THE WEST FRONT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12061, 17 July 1917, Page 5

THE WEST FRONT.

FRENCH" LINKS VIOLENTLY ATTACKED. &NK.MY REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSE& MOST STUBBORN FIGHTING. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON. July Hi (3.1U p.m.) A French official report states:— Between the Summe and the Aisiie there has been a series of coups-de-niain, eastward of St Quentin and westward of Allemant. Throe enemy attempts failed completely and wore lolled back a tier lively lighting. I Southward of Ailles we have made | progress, taking .some prisoners. j In the regions of Mont Mailt and r J c- | ton the Germans attacked with stiong j forces the positions taken on Saturday. We energetically resisted the enemy's superior numbers. At Teton the enemy was unsuccessful nnd suffered heavy losses. At Mont Haut, after stubborn fighting all night, the enemy, who had regained a large part of the captured ground, was rolled back by brilliant counter-attacks. At the ti 1110 of reporting, only some elements of the trenches remain with the Germans (Mont Haut, or Mount, is ona of the Moionvillers ncights in tho Champa:,; 'e captured by the French on April Ji-' Few ieats of arms (.lining the war are more brilliant than the action which resulted in the French establishing themselves along the lino of crests soutli of Moronvillers. These crests are positions ot the greatest importance. From Nameless Mount and the neighbouring hills, now all in French hands, the enemy overlooked an enormous tract of land, and nothing that went on in the French lines coukl escape his notice. It was relatively easy for their observers to spot tho exact postion rif every battery brought into action within several miles of tho French front-* line and to correct tho ftre of their own artillery with the utmost accuracy. Theso positions had been fortified as their importance mantled, and nothing had been omitted that might make them impregnable.) THE BRITISH FRONT. ARTILLERY AND AERIAL OPERATIONS. AnstrsHun &n<3 N.Z. CabT# Association ini R«cter. (Received Jfaly 17, 2 p.m.) LONDON, July 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— Thero is reciprocal artillery fire in the neighbourhoods of Armentieres, and Nieuport. Our aeroplanes on Friday night bombed four important railway stations, a large German rest camp, an aerodrome and ammunition dumps. On Saturday, despite thunderstorms, our aeroplanes valuably co-operated with the artillery and brought down tlireo German machines and drove down two. Five of ourt; are missing. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG. Australian and N.Z. Cable ABBoci&iion f.nd Router. (Received July 17, 2 p.m.) * LONDON, July 16. Sir Dot®'as Haig has been made a Kmight of the Thistle.