GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT

Hokitika Guardian, 28 September 1917, Page 3

GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT

i ENEMY LOSE HEART. ? D fAUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & KECTF.It. j . (Received This Day at 11.25. a.m.. ; -LONDON, September 27. General Ilaig reports:—On the Australian left, English, Scottish and Welsh battalions succeeded in peneI trating the defences to a depth of nearly a mile. They stormed Zonnebekc and gained their objective. A counter-attack eastward of Polygon Wood was repulsed. North of Midland tho London territorials attacking on the left and both sides of Wieltjo, Graveucstaol roads, captured their objectives and beat oil' the counter-attack. Our,lino hero advanced half-a-mile across country, defended by many fortilied farms and concreted redoubts. The enemy in tho afternon launched forces and pressed us back a short distance on a narrow front. . Our counter attacks recaptured the bulk of tho lost ground. Over one thousand were prisonered There are, very large numbers of German dead. Tho enemy’s losses are again heavy. BITTER SAVAGE EFFORT. BY TIIE HUNS. ALL ATTACKS REPULSED. [PER I'KF.SS ASSOCIATION*. —COPYRIGHT.] (Received This Day at 11.25. a.m.) i LONDON, September 27. , Sir'Douglas Haig in later accounts j says the lighting yesterday afternoon , and evening was exceedingly severe, j The enemy spared no efforts to regain j the important ground captured, and , made four soperate counter-attacks in j ,iir new front, from Tower Ilamlets to , St. .lulien-Gravcnstael road. i

The struggle was most severe in the region of Polygon Wood where the English held tho slopes of Polygon Wood. This success was followed by almost continuous attacks by the. German storm troops.

Both sides met in the road. They drove repeatodlv against Tower Hamlet ridge and the Australian line on Polygon Wood. We shall remember Tuesday as the day of a. bitter, savage effort by the Hun wherein he employed man and gun. s Of our principal attack we relieved two companies of Argyll and Sutherland, who had held out with great gallantry throughout tin* night in a forward position, wherein they had been isolated by" the enemy.

Later, another eounter-atack of great strength developed in this sector where fierce fighting .continues.

The Australians further north cleared the remainder of Polygon V <>od and ’captured rt trench eastward, which formed their days’ objectives.