In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 22, 20 August 1917, Page 5

In the West

BRITISH SUCCESS. TRENCHES AND PRISONERS CAPTURED. The High Commissioner report's:— Loudon, August 19 (2.10 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: We. were successful south-east of Rpehy, capturing trenches and prisoners. 4 *. •** v '•! GERMAN WORKMEN’S BATTALIONS. EMPLOYMENT OF FRENCHMEN. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, August 19. The Foreign Minister is formally protesting to Germany against French youths in tlie occupied territory being incorporated in German workmen’s battalion doing military work at the front. It is stated that twenty-six of these battalions have been formed. ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS. London, August 19. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Two enemy counter-attacks were made this morning eastward of Loos, m the neighborhood of the Borshugo. Our barrage and machine guns drove back the first attack; and the enemy supported by flamenwerfer, failed in the second attack. Twelve German aeroplanes were brought down, and 18 were driven down. Twelve of ours are missing.

The French slightly improved their position in the neighborhood of the Steenbeck river. The enemy did not attempt any further counter-attacks. The Anglo-French have now captured 24 guns, including a number of heavies. We secured the positions on the Loos battlefront, which were captured yesterday, and again progressed westward of Lens. The prisoners in this area now amount to 1120. We successfully raided Eastward of Vermelles, reaching the enemy’s support line. Our aeroplanes proved superior, although the weather rendered it difficult for damage machines to regain our lines. Our aeroplanes operated successfully all day, dropping 6| tons of bombs on aerodromes, railway stations and billets, while others harassed and machine-gunned the German infantry and gunners. We brough t down 15 enemy machines and drove down 11. Eleven of ours are missing. PRUSSIAN GUARDS BROKEN. London, August 17. Mr Robinson correspondent, estimates that 6000 Prussian Guards were wiped out in the attack on .the Canadian front. The Seventh, Eighth, and Eleven German Divisions were badly broken.

FRENCH PROGRESS. A) French communiqque records progress north of Bixschoote and Lango/jnarck road. They recaptured the trench elements on the right of the Meuse, where their line was entirely re-established. • -8 MARVELLOUS AIR WORK. One hundred and eleven aeroplanes executed various flights over the ene- | my lines yesterday, dropping .‘IOOO kilograms of projectiles on the aviation grounds at Colmer, Frescati, Hapsheim and Chamhley railway stations, also on Frebourg, Tnbrisgan, Longueyon, Montmedy and Dun-snr-Meuse, besides bivouacs at Spenconrt forest. Many explosions and |ires were observed. Two of our machines are missing. Our aircraft on August 16 bombed the railway station at Cortemarck, resulting in a violent fire. Ws brought down 7 German aeroplanes yesterday, and eight others fell in the enemy lines damaged.

j BRITISH REPORT. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. Press Assn.—Copyright.—Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn., and Reuter. (Received 11.30 a.m.) London, August 19. Sir Douglas Haig reports; We captured itrenches 'in the neighbourhood of Gillemont Farm, south-east of Epohy; and raided positions southwestward of Havrinoourt. We inflicted heavy casualties. The enemy aircraft bn Thursday and Friday nights bombed,; the British (casualty clearing killing ten wounded German prisoners and rewonnding nine Germans,! • A French communique states: Lively,, artillery duelling occurred on both banks of the Meuse in the Bois de of Badonvillers, and north lof 1 these places. Consecutive enemy, attacks were repelled with appreciable losses. OFFICIAL LIES EXPOSED. London, August 18. The .Press Bureau* reports': To-day’s German official contains a series of misstatements. It is untrue that we attacked between Ypres and Menin road, on the Lys river, the former be-j. ing our right flank. The enemy did not attempt to recover Liingemarck. A British staff officer at six in the evening reported that we bold Langemarck, also a considerable length of the German positions eight hundred metres northward. The communique’s reference to Poeleapello is obviously intended to convey the impression that the British failed to reach an imaginary distant objective. It is sufficient to state, that the British gained all their objectives northward of Lens on "Wednesday and northward of St. Julien on Thursday. The statement that four Canadian divisions attacked on Wednesday is an exaggeration.