THE FRENCH LINES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12063, 19 July 1917, Page 5

THE FRENCH LINES.

TERRIFIC FIGHTING ON THIS MEUSE. A\jl GERMAN-EFFORTS SMASHED. ENEMY'S SANGUINARY LOSSES. The High Commissioner report*:— LONDON, July IS (.'UO p.m.) A French official report, states: - On the left hank of the Meuse, after violent bombardments, the Germans counter-attacked several times the positions we captured at Avocourt "Wood, as far as the slopes to the west of Hill 304. All thp pfForts were, broken with sanguinary losses to the enemy and without ceding a scrap o? ground. THE AVOCOURT BATTLE. BRILLIANT FRENCH THRUST. Australian and N.Z. Ca.bla Association. (Received July 19, II a-m). PARIS, July IS. The French Second Army has delivered a fine blow on tho Avocourt sector, where the Germans during the last three weeks tnado numerous attacks and succeeded two or three times in biting into the French trenches. The French rpfrained from attack, a.waiting a favourable opportunity, un. til yesterday, when their formidable artillery fire completely crushed the German trenches. The infantry rushed through the enemy's supporting position, where the Germans were sheltering from th 0 artiL lery fire. The enemy troops, at bay, fought stubbornly. Those refusing to surrender werp, killed, and the rest surrendered. The French gained at the end of the battle an advance of a kilometre on a front of two and a half kilometres. The cable news in this issue accredited lo , "The Times" has appeared m that journal, but only where expressly stated is sucii news ( the editorial amnion oi " The Times.