HEAVY ATTACK ON THE BRITISH AT EAUCOURT L'ABBAYE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2893, 4 October 1916, Page 5

HEAVY ATTACK ON THE BRITISH AT EAUCOURT L'ABBAYE

SIGNIFICANT IN FLANDERS "JUMPY'' NERVES IN THE GERMAN TRENCHES' . (By 'Telejrraph—Press 'Association Copyright). - - i 1 Australian-New Zealand Oablo •-t - : . i- r - ■'A'A' \ - London. October 2.A ■ 'General Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Wo beat off a night attack against" our advanced positions eastward of Eauoourt L'Abbaye, where we have now established our front, and cleared out the Germans from the buildings of Eaucourt'L'Abljaye. Wo also established our line further west, from a point ■1200 yaids northward of Courcelette, in the direction of the Hessian-trench. A counter-attack retook'portion of the Regina trenoh, which had-been gained further north'.'"Stubborn fighting continues in'this area. We made successful raids northward of'Neuville St. Vaast and eastward of Laventie." : ; . A \ < (Rec. October 3, 9.10 p.m.) A ; London, October 3. Sir Douglas Haig-report's: '-'There has been severe, fighting, in and about ■ Eauoourt L'Abbaye. 1 The enemy regained a footing ill some buildings. We improved our position south-west of Guendecourt, and eastward and northward of Courcelette.' Our aeroplanes bombed several points of military importance.Many of the enemy's-machines were brought down."- , ' FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. London, October 2. ' ■ -'lA' FrenoTi'officaai communique states: 'Minor operations, continue/. We captured some German trendies eastward of Bouohavesnes." i - (Rec. October 3, 9.10 p.m.) .)- -•■■ .■ ' ■ .* Paris, October 3.( ' 'A French offioi'al communique states: ".Wo have -made -progress- by er«nade-fighting "eastward of Bouchavesnes. A small attack on'piir trenches Mtithwaxd of. wrmandovillers was repulsed. .-'Bad weather has impeded-'the . operationsalongthe whole of the Somme-front.". ;A - r .- HEAVY. BOMBARDMENT ON THE FLANDERS FRONT GERMANS APPREHENSIVE OF NEW ATTACK.' :, (R«o. October 3, 9.10 p.m.) A > . London, October 3. TKg "Daily Telegraph's" ARotterdam correspondent states: "Our continuous bombardment is no longer confined to the Somme. Tho enemy's positions in Flaftders have been subjected to a gun-fire .which has been unbro&n since Saturday. The westward horizon all eight long is stabbed by the beams of the searchlights along the Belgian coast, where the Germans are tensely esGerman journal 'Frankfurter Zeiiung' warns the Germans against 'surprises in quiet places,' especially when all eyes are directed at the centre of the heavy fighting."- , . GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. A _• London, October 2. •• 'A! German "official communique states: "Fighting on a large scale is going oil on the Thiepval front. Wo sanguinarily repulsed the British and French many times." . . t IMPRESSIONS OF THE ADVANCE . A WORD OF PRAISE FOR THE NEW ZEALANDERS GERMANS DEVELOPING /'NERVES." _. ffiouteT'o TeloeramJ S ' (Reo.'October 3, 8.85 p.m.); : ; ■ .! London, October 3. Reutor's correspondent at Western Headquarters states that a captured Bavarian Battalion Order shows that the enemy is suffering from'nerves. Alicu-V tenant-colonel thus plaintively rebukedhis men: I have got tho impression that a few Englishmen, bomb-thi'owing in their trenches, can thoroughly frighten ' a crowd of Bavarians. If we put an unnecessary barrage on tho enemy, ho Retaliates, and we suffer Therefore, this fright on the Somme front; must bo i'j mos '?> correspondent at Western Headquarters gives instances of tho confused nature of the fighting, which is proceeding ill an indescribable • waste of shell holes and ragged trench lines. Isolated parties of soldiers sometimes over-eagerly pnsh boyoud the advancc, and become lost in No Man's , Land. Nearly all of them return, straggling baok at intervals, or Hiding in shell "holes' and empty trenches until the British advance enables them to rejoin. Sometimes Germans stray into tho British lines. GALLANT EXPLOITS BY NEW ZEALANDERS . THRILLING INCIDENTS OF INDIVIDUAL HEROISM. . (Rcc. Octobcr 'I,' 0.5 a.m,) • London, October 3. Router's correspondent at British headquarters relates that a party of New Zealanders was isolated on the night of_ September 21, The,y wore or? dated to, rotiro. A Canterbury private remained and covered their retreat, loading and firing incessantly, killing numbers, and finally escaping.. An Ota-go sniper, seeing his battalion' severely suffering from shell-lire and snipers, while digging-in in tfio open, obtained permission to go out and deal with, the snipers. He crawled from succossivo craters until close, to tho ep.omy, picking off several, and appreciably diminishing the danger, -

Mr.\Beach Thomas says: "There has been a continuous record of. individual and, corporate brilliant deeds. The New Zealanders were narfciculany succcseful in the breaking of the old German trenches, and were officially complimontcd' recently on tho quickness and smoothness of their chief advance. Scoros of ' stories aro told of their daring, A sergeant snaked his way to a macliino-gun emplacement, bayoneted every member of tile crew, ana then used that gun with the greatest offect against tho enemy. _ "Continually during our advance we aro putting out of action maiiy ol the German batteries. - Never previously havo the enemy's gunners so suffered, our direct hits repeatedly smashing his batteries. I have frequently seen these lying broken under twisted girders. There aro many instances of German fright (referred to in tho above Bavarian Order of the Day), and these ,are now largely multiplying. We havo particularly noticed wild riilo fire and useless bomb-throwing." • THE BRITISH ATTACK AT EAUCOURT L'ABBAYE Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Ree. October i, 0.50 a.m.) Paris, October 3. The British infantry advanced with characteristic spirit at the capture of Eaucourt L'Abbaye. Tho "tanks" greatly aided their objectives, which, ivero attained in loss than two hours. _ The hottest fighting was in Eaucourt L'Abbyc, where tho Germans, barricaded iu tho ruins, fought with desperate courage. But the British charge wont on at full tilt at two Hanoverian battalions, which were holding the north-west corner of the village, and drove them.out. Our gunners did the rest, inflicting heavy losses on the retreating Germans. Two of tho enemy's companies were cut off and taken 1 prisoner near the Flers Road. Finally tho British established thoir lines on ■ Wanlencourt Hill, tho last eminenco hiding Bapamno, ENEMY'S LOST STRATEGIC RESERVE (Rautor'a Tdeeriim.) ' ' . ' London, October 2. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters says that, having no strategic reserve, Germany is foroed to hurl her unhappy soldiers from one. battlefield to another, without proper time for rest. By pushing this method to ite utmost the enemy seems, to bo ablp to keep a sort of flying reserve, _» dozen divisions appearing now on tho Somiuo, now at Verdun, and now in Galicia. put it appears that Austria and Germany have actually in reserve not more than three divisions each, compared with Germany's eight on the Western front alone prior to tho battle of Verdun. ■; .JOFERE .SUMS DP' THE'RESULTS ' \ CONGRATULATIONS TO THE A'RMIES. I Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. , , (Kec. October 3, 10.15 p.m.) ' t ■ ' Paris, October 3. General Joflre has promulgated a.n Order of the Day congratulating the armies of the Somrue on' having "dealt blows from whiob tho enemy wquW find it hard to recover." - "Verdun has.been cleared, twenty-five villages ha-re been recovered, 35,000 prisoners have been taken, and 150' cannon captured." ! . . :': ..COMPLIMENT TO GENERAL FOCH. ■ mo Times.") London, October 2. , General Poch will' reach" thei age limit of 'sixty-five on Monday, ibut it has' been specially, decreed that lio retains his command.