WAR NOTES

Taihape Daily Times, 9 November 1917, Page 2

WAR NOTES

NEW BATTLE OF AISNE. CAPTURE OF LADIES' ROAD. GREAT ARTILLERY FIRE. LONDON Oct 30., Describing the French advance winch resulted in the abandonment by the Germans of the whole CJiemin des Dames, Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters says:—The ground of the battle on the Aisne is sown with pitfalls in the shape of quarries or underground stone-work-ings many capable of sheltering hundreds of men. These quarries are scattered along the crest and honeycomb slopes and ravines leading, to the valley of the Ailette. They offer complete security from bombardment except, of the heaviest calibres. Some, however, are considered absolutely sheli-proof. These subterranean strongholds had been convo-ted into modern field fortresses. Many had been linked up by underground passages, with sallyports in the German trenches, and were held by strong garrisons of picked troops The artillery preparation began on October 13, and increased gradually to a paroxysm of violence, which surpassed the preparations for the Somme Verdun and Flanders battles. The roofs and exits of the underground fortresses were pounded heavily by the guns, with a view of smashing roofs and blocking the entrances. Whenever the aeroplanes reported a breach, a flood of lighter shells was concentrated on it. The complete confusion shown by the aerial photographs demonstrated the substantial damage to the German rabbit-war-rens The roof of the great Mont Parnasse Quarry, capable of harbouring a brigade, had been pierced, and also the big Guilian Quarrq.

SWIFT FRENCH ATTACK. \ The centre of the enemy resistance on the right was the Fort of Malmais*on; on the highest point, of the plateau, which the French heavies battered out of recognition. The front of the attack measured six miles, from Vauxaillon to La Royere Farm. The French assaulted in the darkness with such' speed that before daybreak all the first objectives were carried, and 1000 prisoners counted. The battle then raged for the possession of the western end of the long narrow barrier between the valleys of the Aisne and the Ailette, which the Germans subsequently abandoned. This barrier between the rivers bars the &l proach from the south to Laoii. It is the strongest natural fortress of Northern France, and the cornerstone of the Hindenburg line. On a relief map it resembles a fantastically carved club of which, the narrow, irregular haft expands at Epin de Chevrigny into a head consisting of a jumble of spikes and promontories, the spikes being the Aisne Plateau, and of an average height of 650 ft, varying in width from 1000yds to Two miles. The possessor of this main crest commands the Aisne Valley, southward, and the Ailette Valley northward Everywhere along . the crest the Germans face the French acros a very narrow space. In places they were only 20yds apart. The French preparations were vast, and included the building of emplacements for hundreds of guns, as well as the construction of new roads and railways.

ENEMY BESEBVES DECIMATED. During the evening enemy reserves massed in the Ailettc Valley, were being decimated by the French shells, unable to move to the help of their comrades on the plateau, or to retreat to safety behind the river. Many units were without food for 24 hours The battle, from the artillery viewpoint is one of the most important of the war. Never, except on certain occasions in Flanders last summer, has there been such an enormous concentration of gunpower. The preparation lasted for 10 days, and the final hurricane between three and five o'clock in the morning was the most terrific in intensity. It was one of the rare occasions of a great infantry attack in the darkness. An hour later at daybreak, the battle had already retreated beyond the skyline, arid only the distant smoke and shell flashes showed that the faTe of Malmaison was still undecided. The famous First. Prussian Grenadiers defended Malmhison. The success of the new advance exceeded all expectations. The attack is comparable with the brilliant operations at Verdun in October and December last year. The French advanced at great speed, following the barrage of 75's, which was extremely deep, in order, to give the most effective support. They simply swept over every kind of obstacle. Innumerable feats of individual

high command remaked to me: "One could kneel before some of these men.' PERSHING A* SPECTATOR. Tho Times Paris correspondent says that the prospects of the development of the offensive into a series of limited thrusts is eagerly discussed An ofcial commentator points out that the Crown Prince knew of Peta'm's intentions and collected three Guards, and several Bavarian divisions, with the result that the caves on both sides were gorged with men awaiting the battle. It was a tourney in which the Germans were overwhelmed Petain has evolved the Verdun method of a limited objective, which the attackers halt at the limit of the range of artillery, thus retaining artillery support against counterattacks. General Haig employed this method at Messines, Vimy, and Ypres. General Pershing, United States Commander-in-Chief, watched the Champagne battle from a high observatory. He inspected the captured territory in the afternoon.