FRENCH EXTEND THEIR ADVANCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLII, Issue 9789, 12 October 1917, Page 5

FRENCH EXTEND THEIR ADVANCE

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, October 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Wo repulsed several counter-attacks last evening in tho neighbourhood of the Ypres-Staden railway. The enemy iorced back our advanced troops a abort distance on a front of two thousand yards south of the railway. Wo repulsed counter-attacks, with loss, north-east or Broodsoindo. Wc earned out a raid south of the Scarpe. Heavy rain is falling. (Received October 11, 9 p.m.) LONDON, October 11Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Our aviators did much work on i tiro battle front on Tuesday, despite a strong gale and thick clouds. Tho artillery was thus enabled to deal with the ©noaiy’s new gun positions and other suitable targets, and was kept in touch with its own infantry all day long. troops were harassed at every opportunity by machine-gun Fire, and many bombs were dropped on the Roulers. Courtrai, Menin and Ledeghom stations, causing a number of explosions. . . ' We brought down six German aeroplanes. Two of ours are missing. In the course of the day attacks on our new positions in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Staclon railway led to local fighting, but did not effect any material change in the situation. . , The enemy made no further counter-attacks. Our troops actively organised our captured positions despite tho great difficulties of the ground. Tuesday’s prisoners hitherto reported number 2038, of whom twenty-nine are officers. The prisoners also include 400 taken by the French. We captured a few 1 field guns and a number of machine-guns and trench mortars. GREAT EFFORT BY THE LANCASHIRES A MARCH OF ELEVEN HOURS~"UNDER ENORMOUS DIFFICULTIES. United Service Telegrams. (Received October 11, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 11. The battle of Poeloappelle will always he famous for tho grit of tho Lancashires, who in marching to tho attack endured superhuman trials. At nightfall they crossed the Yser Canal and marched for miles over a country formless and featureless, and lighted only by gunflashes. The night was pitch dark, and the men stumbled on through infinite tangles of sinister country, and fell foul of shell-holes. It was impossible for them to got food, drink, or rest, otherwise they would ho late for the battle. The troops marched thus for eleven hours and arrived, in time; and despite their exhaustion went over with the rest and fought a great battle, winning their objectives and withstanding counter-attacks. MODIFICATION OF PREVIOUS BRITISH SUCCESS DUE TO AN IMPASSABLE QUAGMIRE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received October 11, 10.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 11. Mr Percival Phillips writes: Yesterday's original success was somewhat modified between Broodseinde and the Thorout railway, embracing the area of our attack from Passchendaele to the southern border of Houthulst Forest. Some of our troops have fallen hack to a lino which is still much in advance of that hold yesterday morning. The relinquishment was due to th©. unfavourable ground, which in some places was an impassable quagmire. Nowhere did the enemy drive us out. The waterlogged condition of the country, and the largo number of snipers ensconced in trees and concrete redoubts at Passchendaele retarded our progress. . . . - It is impossible to give an exact definition of the present line between Poclcapelle and Broodseindo. Some fortified farms which were cleared yesterday have been reoocupied by the enemy, but on the average our net advance is 2000 yards. ANOTHER UNQUALIFIED SUCCESS LATER DETAILS OF THE OPERATIONS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, October 10. Mr Percival Phillips writes:—-“The Fourth German Army has been defeated again in a battle which is another unqualified success. Prisoners are surrendering m large numbers. We again caught the German divisions in the process of relief; and punished them severely. The rain and mud made the enemy believe that another enterprise was impossible, and it was a complete surprise. Our troops fought in swamps and pools, and sometimes were buried by shells; but the unquenchable spirit of victory carried them through. Some men marched' for nearly twelve hours just before going into battle; yet they fought like lions. ... „ ~ , , “The attack was less a groat battle than a great readjustment of tho battle front. There were two simultaneous advances. The larger Operation was the swinging forward of our left towards Passchendaele Village, thereby easing the salient of which Broodseinde was the pronounced point. This involved the capture of the remainder of Pooloapello Village and an, advance among the wilderness of ruined farms on the western spurs of the Passchendaelo Ridge, in th© direction of the Houthoulst Forest. On the right of tho battle front we straightened out an, erratic line abound Reutelbeck and the Polderhoek Chateau. FIGHTING BETWEEN POELCAPELLE AND HOUTHOULST FOREST. “The fighting between Poeloapelle and Houthoulst Forest was handicapped by marshes caused by the shell-fire shooting away the banks of the Broonbeeh, and the country here was a sheet of stagnant yellow water, with a long irregular slope of slippery ooze beyond cut by the shattered embankment of the Thourout railway and the Langemarck road. All this was liberally planted with enemy redoubts, tho Thourout railway embankment giving cover to machine-guns, while a number of pill-Voxes replaced l the railway station. ....... , _ , , “Here we caught two German divisions relieving each other. One had been hurried from tho Argonne in mOtor-’buses, and thrust into tho forest during the night. The troops they relieved had been lying in the rain and 1 mud since tho last attack, and a great number of the men were ill. These battalions were so anxious to get away that they failed to give the necessary information to tho Argonne Division, and the latter knew nothing about tho disposition of the British opposite them. The men, on surveying the British barrage, surrendered! immediately. STIFF FIGHTING IN RUINS. “The first and second objectives were gained on time, and by 8 o’clock the troops of the British Isles and of another island of the Empire were breakfasting among tho vanquished! redoubts. Hero they rested a time before going on to the final goal. The Germans evacuated some pill-boxes as our men came up. “Tho Germans admitted that they had been badly pounded by our Stokes’ mortars. Tho French, on the British left, suffered even more from the mud, but they were splendidly protected by their own artillery. “Stiff fighting occurred in the ruins, also on tho remains of a brewery west of the Comsbeko road, just clear of the village. The Germans had strengthened the cellars in the village since Thursday, when we halted at the cross roads. This had convinced tho German regimental commander that he had still a fighting chance of turning us out; but before dawn the Germans had been chased 1 out of the cellars on the outskirts of the village, ran along the broken street, and reassembled at the brewery. Machine-guns filled the apertures in the sandbagged brewery walls, and stubborn fighting lasted throughout the morning. “The English troops early in the afternoon gamed a foothold! in the brewery, which was finally captured. The garrison was all killed or taken soner.'-HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING IN CELTIC WOOD TERRIFIC BAYONET CLASHES WITH ENEMY - . Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. ! LONDON. October 10. Tho “pocket” of Gormans ini the Daisy Wood is still holding out, but it is fast dwindling. Fighting continues at Polderhoek Chateau. Hand-to-hand fighting occurred in Celtic Wood, which tho Australians now have in their possession. Bayonets were freely used in terrific man-to-man clashes. The troops have never had tasks harder than, these. The Germans were nnablo to make a general counter-attack. The best they could do was in feeble, local reactions. The British advanced posts in the centre and on th« right retired slightly at night, in order to consolidate the line better. Dawn brought tremendous aerial activity. Scores of aeroplanes* fought in the mf<Et ot a storm of shrapnel, the Allies’ aviators firing their machineguns at the German infantry, and harassing the enemy balloons and batteries. EFFECTIVE USE OF BAYONET BY AUSTRALIANS Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, October 10. The United Press report states:—The Australians, after terrific bayonet fighting, took possession of Celtic Wood, south-east of Broodseinde.

HINDENBURG CONCERNED ABOUT FLANDERS DECLINES TO ACCOMPANY KAISER TO BALKANS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. October 11, 8 p.m.) ROME, October 10. It is reported that General von Hindenburg decLind to accompany the Kaiser to the Balkans owing to the situation in Flanders. GERMANS HAVE REACHED SUPREME MILITARY EFFORT CLEAR DECREASE IN TOTAL FORCES RECORDED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. '> LONDON, October 10. A French communique, authoritatively reviewing the recent course of the war, declares that the Germans have reached their supreme military elicit. For the first time since the beginning of the war, a clear decrease in the total strength ox the German forces is recorded. , . Germany has been lorcod io call up part of the 1910 class, and to or can up newly-formed regiments to reinforce the fighting units. In spite ot the Russian'upheaval, the continuity and intensity of tua Anglo-French otlensivo has prevented Germany from getting the benefit of her valuable reserves. Germany retains great powers of resistance, which it will take all the strength of the Allied forces to break; but iier resources are diminishing at the very moment when the military situation requires them to increase. The British and French armies have reached their full strength, and are capable, with th© help of the United. States, - of maintaining enormous strength, until the end of the war. . This will prove its decisive character in the operations in IMS. A GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT i Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received! October 11, 3.5 p.m.). LONDON, October 10. A wireless German official message states: — Yesterday morning’s attacks were the prelude to a battle on a twenty kilometre front between Bisschooto and Gheluvelt, lasting far into the night. Our enemies were repeatedly reinforced—six times at some points. The enemy captured 1500 metres of ground an the neighbourhood of Draaback, Manghlaoro, Yeldhoek, and Poeloapello. We have firmly held our lines from Poelcapello to the southwards of Gheluvelt. FIGHTING ON THE AISNE AND MEUSE ENEMY GAINS A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received October 11, 9 p-m.) LONDON. October 10. A French communique states; —There has been no infantry action ill Belgium. Our troops are consolidating the positions won. Both artilleries are active north of the Aisne. After intense bombardment, the enemy violently attacked on the right bank of the Meuse, north of Ohaum© Wood. The attack was maintained throughout the/day. The enemy gained a footing at some points of our advanced elements, but our artillery prevented him making further progress. FRENCH EXTEND THEIR ADVANCE IN BELGIUM Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and, Reuter. (Received October 11, 6.6 p.m.) LONDON, October 10. A French communique states:—ln Belgium we are extending our advance to the east of Draalbaek. W© captured Papagoed Farm. Artillery is regularly active in the region of Laffaus and north of the Aisne.