ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 October 1917, Page 3

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

“OUR DAY.”

THE COLONIALS GLORY

LONDON, Oct. 6

Mr. I’liillip Gibbs states; “It was a .great day for the Australia and - t r jNew Zealanders— their greatest and ( * f most glorious day. ' They went grimly , and cheerfully toward their goa °' j every obstacle. I ‘•The New Zealanders and Austin-Ua-ns fighting up the Abraham Heights took prisoner over 2000 Germans, j They describe the number of German dead as unprecedented. j ‘•Other Australians fighting fm , Broodseinde cross-road counted . i dead Germans. i “I saw the Australians going up, j lithe, loose-limbed and hatcnet-faced Then the New Zealanders came along. They were a type midway between I the English and Austrians. They • were less lean and wiry and had more colour and were of fuller build. They WB re as fine a set of boys as one could see in,the whole world. They went up to the front gladly. I have talked to some of them from the bat- , tlefiold and they are cherry and full of confidence. They wanted to go as far as the Australians anil to do as well as them. “Among the Australians also, a r friendly rivalry existed between the, t new men and the old hands, the new F men wanting, to show the old men < what mettle they were made, of, and P the fresh battalions wero keen to earn similar honours: to those already won s by others. It was certain that the Australians would reach Broodseinde cross-roads if human courage coulj gef there. Without cheek and regardless of the enemy’s first some went even too fast behind their barrage. “In similar manner the New Zealanders reached the Abraham Heights. carrying all before them. A very hard o] time was spent last night in the mud and cold, under intermittent heavy fire from the enemy, but they stuck It out.”

HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUES

CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS.

EVACUATING LENS

f AUSTRALIAN it N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION]

(Received, This Daw at 8.50. a.m.) NEW YORK, Oct. 7.

GRIM TALES. FAUSTRALIAN it N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, Oct. 5. Mr Phillip Gibbs says:—Men from the new front tell grim tales, indicating that the Germans suffered the most slashing defeat wo have yet inflicted. In one section near Poelcapelle, six German battalions in the front line were killed or taken prisoner. The New (Zealanders ami English troops admit that Fritz lias often showed pluck while ho.has had a dog’s chance, but many ran when the attackers got close. __ Confusion prevailed behin ( j the German lines, probably a 9 the result, of our attack meeting theirs. The counter-attacks were badly planned and caused further .disaster. The Germans advanced in straggling fashion and many wandered in aimless groups until shot down.

HOLDING THE GROUND

BIG GERMAN LOSSES. Y . r 1 'REUTETi’h” TEI.EGHAM.I LONDON, October 5. Reuter’s {correspondent at Brtiish headquarters reports that the fruits of yesterday’s- victory have been held. There were no infantry counterattacks during the night and demonstrate® the German exhaustion. A third enemy counter-attack yesterday in great strength in the afternoon bending our line back sligntiyT Howevet-, only a trifling modification (of the front was made which has absolutely no bearing upon the tactical results aohieved.

Within a fortnight ffo have struck the enemy in Flanders three staggering blows in a' very vital spot sent him reeling back about three miles. Wo have taken about 9000 prisoners and inflicted casualties conservatively calculated at 40,000.

HAIG’S PROGRESS. {AUSTRALIAN A N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION & REUTER.] Received, this day at 8.45 a.m. LONDON, October 6. Genoral Haig reports that our artillery was active all day on the whole battlefront. jn the evening the enemy shelled our new positions on the ridge from Broodesinde southwards but did not counter-attack. Our aeroplanes bombed various railway stations and aerodromes. Seven enemy machines were brought down and five of ours are missing. HAIG’S REPORT. rAUSTRALIAN CC N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] & REUTER.] /Received This Hav at 9.50. a.m] U LONDON, Oct. 8. .General Sir Douglas Haig reports considerable artillerying on the battle front all night. Wo successfully raided south of Droodseind and ‘ inflicted casualties. We repulsed a n attempted raid south war j of Ypres-Menin canal. The Leicestershire* successfully raided westward of Cite St. Elio. The weather is showery and colder.

PRAISE BY FRENCH TRESS

The Times. Geneva correspondent reports the Germans, as the result of the British victories' in Flanders, arc preparing to evacuate Lens, which has lost its importance ns a strategical point. General Hindenburg will - ue this step shortly. FRENCH REPORT., • f-ArSTItALTAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION] LONDON, Oct 5. A French communique reports violent artillery actions on the right bank ■ of the Mouse and in the region of Bezonvaux and Hill 344. GERMAN REPORT. [ADMIRALTY VER WIRELESS PRESS.] j LONDON, Oct. 0. I - German official: Artillery fire in • creased to drumfire between Poelcapelle and Gheluvelt. A French attack north i-ast of Reims failed. GERMAN ACCOUNTS. i [AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION i it REUTER.] LONDON, October 5. German official: The hottest points of yesterday’s fighting were at Poeleapolio and at isolated farms, Pas- j ohendaele, the cross roads eastward of Zonnebeke and the wood westward Becelaere village an ( j Gheluvelt. The enemy temporarily advanced over this line, but was unable to bold the ground owing to our counter-attacks. •The English gains were restricted to a strip of from one to one and a half kilometres in depth between T’oeleapolle and IBeeelaero. A\ e retained Becelaere and Gheluvelt. "W o re- . pulsed almost everywhere twelve French attacks in three days at Hill 344.

TAUSTRALIAN '& N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION PARIS, October 5. A.ll the newspapers comment eulogistioally on the brilliant success of the British. NEW ZEALANDERS. , THEIR WORK PRAISED. (Special from the Official War Correspondent.) October 2. Tlie Rifle Brigado was engaged in burying cable to assist the operations in the Flanders battle towards the end of last month. A general holding a high command lias expressed his apnreciation of their work. Ho states that the success of tho operations was in a great measure due to the good communications established, to attain which requite the New Zealandfers played imoh an important part.

[AUSTRALIAN & N.Z. CABLE ASSOCIATION^! i (Received This Day at noon.) I LONDON,/ October 7. ■ .™ n rnTm\l -M r. .Murdoch at headqunrttrs says. [Australian & S.Z. CABLE • • * boavv !• 'htjng 'cogitttnues, bjit the Brit :,h had everywhere solidified thenpositions, and await counter-attacks with confidence. Rain has changed the battlefield into a vast sea of muddy | ponds, bringing sore trouble to both , sides, especially ours, owing to the difficulty of communication over the zone. Our artillery organisation has I readied such a perfection that mini- J emus heavy batteries lire at the idea- j tic-al moment into the same locality, f with awful demoralising death-dealing j | effect. The Germans generally fought , gamely, hut the attackers, dash on top of the barrage, prevented inmost case* the machime* gunners getting their guns from the redoubts in’ time to light, with .the result that in their preparation for the attack many thousand Germans wero caught in the trenches and shell holes, and remained throughout the barrage. The survivors fought to the end.