In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 21, 19 December 1916, Page 5

In the West

MAGNIFICENT SOLDIERS. the recent french victory,. *’•;* ;,' ii * | . press Association— Copyright, Austro, lian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, December 17. Mr Warner Allen, wiring from the French headquarters, says the victory at, Verdun was a triumph for the new tactics. “We assaulted' with four divisions against fivß;,-i,G ern . l * ul " divisions. We swept , over twenty; square miles of enemy; ground as : thqugh on parade. When the moment of!,assault arrived, the French shells felUaster and thicker, until they formed an impenetrable line of smoke. The fire was drawn with mathematic straightness across the line of attack. The Germans sent up showers of rockets, announcing the attack was beginning. The German barrage saved them. They dreaded bayonet fighting. The Frenchmen, with hand grenades, rifle grenades, and automatic rifles, followed a few yards behind the barrage up. the slopes of Pepper Hill, as if glued to the barrage. Press Association— Copyright. Published in “The Times.”

London, December 17. the version of correspondents at headquarters shows 'i'hat advanced in seas of mud and in.jgoote of w#er, singing the There was never such magnificent soldiers. They over-ran everything like international Rugbyites, making mincemeat of a village team. They carried the first system of three trenches and then a network beyond with consummate ease. The enemy was beaten from the start. After the battle there was not a kick left. ©y never allowed the patrols to destroy the German guns, which lay beyond the ground occupied by the french Though the Germans spent nine months making Pepper (Poivre) Hill impregnable, it was captured in -less than two hours. The attacks at \ acherauville were of a dfierent charactei , many machine-gun posts being hidden in the cellars and ruins, of houses, so that, the artillery was unable to give the same assistance as in the open srround at Pepper Hill. The French poured a continuous cui - tain of hand-grenades, which the fars line of infantry hurled, while the second line used their rifles and grenades The -curtain moved forward smo ° ; and • steadily, the onlookers being spellbound, yet able to watch the pio gress of the attack, the curtain of white smoke passing over the i il)a g•until the last resistance was oicr-

The Germans now feared that tins „ French on the summit of Pepper Hill I woU l d try to descend the slopes toZfs the river, and take the prison at Vacherauville m the 16 . Germans opened a terrific < ‘ - from their six and eight-inch on the further slopes of Peppei ■ ‘ » and continued until a volley o 10C showed they were bombarding maming v x •* rentin'* the garrison, which, while • " from Vacherauville, was taken on the fiS aid in the r f r. The of Vacherauville, being sem £nic, threw away their weapons .aim centre,' advancing from Thiaumont and the Ponanmont nd B c adopted similar ‘“ tlcs . , o’clock a complete French vlcto,J * , ' certain. The German guns no attempted to bombard the real o French lines to prevent resen . ammunition coming up, all effoits ing concentrated on saving the »<ni nants of the advanced batteries.

FRENCH CAINS BOMBARDED. 1 Paris, December 17. Official.—On the right of the Meuse, part of our new lino from \ acherauville to Bezonvaux, particularly the Chambrettes Farm sector, was bombarded.. We replied. RAID BY THE BRITISH. London, December 17. General Sir Douglas Haig states:— We successfully raided the trenches at Rensart, inflicting casualties and bombing dug-outs. We entered the trenches south-west of Mytschap, and destroyed a machine-gun emplacement. The enemy blew up Camsuflet, (jastwards of Ypres. GERMAN PRESS AGITATED. BAD MARK FOR HINDENBURC. Press Assn.—Copyright.—Australian lian and N.Z, Cable Association. (Received 11.40 a.m.) Berlin, December 18.

The Cologne Gazette and other papers admit that the Verdun reverse was a bad blow to peace, and will strengthen the war parties in enemy countries. Some surprise was expressed that General Hindenburg allowed the French to gain so much ground and take so many prisoners at the present moment.

KAISER AND CROWN PRINCE. < TOUR OF INSPECTION. ■ Press Association —Copyright, Austra- ' ; \ lian and N.Z. Cable Association. ( j (Received 9.20 a.m.) { New York, December 18. ; The New York Times’ Berlin correspondent states that the Kaiser and Crown Prince have started on a tour of inspection of the West front. PROPOSALS REJECTED. ITALIAN PRESS UNANIMOUS. lian and N.Z. Cable Association. \ Press Association—Copyright, Austra. (Received 11.40 a.m.) Rome, December 18. ! The newspapers are unanimous in •rejecting the German proposals. ALLIED MR SERVICE. ACCURATE BRITISH WORK. Press Assn.—Copyright.—Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn., and Reuter. (Received 11.40 a.m.) London, December 18. The' Air Board describes successful bombing raids in Franco on German artillery. Prisoners admit that a large numbers of guns were directly hit as the results of accurate observation by British aviators. IN THE FRONT TRENCHES. THINLY-HELD LINES IN THE REAR. ; ■ ■ SNOW HINDERS OPERATIONS. r ’ Press Association—Copyright, Austrar i ban and N.Z. Cable Association. Received 11.40 a.m.) 1 Paris, December 18. ’ The Germans reverted to the earlier! 1 practice of holding the foremost ( ” trenches in strength, because the, 1 thinly-held lines could not be trusted e to resist. The only result at Verd t i un was a keen increase in the num- ' her of prisoners. The victors inr dude the colonial troops who captured Douaumont in November. The Germans have now lost their observation points down to the 1 ravines. Another similar rush will thrust them to the line occupied boil fore February 21. Snow is falling heavily and hinders x the work of consolidation,

WEAK GERMAN LINES. PRISONERS TELL TALES. ! I f ' i Press Association-Copyright, Autara : liau and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 11.0 a.m,‘) London, December 18. German prisoners captured in Rou-| mania state that they were brought 1 from the Anglo-French front. No troops replace them, but the Germans hope that strong trench-works will enable them to hold on despite the weak-, ness of their lines. ”£;fV THE AMERICAN AMBASSADOR EN ROUTE TO BERLIN. i | Press Association —Copyright, Ausf r -* | iian and N.Z. Cable Association j (Received 11.0 a.m.) Copenhagen, December 18. Mr Gerard (American Ambassador) has arrived at Christiania, en route to Berlin. ■ VICTORY IS CERTAIN!” — GENERAL NIVELLE’S word on THAT. Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 11.0 a.m.) Paris, December 18. General Nivelle, in farewelling his staff at Verdun, added: “Victory is certain. I give you my word on that, as Germany will learn to her cost.”