WEST FRONT

Nelson Evening Mail, 2 October 1916, Page 5

WEST FRONT

BIG POSSIBILITIES AHEAD

EVEN BEFORE "THE WINTER

MR GARVIN'S VIEWS

'Australian and N.Z. Cade Association.,

t'Rec. Oct, 2, 10 a.m.) LONDON., Oct. 1

Mr Garvin -writes that great thi \gs are likelv even before the winter. A glance at the map shows that M" tlie wedge is ftife 20 miles further eastwaid of the Kspaume-Peronne road, it viJi eiidamrer communications vital to the enemy" for a large part of the line fro-|t Ho thinks the enemy is alive to the danger: and•-',is already preparing in the rear. Therefore a sudden debacle is unlifcelv. .

Mr Garvin says it is expected that S?ir Douglas Hrsig and General JoiTre ><ioie the end of iiie year will deal hicks &t-:g T gering blows than any yet. dealt. Hindenbuvg, says Air ■ Garvin, undei rated the/difficulties, and -s aa;:ble to undertake d; great advance ' ag.ii ist Russia. Therefor© he is concen .rutins a smash on Roumania, and will hold the line from the Baltic to the TUmcU Sea, r.nd' return to the West" -before the Franco-British, have " : time to deliver a knock-out. A RTTLLERY ACTIVITY. (Rec. Oct, 2, 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, A French communique says: Artillery is active on—the isomme front. We progressed by grenades south-east of MoryaL, and the Somme south-east of Uiery. GERMAN ATTAGHSK-EPULSED KLSEWfLERK. (Australian ,-i.nd N.Z. Cable "Association.) (Rec. Oct. 2, 11.20 a.m. ) "•'.-. LONDON, October 1. Sir Douglas Haig reports :—We progressed at* night, between Piers and Le Sars. There were sixteen successful raids be/tween- Ypres- and Neuve Chapelle. and heavy shelling round Gueudecourt. We drove the Germans outic£.gi-ound they were.." holding hear Stuff Redoj»«t. and increased our gains at Schwaoet Redoubt, a minute portion of which remains untaksn. - ' '. - .We captured an army order tinted 21st " September.: which emphasises the importance of Lesbouefs, which is described as the last protection of artillrey wli>h must en no circumstances be lost. We Lesbouefs a few days later.

A TERRIBf E STRUGGLE

'{Published. i» The Times.'•

(Rec. Oct. 2, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 1. An eye-witness who saw the attempt to recaptur? Ka-ymakehatau, states that the comandar did not use artillery but attacked at night with trcops well -piiied with raw spirits for an impetuous rush carrying th« first line thev wiped- out the occupants. The remaining. Serbians held firm) ?.-;d mowed down th<T intoxicated Bulgars. The first- wave, reached the . trenches and for three hours there was the most- -horrible fighting in the trenches taken, the- Serbs/ finally winning. Sunirise- revealed a • scene of bestial°savage ; slaughter. The ground between the first and) second lirtes- was. covered with corpses ar.d it impossible to step without, .trampling' cm them. A thousand Serbs »n-'t two thousand Bulgars were killed. Wounded* Serb officers were massacred.

GERMANYSJSOWKE LOSSES

SOr»£E '^EXPLANATIONS." fAustralian and XT.3. Cable Association.) JB.ec. Oct. 2, 'll a.m ) LONDON. Oct. 1. The latest explanation of the Somme reverses is that the Anglo-French, infantry are worthless, but. thanks to overwhelming artillery, thev were sometimes enabled! to. rash fortified positions which had (been reduced) to ruins. Tageblatt's militarv critic says that infantry fighting is no" longer man against man. but man against cripples, 'wounded-and dead. A trench is rushed only when it has been blown to dust. lius is the enemy's- confession that its infantry •is of poor quality. C J%£ ' critic ov erlooks the face that oU,UUO unwounded prisoners were taken on the Somme, and he forgets the eulogies officially bestowed bv "the German General Staff and the "sparine of infantry in the Verdun attack by mfaw ot artillery preparation. HEAVY FIGHTJxcTgONTINUES. • (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Q- -n ! Sept. 30. - , r^ las Hai f re P° rt s that we occupied SOO yards of trenches eastward r-f Les&oeuis. Heavy, fighting occurred round Stuff Redoubt.. . '• We captured an important section of Hessian trench -whence we were forced out, 'but .we recaptured' it later. Sir 'Douglas Hlaig adds that we have •beaten off enemy counter-attacks in the of Stuff Redoubt and Hessian trench. Yesterday's fighting in this sector was very severe. A division of the new army has shown great endurance and resolution.' ; A London Territorial battalion made a'.successful raid south of Neuvilie .St. Vaast, entering trenches and! talking (prisoners. :- : •' We improved our position in the TMepvall area. General.; Jbnre, in a message' to Sir Douglas Haig congratulating him' on the brilliant successes of the British on the Jsth -and 16th, says they are a sure

guarantee of final victory over the enemv. whose physical and moral' forces are already severely shaken.

ADVANCE AT EAUCOURT

LABBAYE".

_.. _ , LONDON 1 . Oct. 1. feir Douglas Haig reports that the line was slightly advanced, southward of Eaucount I'Albbave.

A Belgian communique savs there has been a great artillerv duel'i nthe Dixmude region for the past week. Our fire was especially effective in destrovang German works in the Hetsas sector.

THBBE THOUSAND GERMAN OORfPSES AT COMIBLES. «

■PARIS, Oct. 1. Three thousand German corpses, were: found, at Coirjbles. Many had 'been, dead more than a week. A German document, shows ebb at between July 16th and September 26th 72 battalions participated' in the defence. The most 'thrilling moment was when the British and French met i:i Gambles and congratulated! each other with enthusiosm. They then continued fighting harder .than ever. During the advance at Cotircelette the Canadians captured two trench mortafs oi a new. and special type. | PROGRESS AT RiANICOURT. PARIS:-Sept. 30. Av communique states that on the Somme-. we made progress by a grenade attack north of ißaneourt.

SURVEY OF THE BATTLE

VIEWS OF CORRESPONDENTS.

(Australian 9~H N.Z. Cable Association.)

LONDON, Sept. 30.

The lull on the Anglo-Fernch fronts afforded- an opportunity for (the correspondents to give a general survey of the ibattle.

Mr Ashanead Bartlett, the Daily Telegraph's correspondent, visited the French front. He saj - s the guns only cease to fire when they are seefemsr a fresh objective. Their piles of shells never seem ■to diminish, whereas the Germans have tn save their ammunition. Tfoe French command' of the air is so complete that it is 'no longer necessary to conceal their guns % The German artillery has ibeen fighting in almost total blindness since they lost the high ground near Peronne. , Many high explosive sheflls ,f all in the Somme river, throwing up mountains of mud. £ The Germans I ', are replying with barraces aga.inst the Anglo-French assaults. Mr PhiMp. G-i'bbs, who is on the British front, insists upon the importance'of a continuance of fine weather. Mist prevents -aviators' reports, and the enemy «.re alble to mas? troops for counter-at. tacks. Since our -capture of the ridge the Germans have ibeen unaMe to niove infantry, guns and transport in daylight." ": The Germans oetween the An-.-ffe and the Somme. now know the torturj>of living always under great guns. Other corregoondients state that the T>i-i<r, o ners -taken on the British front on Sur.dav, Monday and. Tuesday total 6000, and. the tallv i? still incomplete. We are pu-shlror north of Fler= and clearmtr the enemv out of the most formidable positions, 'including sunklen roads and trenchr-s which in the earlier stacre of the battle would have cost long ray and many lives. But the enemy s resistance seems to have lost its strength. We have taken miles of trenches, at incomprehensibly little cost. GERMAN CO'MiMU'NTQUE.

LONDON, Sept. 30. A German communique says: "After variable hard fightir.g 'between the Ancre and. Courcelette British attacks were repulsed."