WEST FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, 29 September 1916, Page 5

WEST FRONT

FEEBLENESS OF GERMAN RESISTANCE WHAT IS BEHIND IT? (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) fEtec. Sept. 29'. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON". Sept. 28. __ A Headquarters correspondent reports tbs.j prisoners state that most oi the officers of some German reciments have been killed'. Others said they were suffering from stomach ache in order to zet awav. When the trenches were taken, the British found only non-coms, and privates. This is reported bee-arise it is tHie. birt we most not draw too lame an inference from the behaviour of particular units. Tbe air as full of rumotirs. owing to the intoxicating air of victory. It is foolish to attempt to -guess: how far-reach-ing the results will -be. We must await is behind tbe immediate feebleness •of the resistance. Earrincr exceptions, the story _of the last day's fighting is the. most discreditable to the Germans since the beginning: oi the 'battle. GERMANS NOT ROUTED RETIREMENT TO STRONG POSITION'-. VIEWS OF MILITARY EXPERTS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Rec. Sept, S>. 9-10 a.m.) LONDON, Sept, 28. Experts point out that it is a mistake to xeaaati the Germans as routed. Nevertheless -each: step forward 1 means a diminution '"p. German tenancy and" fighting value and- brines the day nearer when Generals Foch and Fa is: will consider it possible to -break the German line. A pause in the operations is inevitable. The Germans are frantically digging- in in the new line and the position -is still doubtful. •Cavalrv patrols, pushing beyond and Getteudecourt, discovered that in the next trench lines, the enemy hold two considerable hills, marked 143 and 153. On the French Staff map, one is iying •west on. the Combles front of the expensive Bois St. Pierre. Vaast and the other opposite beinc pfli't- of tlk* winding: ridse on which the twin villages of Saillv anc£ -Saillisel are 'built. The Bapaume road crosses the ridge before itdips to "Letranslov. EXOELLENTPROGRESS FURTHER TRENCHES TAKEN. {Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.LO2vDON\ Sept. 28. Sir Douglas Haig reports excellent progress. W"e -carried trenches oil a front- of 2CCO yaTds northward of Flers. There lias been fierce fighting 'northeast of TTiiepval, where we stormed the Stuff Redoubt. Ten thousand prisoners have been taken daring the fortnight. THE XEW BRITISH LINE. LONDON. Sept. 23. Sir Douglas Haig add.s tr.at- _ north■ward of Flers we are now level with the east side of Eaueourt- I'Aibbaye. The Stuff Redoubt is one the mam ridge 2000 vards north-eastward: of ThiepvaL Upwards of I£oo rifles and many thousand Tounds or artillery ammunition and grenades were taken *by us at Comble.-, where the Allies' also made large captures of material. We destroyed- two aeroplanes and two •kite balloons on Tuesday. T'.vo ot -our machines are missing:.

PROGRESS NEAR RANCOURT SUCCESSFUL FRENCH OPERATIONS (Australian and N. 7.. Cable Association.) PARIS. Sept- 23. A comranniqae stat-es that the enemy strongly attacked our new position- from Boucbavesnes to the southward of Tsois l'Abbe Farm. The French, by- a brilliant counter-offensive. threw back tne assaulting waves in disorder, with he.i\ losses. . We made appreciable -orocrrcss •ward and sputh-east- of and penetrated St. Pierre "Vaast \^ood'. capturToflhiepval HOW IT WAS EFFECTED. GERMAX GARRISON ?UP.PRISET>. (Atistralian and N.Z. Cable Association.^ ' PARIS, Sept. 23. The attack at Thiepval besan at noon. A regiment advancing northward- from Ovillers struck on the southern side and carried; apportion of Redoubt. Other continents dame from Mouquet Farm and a hill near the Albert high road. . . Our men. with irresistible impe«uos:ty, ■Dlunsed into the ruined village by the Pozieres road, a heavy curiam pieventing the brinsinsr of enemy remtorceroents from Beaucourt. T-he fortified system of Thiepval covered a square mile. The attackers found underground galleries which resisted bom(bardmerrts bv the heaviest iruns and ■howitzers. Each cellar was ■with steel armour and' concrete until it■was a small fortress. _ Manv of tho were- f-ffed with lifts, wherefbv machine -sains could be instarrtlv lifted into -position. Fontunatelv the~~-defenee was " termined than had- been expected. One thous-and three' -bniidrej pr--oncr.- have ahreadv rome to the *na?e. They confirm reports that the garrison were pvn-pnsed bv the force of the -attach- n-jd we v e thrown into name. The officer? vainlv •tried to the men. but- many surrendered wiT.h<vn-fc a F-hnb. faliocs w<""-> r-ractically wiped out in Tuesday's fighting.

THE FLIGHT FROM MOR.VAL. LONDON. Sept, 28. Mr Philip Giobs writes : I u the night the enemy troops 'between Morval aud Sailly melted away. Our cavalry patrols are out trying to find' their rearguard. ' Our gunners were quick to findi the target, and clouds of shrapnel burst over masses of men aud threw them into a panic-stricken rout. They flung down their rifles and packs and fled' to Le Trans] oy. leaving many dead and wounded in their wake. The worst thing that lias happened to the enemy is the breaking of their morale. The enemy fought well, but they hawthat if they held on longer they must die or be taken prisoners. As soon as our men swept across the trendies and sunken roads and entered the villages the gairisons came from underground and surrendered in heaps. They <jould have fought longer and) harder perhaps, but only with their backs against the walls, asking for death. They had not tlie spirit, to do that. They were done, dazed 'by the appalling intensitv of the shell fire and disheartened bv the unfailing regularity with which the British captured their strongholds. Since July their confidence and faith iu the German war machine has been destroyed. They were sturc-efied by the grim way in which i.ve attacked, reckless of Io«-s. I saw 1200 prisoners brought in. mostly Prussian. Manv confessed that itwas a great British vk-torv. These men as a whole have none of the braggart confidence of the prisoners of a year ago.

FORTY-FIVE VILLAGES CAPTURED SIXTY-ONE GERMAN DIVISIONS DEFEATED. (Published in The Times.) PARIS, Sept. 23. Since the beginning- of the offensive 45 villages and 117 square miles of territory have been captured 1 . Sixty-one German divisions have been zruelled, eadi losing about 5000 men. GERMAN COMMENT "MAD ALLIED ATTACK?." (Published in The Times.) LONDON, Sept. 27. The Frankfurter Zeitunir says : —"The mad Allied attacks on the Somme arc* full of .unparalleled courage and savagery. We are endeavouring to keep back the enemy and preserve an elastic and connected front. We have lost long-held positions and villages, and; possibly more important shortenings of the West front are contemplated in the interests of all the fronts." The Frankfurter Zemins says the enemy obtained a tactical advantage on the Somme on Tuesday. It- ivas terribly bloody'for the attacker and a test searching -to the innermost heart for the defender. Streams of blood; flowed 1 , and incalculable quantities of projectiles crashed into the German positions. But Hindehburs" pursues his quiet course and will not be foived from his (prearranged path by a hairbreadth. It. is impossible for ■the enemy to break through. cost oflheTadvance

British casualties not heavy 'Australian and N.Z. Cabbie Ass oci Jit ion.) *Eec. Sept. 29. 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, Sept- 23. v Sir T>ouglas Haig reports : —-"We advanc- ! Ed at points between Martinpuich and j Guedecourt and established' posts west ' and south-ivest of Eancoairt I'Abbaye within 800 yards of the village. We consolidated our position on the ridge north-east of Thiepval, and successfully shelled a mardhing enemy battalion with transport. In the recent fig-Ming our losses were small relatively and absolutely. Our casualties are not more than twice the number of prisoners taken. One division, which had a difficult task, cantnred as many as its casualties. BRITISH AIR RAIDS IN FLANDERS •\TRSF3P S'HEI}S AND aFDNITION" j STOKE? 'ITT. ! MV-uu-i "s Telegrarw.} {Official.) LONDON. 'Sept. 27. Naval aeroplanes bombed and apparently ---t enemy airship sheds at Evere, Berchen. St. Aaat-he, and* Etter'beck, near Brussels. Heavy explosions were observed near Evere, and presumably ammunition stores were fired. It is reported tihat enormous damage resulted front the air raid; at Essen. .Work is suspended at six Krupp. factories. KING GEORGE AND PRESIDENT POINCARE EXCHANGE OF CONG RATI 7 LA - TIONS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON. Sept. 28. _ The King, in replying to M. Po'.ncare s congratulations on the British Arm\ two'daws' successes, says these could: not have been achieved without the splendid support of the iraLant Erenc-h troops- on our ris;ht. fighting for one common objective. \ • TWO OF ASQU'ITH'S NEPHFAVS KILLED. {Roc-.. Sept. 29. 9.10 aim.) LONDON, Sept. 28. Two of 'Mr Asquii'h's nephews.—a. son of Hon. Edward Tennant and heir to Lord Glencormer and Mark Terma 'it.. of the Scots Guards —have been killed in France. ATTACK REPCLSED. |Rec. Sc-pt. 29. 12.5 p.m.) LONiDON, Sept. 28. A French communique savs:—We sanfzuiunrilv Tepulsed' an evening* attack on the Thiaumont-Fleury front.