THE WESTERN FORNT.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 August 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FORNT.

ON THE BATTLE FROM.

NEW ZEALANDERS WORK.

AUSTRALIAN SATTAOK.

TAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] (LONDON August 3. Mr: (Philip ‘.Gibbs reports: Hxa weather is still abominable and the battlefield is waterlogged with the ceaseless rainstorms but fighting continues. The enemy is strongly counterattacking northward' of Frezenberg. Our artillery and machine-guns swept them down. The Germans suddenly v r ,.7 attacked two hours after emerging from the dense smoke of the barrage Our guns .poured shells on to this ground which we regained in the evening. The German gunfire was intense over the great part of this lost territory, the long ranger’s shelling far behind our lines. The situation is exactly the same u« at the end of the first day of tho battle. The Australians and New Zealanders were allotted difficult country on the extreme right to attack below WarneWwn where the enemy had , gone to great trouble. Wire hedges covered shell-holes and wirenetting hiding machine guns and snipers. When the New Zealanders took La Basseville it was a mere muddle of broken bricks. It had already been taken and lost, but the New Zealanders once establishing firmly" held in despite the fact that the cellars -were temporarily useless being choked with dead. The Australians after hard fighting captured the old windmill near Ia Basseville on important point because it is standing on a knoll. Waves of Germans in the morning advanced across the Warnetown-Capaal Road encircling the windmill and compelled the Australians to exacuate it On* after several hours’ shelling the Australians at midnight returned and routed out the garrison. They firmly hold the. position again. I Our airmen performed unimaginable feats, machine-gunning down „ chimneys and then flying round to the front and squirting streams of iohu into the open doors. WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT. COLONEL REPINGTOiVS OPINION. [LONDON TIMES SERVICE —COPTRIQHt] LONDON( -August 2. I Colonel Repington says: Considering the extraordinary difficulties of the terrain of the defenders, and the strength of the defenders the opening phut**, of the Third Battle of .Ypres will stways remain a wonderful achievement by the British army. The objectives did not include the enemy’s main artillery positions and therefore large captures of guns l w4Ye eipated. The enemy alarmed at his previous gun losses kept his guns far back saving at the expenses of his infantry who fought less valiantly than ÜBual, Sir Douglas Haig employed merely a fraction of the troops at his disposal. As the reputation of the German command was at stake and the spirit of the troops cannot stand these continuous defeats immense losses must be expected. The German staff will shortly, try to do something to restore its much tarnished prestige.

FRENCH REPORT. AEROPLANES WORK. LONDON August 3. A French communique states: The Belgian artillery fire is dominatiuß the. German artillery whose" aotivitiy is greater east and north of Bixscoote. We prevented any attempt, to attack and stopped two enemy attacks east of Oerny. There is reciporal artillery firing on the left bank of the Meuse. Between July 21st. and July 31st. we brought down 20 aeroplanes’ and two balloons and caused 21 planes to descend. Ten flying squadrons threw 4100 kilogrammes of projectiles over -the stations of Roulers Metz, Thionville and elsewhere, besides factories, cantoments, bivouacs and munition depots causing considerable damage. ' V UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACKS. WELLINGTON, This Day. The High Commissioner reports from London Aug. 2nd at 10.40 p.m. British official.—During the morning and afternoon the enemy made a series of violent but unsuccsesful attempts to' recover the lost ground north-east of Ypres. HARPS REPORT. LONDON, Aug. a. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—T*f my this morning and afternoon violently, but unsuccessfully, attempted to 1 recover ground north-east of Ypree. j Strong forces repeatedly attacked; ref gardless of the increased severity of i their losses, our positions between the ; Ypres-Roulers railway and Saint Julien. In every case we broke up and ! dispersed the advancing lines. HEAVY GERMAN ATTACKS PARTLY SUCCESSFUL. WELLINGTON, This Day. The High Commissioner reports from London, 3rd Aug. at 2.30 p.m. General Haig reports early last night the enemy renewed the attempt to drive us from Infantry Hill eastwar i of Monchy Le Preux. Africa: heavy ■_ bombardment they attached us on" ~ a half mile front and obtained temporary possession at two points. In a counter attack we regained part of the lost ground-