WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 4 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

DESPERATE COUNTER-ATTACKS ENEMY WANTS-HIGH GROUND. LONDON, August 2. Despite bad weather impeding operations, severe fighting has marked the past twenty-four hours. The Germans were manifestly perturbed at our gaining so much high ground on Pilken Ridge, and launched several desperate counter-attacks, throwing in their best “sturmtrappen” to try to retrieve the situation.

Our preponderance of gun power enables us to maintain a steady barrage on the German rear, through which reinforcements have to come before attacks can be organised. A French communique reports: ‘'Bad weather continues. Violent artillerycombats have been fought in various sectors. Germans without result re-at-tacked at Avocour.t Wood. ”

THE BATTLEFIELD WATERLOGGED. ‘

GERMANS’ COSTLY COUNTER ■ATTACKS.

LONDON, August 3

Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: The weather is still abominable. The battlefield is water-logged and there are ceaseless rainstorms, but the fighting continues. The enemy strongly" counter attacked northwards of Frczcnburg. Our artillery and machine-guns swept them down. The Germans suddenly attacked two hours after, emerging from a dense smoke barrage. Our guns poured shells on to his ground, which we regained in the evening. The Germans gun fire was intense over a great part of this lost territory, long-rangers shelling far hebind our lines. The situation is exactly the same as at the end of the first day of the battle.

ATTACK AND COUNTER-ATTACK

The High Commissioner reports: LONDON, August 3.

General Haig reports: Early last night the enemy renewed the attempt to drive us from Infantry Hill, eastward of Monchy-Le-Preux, after a heavy bombardment. They attacked us on a half-mile front and obtained temporary possession at two points. In a counter-attack we regained part of the lost ground.

COLONEL REPINGTON’S VIEWS,

BRITISH ARMY’S WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT.

LONDON, 'August 2

Colonel Eepington, the Times’ military correspondent, says that considering the extraordinary difficulties of the terrain, the defences and the strength of the defenders, the opening phases of the third battle of Yprcs will always remain a wonderful achievement. The British Army’s objectives did not include ithe enemy’s main artillery positions. Therefore large captures of guns was not anticipated. The enemy, alarmed by previous gun losses, kept their guns far back, saving them at the expense of the infantry, who fought less valiantly than usual. Sir Douglas Haig employed merely a fraction of th e troops at his disposal. As the reputation of the German command is at stake, and the spirit of the troops cannot stand these continuous defeats and immense losses, it must be expected that the German staff will shortly try to do something to restore their muchtarnished prestige.

GERMANS■ DESPERATELY COUN-TER-ATTACKING. LONDON, August 2. A French communique says: Bad weather continues. There is violent artillery action in various sectors. The Germans again attacked Ovocourt Wood, without result. Reuter’s correspondent at headquarters reports: (Despite the bad weather impeding the operations, severe fighting has been in progress in the past 24 hours. The Germans are manifestly perturbed at our gaining so much ground on the Pilkem Ridge, and they launched several desperate counter-at-tacks, throwing in the best Sturmtrooten to try to retrieve the situation. Our preponderance of gun power enables us to maintain a steady barrage of the German rear, through which reinforcements have to come before their attack is organisable. LONDON, August 3.

French communique.'—ln Belgium our artillery is dominating the German artillery, whose activity is greater east and north of Bixschoote. We prevented any attempted attack. Ten flying squadrons threw 41,000 kilograms of projectiles over the stations at Roulers, Metz, Thionville and Hsewhere, besides factories, cantonments, bivouacs and munition depots, musing considerable damage.

AUSTRALIANS AND NEW ZEALANDERS

ALLOTTED A DIFFICULT TASK

LONDON, August 3

Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: The Australians and New Zealanders were allotted difficult country on the extreme right of the attack, below Warneton, where the enemy had gone to great trouble, wire hedges covering shell holes and wire-netting hiding machine-guns and snipers. When the New Zealanders took La Basseeville, which was a mere muddle of broken bricks, it had already been taken and lost, but the New Zealanders, once established, firmly -held on despite cellars being temporarily useless owing to being choked with dead. The Australians, after hard fighting, captured the old windmill, near La Basseeville, an important point, because it stands on a knoll.

Waves of Germans during the morning advanced across the Warne-ton-Gapaard Road, encircling the windmill and compelled the Australians to evacuate, but after several hours’ shelling the Australians at midnight returned and routed out the garrison. They firmly hold the windmill again. (Gapaard is directly- east of Messines and the same distance northwest of Warneton.) THE AISNE BATTLE. LONDON, August 2. German communique.—We repulsed five French attacks on Chemiu des Dames. The French fruitlessly attacked on the west bank of the Meuse . Prisoners captured yesterday totalled 750. Enemy attacks on Casiuuilu failed. GERMANS’ DESPERATE COUNTERATTACKS. REPULSED WITH SEVERE LOSSES LONDON, August 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy" this morning ami afternoon violently but unsuccessfully", attempted to recover ground north-east of Ypres. Strong forces repeatedly attacked, regardless of the increasing severity of losses, positions between the YprcsRoulers railway and St. Julien. We in every case broke up and dispersed the advancing lines.