THE WESTERN FRONT.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 September 1917, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT.

GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT.

STORM troops repulsed. [PEK PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPPRiOHi'.j LONDON, September 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Wo completely repulsed storm troops northeast of Langemarck. English rifle regiments, then attacked and eapured after sharp fighting a further portion of the defence in the neighbourhood, also a numbe rof prisoners.

OrganLsaion of the newly ca'pturea position on the rest of the battle-front is proceeding. Wo repulsed an attack I eastward of Villoret. i There wore 3243 Gormans, including 1 SO officers taken prisoner on the Ypres hattlo-front since, the commencement of the ataek on September 20th. Our aeroplanes yesterday dropped three tons of bombs on billets, hutments, and aerodromes at night time, and on the Routers, Menin, and Wervieg. railway stations, Tho enemy dropped a few bombs at midday, but little damage was done. We brought down nine machines. Two of ours are missing. ! : HAIG'S REPORT. .ARTILLERY ACTIVE. (Received This Dav at 11.25. a.m.) •LONDON, September 24. I General Haig reports—We drove out raiders from our trenches near La Basse ville. The enemy’s artillery was active on both banks of the Scarpo, southward of liens and northeastward of Ypres. MR. GILMOUR’S PRAISE. OF THE DASHING AUSTRALIANS (Received this day at 1.20 a.m.,) LONDON, September 23. Mr. Gilmour says the Australian front lines followed the barrage more closely in some places that discretion would have prompted, with the result that many Germans were caught in tiheir dug-outs. Tlio tenacity wherewith the Anzaes clung to the tall barrage also resulted in almost totally shifting the German machine-gunning. | A young lieutenant on tho fringe of a: terrific barrage of shells bursting around him dashed forward to a fortified post where, tho Germans wore waiting to receive them with machine guns. The lieutenant sprang into the lookout hole and fired a few shots with his revolver, the Gormans inside being killed or scuttled. . 'Flio performance was repeated with general success at the next concreted blockhouse. Mr. Gilmour mentions the excellent work of the artillery smashing tlio troops assembling for counter-attacks. 'Hie precision of the. British attack surpassed anything, previously done. BREAKING THE DERMA NS. BRITAIN’S GREAT ARTILLERY SMASHING THE TROOPS. [rot PRESS ASSOCIATION. COPYRIGHT.) (Received this day at. 12.30 u.m.) LONDON, Sopt. 24. Mr. Phillip Gibbs, says after our ■ men had carried thoir objectives, every • body was convinced the enemy’s losses were heavy especially in the coun-ter-attacks, which were continued on ; Saturday and Sunday with even more disastrous results. A German regiment was carried in , busses at midday on Saturday, to a point behind the lines for the purpose of a new assault of our positions in Polygon Wood. When the regiment took to tho .road our artillery caught and dispersed them. Some companies worked their way forward and became lost in the chaos of shell craters. Instead of battalions of companies they were transformed into a collection of terror stricken individual soldiers, without the guidance of commanders. ; Another column of marching men in a road belonged to tho sixteenth Bavarian Division were hastily sent without maps, knowledge of tho ground, or without definite instructions. British aeroplanes dropped bombs at tho head of tho column and tho explosion attracted tho attention of more of our night raiders who wero flying low. They dropped bombs all down tho column. This counter attack never reached our lines. No counter-attack reached our positions near Polycon Ridge, which is the ground the enemy most wants. The nearest was on Saturday afternoon when some Australians saw the glint of bayonets in a little wood on tho opposite spur for a minute or two. They saw the movement of men and then a fury of shells fell into the wood and filled it with flame and smoke. A FRENCH REPORT. [••rkuter’s” telegram.] LONDON, Sept. 23. A French communique states: The artillery struggle is somewhat violent in the region of Hurtebise ,und on the left bank of the Meuse and' north of Hill 304. SIGNIFICANT SUCCESS. GREAT WINTER VALUE. (Received This Day at 11.25. a.m.) PARIS, Sep. 24. s M. Marcel Hutin says the positions that the British captured are so Important, that the enemy are incessantly attacking, but their attempt* with powerful contingents were sensationally defeated. The position occupied by tho British is such that they can, if need be, wait for the coming spring and pass the winter without having their foot in water, which will be the lot of the Germans in tho positions whereto they have retreated. It is significant that eighteen-year-old Germans are unable to stand their ground, while the officers, instead of being with the men, are kept in the rear. This accounts for tho few officers origonered.

TEGOFS FOB ANTWERP. (Received This Dav at 11.25. a.m.) PARIS, Sep. 23. Private advices from Havre stato that Antwerp is crowded with troops, who arc billeted on tho inhabitants.