FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume IV, Issue 963, 13 March 1917, Page 7

FIGHTING IN THE WEST.

THE ANCRE ADVANCE. TAKING OF IRLES. Australian and X.Z. Calle Association. LONDON, March 11. Mr Philip Gibbs, describing the progress of the British advance on Bapaume, says: —"lrles village, standing on high ground beyond Pys. was captured by a brilliant attack on the morning of March 10. "Before the attack British howitzers swept the place so that nothing could live above ground. Our men followed close upon the hurricane of shells, one force working from the south and another swinging northwards in order to cut off the enemy's reheat. A third party attacked the German Fusiliers, holding the sunken road with machine guns. There was little fighting, for when the enemy saw the Britishers they surrendered quickly."' ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. FRENCH REPULSE ATTACKS. 4 and K.Z. Cahle Association nnd Rruter. LONDON, March 12. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Our artillery crushed attempts to attack west and north-west of Lens. There is also artillery activity on the Somme and Ancre regions, in the region of Armentieres, Ypres, and southward of Arras. A French oflicial communique states:—There has been very livelyreciprocal artillerying north of the Aisne. Attempted enemy coups de main north-west of Rheims and on the right of the Meuse failed completely. FRENCH KEPT BUSY. PROGRESS IN CHAMPAGNE. A. and X.Z. Cahle Association and Reulfr. (Received March 13, 9.20 a.m.) LONDON, March 12. A French communique states:—An enemy surprise attack in the region of Paissy, between Soissons and Rheims was completely repulsed. The enemy sustained loss and left prisoners. We made further progress towards Maisons-de-Champagne, and successfully raided German trenches north of Sucheprey, in Woevre. There have been patrol encounters in the sector of Auberive and Lorraine, in which we took prisoners.