WESTERN THEATRE

Southland Times, Issue 17920, 27 April 1917, Page 5

WESTERN THEATRE

THE ABBAS BATTLE. LINE SLIGHTLY ADVANCED. THOUSANDS OF GERMAN DEAD. VIGOROUS AERIAL CAMPAIGN. (Australian A N.Z. Cable Assn & Reuter) LONDON, April 25. Received April 26, 6.15 pim. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We slightly advanced our line to-day southward of the Scarpa river. There are many thousands of German dead on the battlefield we now occupy. The fine weather on Tuesday facilitated many successful air raids, our aviators bombing railway junctions, aerodromes, billets, and ammunition dumps. Fifteen German aeroplanes and two balloons were brought down, and six British machines ore missing. EBB AND FLOW OF BATTLE GAVRELLE HOTLY CONTESTED. EIGHT COUNTER-ATTACKS BROKEN LONDON. April 25. Received April 26, 6.15 p.m, Mr Philip Gibbs says that the battle between the Scarpe and Sensee rivers is ebbing and flowing In an extraordinary manner. Several British units were rescued after holding out in the most gallant manner at isolated posts. A party of Worcesters was without food or water for several days, but it did not surrender. The Germans have already made eight counter-attacks at Gavrelle, but all were broken before they reached our lines. UNPARALLELED SLAUGHTER OF GERMANS. BATTALIONS BLOWN TO BITS. HIGH COMMAND OFFICERS’ HARROW ESCAPE. (The Times.) LONDON, April 26, Received April 27, 12.15 a.m. The Times’ correspondent at Headquarters says the ferocity of the fighting and the slaughter of Germans is unparalleled. The repulsed counter-attacks at Gavrelle resemble massacres. The ground is heaped with dead, our artillery blowing whole battalions to bits. German fury has been temporarily exhausted, but renewed concentrations presage a further attempt at recapture. Four British high command officers, investigating results on the battle front, were nearly captured by a German patrol, demonstrating the extreme openness and Irregularity of the fighting. The officers had to run for their lives, and fortunately outran the Germans, who narrowly missed bagging big game. FRENCH OPERATIONS. COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. (Australian & NI. Cable Assn & Reuter) LONDON, April 26. Received April 26, 8.45 p.m. French communique: Artillery activity has continued all along the front. North of Vauxhaillon the Germans were bloodily defeated, and an attempt against Hurteblse farm was stopped by our fire. They renewed the assault, but a vigorous counter-attack threw them back on their own lines. During the action our artillery caught and dispersed large German concentrar tidns in the region north of the plateau at Vauclere. THE BELGIAN FRONT. ARTILLERY DUELS. LONDON, April 26. Belgian communique: Artillery duels are resuming at different points, especially near Dixmuda. GERMAN REPORT^. LONDON, April 25. Received April 26, 3.5 p.m. Wireless German official; Fighting for Gavrelle has continued since yesterday morning. Southward of the Scarpe a British attack on a wide front on both sides of the Arras-Cambral road was broken down after violent hand-to-hand fighting, with heavy losses. We look 650 prisoners on Monday and destroyed several tanks. The British and French on Monday and Tuesday lost 39 aeroplanes. LONDON. April 25. Wireless German official: Three British attacks northward of Monchy were repulsed with heavy looses.