distance of the former front. We took prisoner over six hundred. The village is now m our hands.

The enemy employed at least four divisions m the attack] on this front. Prisoners state that the objectives included Cachy village and the CachyFouilloy roa.d. The objectives were not reached anywhere. Tho numbers of dead found m the recaptured positions show that the enemy's losses were very heavy. Despite the mist yesterday our aviators attacked troops m the neighborhood of Villers Bretonneux from a low height. ' i Our night-fliers dropped 5^ tons of bombs on Estaires, Armentieres, and Roulers^, also on railway stations at &mrtrai and Thourout. AH our machines returned.