LULL SUCCEEDS THE STORM IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 12, 9 October 1917, Page 5

LULL SUCCEEDS THE STORM IN THE WEST

1— CONSIDERABLE ARTILLERY ACTIVITY MORE ABOUT THE GREAT BATTLE , . London, October 7. Sir .Douglas Haig reports: "Thero was considerable artillery activity on the battlefrb'nt tnrongh the niitHt. Wo wade a successful raid south-east of Broodeoinde, and inflicted casualties. We repulsed ..An ..attempted raid south of .the Ypres-Comines Canal. Tho Leicestershires made a successful raid west of Cite' St. Elie" (asuburb of Lens). Tho wcatlier is • Sfiowe'rjr and colder."-^Aus.-.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter'. . 1 (Kec. October 8, 7.30 p.m.) London, October 7. ■ Sir Douglas 1 Hais reporta: "Stormy weather prevailed, with "heavy rain all day. An attempted-enemy advance southward oF Rdiitel was broken by our fire. THe enemy at dusk-heavi]y barraged the greater part of our front between Broodsende and ■-Hollobolco. No irfantry actions 'followed. Our aviators' continue their bombing raids, despite the weather."—.lus.-NIZ. Cable Aijsu.-Keuter. THE BATTLE—AND AFTER REPORTS OF ENEMY'S DEMORALISATION CONFIRMED. (Rec. October 8, 7.30 p.m.). A London, October 7. Mr. Perceval Pbillipe writes: The statements of prisoners and much information from unofficial sources'"confirm tho,reports .of tho demoralisation of the enemy's troops . in. Thursdays battle. Yon Arnim iriiisfc Jiavo'lost-at least three good infantry divisions, including the Fourth .Guards Ditaion and thd"FortyFifth Reservb/Division; jwho wore among tho hereof .tho- Ojarman Array. Tho Guards consisted of thoroughly trained men, tho pick of tho Tccruit ' depots averaging frdnv-25 to .-30-ycars., 4'ho Torty-Fifth Reserve were 'the ""storm troop'" division, choaeu lot; heavy attacks. \ .

The Rout i«f the Guards. "The Fourth Guards Division vera tUill suffering from thoir losses :it .Lous, where tho'Canadians had systematically shelled and gassed them unions the ruined collieries. They had only loft J-'pns on September 28, and wero promised a 'rest' for a tirncin Bolgium, butvon AriMni thought otherwise. Ho needed mon,o\cii tired men, so within three days the Guards wero under firo at Zonnobeko. Theyvero weakened and discontented.' Every company of tho division, .cxcept four, una represented in tlio prisoners that came from tho Twentieth Division, which was recently on the Russian front. It yielded over a. thousand prisoners, besides a 'large number of dead "which wore strewn about tho battlefield. Tliero was extraordinary confusion in the German "lino owing to tho promiscuous throwing in! of ieglhierita. Many battalions wero cut tfjl -from their regimental headquarters; Troops- waiting in' the darkness for Vlfo ordor to pass through stationary infantry'''found' thomselves overwhelmed in fcho British barrages. Tho officers completely lost their heads, and' ran about cursing their men. Their distress signals"for tho artillery Iwero not m'swered. ilweii tlio Gorman, wireless stations wbro 'knocked out. Tho situation cast of tho Polygon Wood was an oxamplo ot the confusion prevailing over the entire German front. Hero three battalions of storm trbop3 had been assembled ready to attaflf in three waves, with tho Foot Guards ready to take' over tho lino when it wits' -captured, and a reserve .regiment ready to make a i6econd assault if tho first railed. A.U thoso detflcliin-siits Tvere in' close formation. Exactly' ten minutes before the first German wave was to advance tho British were among them. By ,thts tinio tho barrages wero sweeping through the 'reserves behind with torn Me oltoct. Tho survivors ol this defeated mob said that tho surprise was paralysing. No soldiers could have rallied. , ... Enemys Plans Upset. '"The third l defeat must affect the enemy's plans i.n many ways. He mustdig how winter quarters, rearrange liis artillery, establish fresh raUheads, aerodromes, and hutments. Tho disappointment of the German commanders, is great, as they believed that wo would not attempt largo operations after Iho end ot August, owing to tho'difficulty of taking-tho Heavy gnus m-cr'tlio marshes. JLhe German Higher Command is offering a tempting" reward for every . British prisoner. Tho prioe varies from twenty-fivo to fifty shilling for a living nan and ten shillings for a dead man or his identification badge. Storming the Heights of Abraham. y ... ' "Tho storming of tho Abraham Heights and Gravenstafel contained much dramatio" incident. The Now ZealandcK) were, rather handicapped at tho begin--ning by the bulge in their original line. This prevented thom starting evenly, and in order to remedy this some of tho New Zealandters had to fall back and rush forwaM again'when tho barrage began, covering a considerable extent of extra ground at "the double. Somowhat to tho New Zcalanders surprise a group of firm redoubts close to their jumping-off places was full of Germans. Otto Farm, at only a few yards' distance, came suddenly to life and spat bullets through mahv loopholes until it was stormed. Thero was a lively fight at,Berlin Farm; on the west of the Roosbeke road. The New Zealanders silenced Berlin Farm with Stokes bombs. Thero was no time to examine the redoubt, but when it was broken open next day it was found to be full of dead Germ-ins. A number of pill-boxes were dotted along the Roosbeke road above Gravenstafel. In one cbsb a German gun-crew appeared through a narrow door catrying gun cartridges. They dodged' behind tree trunks, but a New Zealand sergeant,' with a"foW'men, worked round them. When capture was inevitable the Germans put "up their hands. A moment later their hands dropped, and tho Now Z&filandevs, expecting treachery of the usual sort, killed them all." Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. HEAVY FIGHTING- CONTINUES. London, October 7. Mr. Keith Murdoch, writing ■ from Headquarters, states) that heavy fighting continues, but. the' British have everywhere solidified their positions and pwait the German 'counter-attacks with confidence. The ram hai: changed tho battlefield into a vast sea of 'muddy ponds, which bring sore trouble to both sides, especially to ours, owing to the difficulty of communication oyer the conquered ■thiee miles of tho shell-hole. zone. .Our artillery organisation has' reached suc{i perfection that numerous heavy batteries fire at tho identical moment, which has an awful and demoralising as "well as death-dealing cilect. Germans'generally fought gamely, but the dash of tho attackers on wp ot the barrago' prevented, in most cases, the machine-gunners getting their guns from the redoubts in time to fight. As the result of their preparation for attack many thousands of Germans were caught m the trenches and shell-holes, ana remained throughput the barrage. The survivors fought to (!ho end.-Aus.-JS.Z. Cable Assn. —, . l ENEMY PREPARING TO EVACUATE' LENS. New York, October 7. Tho" Geneva, correspondent of the N«w York "l'inies" says it is reported that the Germans, as a result of the British victories in Flanders, are preparing to evacuate Lens; which has lost its importance as a strategical point. Von Hindehburjj will take the step shortly .-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ATTEMPTS TO ALLAY . GERMAN PUBLIC'S UNEASINESS THE LATEST GENERAL STAFF LIE. / 1 (Rec. October 8, 5.5 p.m.) London, October The German General Staff in a oommunique attempts to allay German uneasiness by stating that there is a movoment in Britain against "the. bloodiness of Haig's war methods." This is the result of a protest' from Australia-and New Zealand against the heavy losses of the Anzacs in tho Tccont fighting. • "Some mitigation' of the severity of the warfare in Flanders may therefore be 'the reply is that no such movement exists. The An&ac losses have not been 'disproportionate, and com plaints do not exist.—United Service. ON THE FRENCH FRONT '■ . . London, October 7. A French official communique states: "An artillery duel is in progress on the Vauxaillon, Laffaux, and Hurtebise sectors and on the loft bank of the Mouse, -notably north of Hill 344 and towards B.ezonvaux. We repulsed a power- . ful raid against Navarin Farm, in tlyo Chainpagne."—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-. Eeuter. '. (Keo. October 8, 11.55 p.m.) London, October 8. A French official communique states: "No infantry actions occurred 16-day. The artillery duel was sometimes violont iii Belgium, on the Aisne, and pn. tho right bank of the Meuse'."-—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT „ Y London, October 7. . A.-German official report 6tates; "Deslractive fire continues between Poelcapelle and Zaridvoorde. Photographs show; that there is great destruction' in Dunkirk, as the .consequenco ol our air raids."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter.