FRENCH ADVANCE.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 7921, 21 August 1917, Page 3

FRENCH ADVANCE.

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES. Australian & N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—As a result of minor operations in the neighborhood of the Ypres-Poelcapelle road our line was advanced to a depth of 500 yards on a frontage of a mile. We captured all our objectives, including a series of strongly fortified farms. The enemy’s losses were considerable; ours were very slight. Thursday's prisoners north-east-ward of Ypres total 2114. We brought down three aeroplanes and drove down four. Eight of ours are missing. v .

MOST SERIOUS BLOW. EFFORTS TO RECOVER LOST POSITIONS. Reuter Message. LONDON, August 20. v Reuter's correspondent at headquarters says that fifteen determined counter-attacks launched against Bois Hugo, Bois Rase, Cite St. Emile and facing Cite St. Theodore, all on the same scale of violence, makes it abundantly clear that the enemy regards the Canadian success as a most serious blow. FRENCH ATTACK. ON A WIDE FRONT. WITH MAGNIFICENT DASH. MANY PRISONERS. Australian & N.Z. Cable Association. Reuter Message. (Received This Day 9 a.m.) LONDON, August 20. A French communique states:— A fairly violent artillery struggle is proceeding north of Bixschoote. Our troops attacked this morning on both banks of the Meuse with magnificent dash. Early reports show that this and a new battle at Verdun is developing to our advantage on a front of eighteen kilometres from Avocourt Wood to the north of Bezonvaux. Many prisoners have been taken. The bravery of our men is beyond praise. ENEMY REPORT. FRENCH OCCUPY TALOU RIDGE. Admiralty Per Wireless Press. (Received This Day, Noon). LONDON, August 20. German official: In the opening battle before Verdun the French occupied, without fighting, Talou Ridge, eastward of the Meuse. Fighting is in full swing on a fourteen and a-half mile front. THE BRITISH FRONT. FIGHTING FROM LENS TO THE SEA. GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY. United Service. (Received This Day, Noon). LONDON, August 20. Headquarters reports that fighting continues at various points from Lens to the sea. The British, during the night, established a new post on the left flank of the Ypres sector. Air fighting of the hottest description continues all day and all night. The enemy is evidently trying to conserve his air fleets, and avoids battles in the daytime, swarming under cover of darkness and bombing places indiscriminately behind the British lines. There are as many as thirty aeroplanes in one fleet. At least one hospital has been damaged. Meantime British aeroplanes carried out an offensive far behind the German lines, bombing stations, railways, aerodromes, and ammunition depots. The British air fleets are fighting the German infantry in default of meeting antagonists in the air, and even charging machine gun emplacements while barely skimming the earth.