THE WESTERN FRONT.

West Coast Times, 20 June 1916, Page 3

THE WESTERN FRONT.

j TRENCH FIGHTING. | NEW TYPES OF GUNS. : Telegraph.—Per Press Association) j (Received at 8.15 p.m., June 19th) ’ • LONDON June 19. The governing, factor of trench fighting on the British front has been the development of artillery power on both sides. Not only have field howitzers I and batteries been multiplied, but various new types of trench guns have i been introduced, immeasurably inj creasing the belligerents’ pounding i capultv. It has already reached a • phase when either side can make the 1 front lines untenable. ! SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. I THIRTV AERIAL COMBATS. i (Received at 8.15 p.m., Juno 19th) j LONDON Juno 19. 'Sir Douglas Haig reports thirty aerial combats on *Saturday. We brought down one machine behind the enemy's lines, otherwise the front has been quiet. HEAVY FIGHTING IN PROGRESS A BETTER. RETORT. PARIS, Juno 18. A communique says: After an extremely volcnt bombardment the Germans made several attacks on our new Mort Homme positions, using liquid lire. They were repulsed with serious losses. Our gains ere entirely maintained. A series of German attacks on trenches north of Thiaumont were bloodily repulsed. Our aviators in the Verdun region engaged the enemy airmen attempting a raid on Bar-le-due. They downed two machines. Our machine guns downed three. Four French machines engaged four Fokkers over the enemy lines in Lorraine and downed two. One of ours wa s forced to deseeiii.. Our squadrons dropped twenty-four -bells on Semil railway station near Vonziers and twenty on Thionville factories, causing an explosion, ami twenty on aerial establishments at Etain and Terguier.

■NFARMt VERDUN. THE' GERMAN OFFENSIVE. NEW POSITIONS ATTACKED. THE BRITISH OPERATIONS. LONDON, Juno 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports a vigorous bombardment of our trenches between the river Dntivc and Wieltje at midnight, acompanied by two ineffective discharges of gas westward of ilcs-siiics-Wytschaccto ridge. There was no infantry attack. We carried om. success-fid raids near the river Lys ana near Givenchy. We successfully exploded mines near Ilnlloch and northward of -Arras. We also seriously dam aged underground workings in the vicinitv of Lons. PARTS, June IS. A communique says: We captured positions in trenches northward of Hill "2, making prisoners. A French lon--i uigc gun bombarded the station of Vignenlleshatton Chatel, causing a lire. There was a violent Gorman offensive from Hill 821 to near Hill ?20, the latter being half a mile north ward of Fleury and strongly held. It is slightly nearer Verdun than any point hitherto within the zone of infantry encounters. LONDON, June 18. The Times correspondent at headquarters says that there has been incessant rain for a week. Infantry work has -been almost impossible. Tho lecaptnred ground reveals that the i’iritish artillery fire has latterly been of a most deadly description. The Germans are unable to consolidate their positions, mount machine guns or remove, supplies and stores of ammunition we had left there. A German communique, says:—Our counter-attacks repelled the French south of Mort Homme. The enemy repeatedly attacked adjoining trenches but failed, with heavy losses.