FIERCE BATTLE ON WIDE FRONT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14591, 29 April 1918, Page 3

FIERCE BATTLE ON WIDE FRONT.

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT.

(Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Reuter's Telegram.) , LONDON, April 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports on the 26th at 11.45 p.m. : — , The battle continues fiercely on the whole front from the neighborhood oi Dranoutre to the' Ypres-Oomines Canal. The enemy captured Drarfoutre and Kemmel Hill and village. The enemy's attack yesterday was made m great strength, and there was a further attack by nine divisions early this. morning. , . v The Franco-British counter-attacked, j and:* succeeded at first m making some progress and capturing prisoners, but later m the day the enemy renewed his attacks, particularly against our positions from Locre to_ La Clytte and astride the Ypres-Comines Canal. We held all attacks m the neighborhood of La Clytte and Scherenberg, but after severe fighting, m which we repulsed- a series of determined attacks with heavy losses, the enemy succeeded m pressing back our line m the direction of Lorre. He also made progress . astride the Ypres-Comines Canal. - . The French arid British this morning attacked' the enemy's position m the neighborhood N of - Hangard find Hangard Wood, ami ndvaiiced their line , at certain points by heavy fighting. Sir Douglas Haig' reports on the 27th at 2 p.m.": — There was great; reciprocal artillery;-ac-tivity'at night on the whole battlefront northward of the Lys ■•jjiy.fav . The .fighting m this area yesterday was wry severe, the enemy repeatedly making determined attempts to develop tW-advan-tage he gained the previous day. After many . hours of fluctnatfttg battle, ; the enemy advance was held up at all points and heavy casualties were inflicted. The enemy's assaults from,, Locre to t La Clytte were pressed Mwitih. eatfa!em,e* violence. \ Three attacks. >yere/ beaien^off; with great enemy loss, but he succeeded m his "fourth attempt m carrying Locre village. Our Allies counter-attacked m the evening and- drove, the /enemy out of . the village." At other- points ati enemy attacks were repulsed. There was fierce fighting northward of Kemmel village and m the neighborhood of Voormezeele, which, after a prolonged struggle, remains m our possession. The enemy heavily attacked this afternqonj.j6.ur positions on the . ridee and wjoods^southward, 0f ... Voormezeele, and were' fcojmpietely repulsed, and we took sotne^hundre^s -ot, prisoners. Lbcar fighting" yesterday .at noon, m the neighborhood of Givenchy continued all the afternoon and evening to .our advantage. In the Hangard and Villers Bretonneux sector oar line was advanced at certain points, and we broke, up a. hos-, tile attack accompanied by tanks m the afternoon. We took m this area over 900/"prisoners. We carried out successful raids at night m the neighborhood of the Arleux and Viex Berquin sector. Thunderstorms yesterday compelled pur aviators to fly within a few feet of the . -ground ; yrhen * reconnoitring m ; the neighborhood, of itemmel... . They dropped 65X)t) bombs on Menin, Roulers, and Arnientieres. We brought down ten enemy machines and drove: dawn : two others, while our anti-aircraft guris downed four others and our infantry shot down another. Two of our machines are missing. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) „ , (Renter's Telegram.) g 10NDQ&,,, April -27 ..(10.10 a.m.) ' Sir Douglas Haig reports: — The enemy captured t.a< post m the neighborhood of Festubert. Our fire broke up a local attack westward of Merville. v Our artillery effectively engaged^ infantry assembling eastward of Villers - Bretohnepx., ■ . ■>, t - ■• • Mist interfered Avith, flying, but our infantry downed two low fliers.