WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 1 November 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

, ARTILLEHY DUEL LONDON, Oct 30. A French communique reports: “A strong enemy patrol attack in the region of Cerny, on the Aisne front, was repelled. The artillery duel continued on the Chaulnes Wood-Bezonvaux sector of the Verdun front. We have • retaken lost trench elements on Caurieres Ridge. WEST FRONT REPORT. ACTIVITY ON FRENCH FRONT A GOOD BOMBING EXCURSION. Received 8.40. LONDON, October 31. Sir Douglas Haig reports hostile artillery action during the night against positions captured yesterday. I here were no counter-attacks. A French communique states that artillery duels arc lively active in sectors from Braye-Elaonois to Huretbise ,and on the left of the Meuse. We inflicted heavy fosses on the enemy by a raid north west of Rheims \\ T e bombed railway stations at Lichterfelde, Mezeires les Metz, Longervif.e les Metz and Thionville. A big fire broke out in Mezeires station. FURTHER BRITISH ATTACKS IMPORTANT GROUND CAPTURED Received 10 a.m, LONDON, Oct 31. A spur westward of the village, five counter-attacks were beaten off. We captured some machine-guns and used them in repulsing these attacks. The Going is particularly bad on the left of the attack, flooded streams intercepting movements on the low-ly- . ing ground. i

Naval and London territorial battalions captured a number of forttfied farms and strong points after heavy fighting. The Gloucesters made a successful raid last night southwestward of Gavrelle.

The Belgians made a successful raid southward of Dixmude.

Received 10 a.m. , \ LONDON, Oct 31. Sir Douglas Haig states that successful operations with limited objec.-. tives this morning,,, between the j [ . t* ? v . ,(*&•:• i (xoi.i Ypres-Roulers railway and the Poel;-capelle-Westroosebeke road, . were taken and important, progress made despte the marshy ..ground on the bulk of the front. .Heavy rain and gales are making communication with the troops extremely difficult. Canadians on the .; night; . despite fierce oppposition, gained all their objectives on the main'ridge and reached the outskirts of Paschendaiele. Fighting was most severe, oirdw Jjl ■' r CANADIAN .VICTORY.:-:- [ 1 " iV; P; LONDON, October ,31;'' Mr Gibbs writes: If the Canadians hold the hard-won ground they have captured in the region of Crest Farm, almost the entire heights of the Passchendacle Ridge are within our grasp. Crest Farm is the outer fort of Passchcndaele itself. Mr Gibbs writes: The Canadians ottacked on both sides of the Ravebeck, also along the ridge towards Crest Farm, thus attacking the final heights of Passchcndaele from the west to south-wtst —exactly similar to the positions which were the object of tht last New Zealand and Australian attack. Possobly the Canadians will find the operation of capturing the ground less difficult than holding it, but if they can establish themselves on this 'last summit we will have dominating ground for which the English, Scottish, Irish, Australians, and New Zealanders and Canadians fought through bogs and marshes against concrete blockhouses, and many machineguns, and against masses of Germany’s finest troops; also incredible bad luck in regard to weather. The actual capture of Passchcndaele Village was possible only after Crest Farm had been silenced The Australians here found it desirable also that Bellevue and Mefcheele, on the neighbouring ridge, should be our pessession. Apparently the Canadians have now captured all three positions," exposing the village. It was not a great battle in numbers. The greatest distance of the intended advance was only 1000 yards yet it was a hard battle, because of the enemy’s desperate resistance, the difficulty of the ground, the badness of the -weather, and the physical hardships.

GERMANY’S LOSSES. Received 8.40, WASHINGTON Oct. 31. Official advices state that Lidebour, speaking in the Reichstag, admitted German losses to be six millions, comprising a million and a half killed, four millions and a half wounded, including half a million permanently crippled.

BRITISH STRIKE ANOTHER BLOW. ENEMY 7 SENT REELING BACK LONDON. October 30. Reuter’s Headquarters correspondent says: Our armies ggain struck: the German masses in Flanders and sent them reeling back, in places to a depth of nearly 1000 yards. Luck was with us in the matter of weather, which keeps day. Before sun was two hours high, the Canadians, making an attack, had gained most of their ob-

jectives. The fighting was chiefly towards the outskirts of Passchendaele and the region of Poelcappelle and along several tributary spurs of the great ridge system which is gradually being won from a desperaetly-resist ing enemy. Early in the advance the Germans launched a big counter-attack It so chanced that the Canadians had just carried strong fortified redoubts in the centre of which the enemy attack was directed. The place was liberally furnished with machine guns, which were promptly, turned against the oncoming enemy. Rifle five completed the work of the machine-gun-ners. The counter-attack was repulsed with heavy punishment. The ground is still desperately bad, but along the higher places where the principal fighting was developing, the surface is reasonably good between the flooded shell-holes.

BRITISH CAPTURED PASSCHENDAELE. LONDON, October 31, Wireless German official. —The British strongly attacked Passchcndaele. The village was lost.’ Vigorous counter-attacks near Gheluvelt broke down with s anguinary losses. BAVARIANS’ SEVERE HANDLING LONDON, October 31. A United Press correspondent says the Britishers are now on the outskirts of Passchcndaele. The Bavarians counter-attacked savagely, despite British artillery -which mowed great gaps in their ranks. Suddenly machine-guns enfiladed the Bavarians at 800 yards range. The Bavarians: faßered> apd shopped;', then remnants, fell .back in disorder as i the Canadians /pelted,, them.., with -machines guns captured at MeccheUc. Meanwhile the "-Britishers - advanced- astride the Lekerbotterbeek. They grossed almost impassable marshes, entering Lekerbotterbeek, -v . • ,