WEST OF CAMBRAI

Taihape Daily Times, 28 December 1917, Page 5

WEST OF CAMBRAI

AUSTRALIAN AIRMAN

LONDON, December 91

Describing a visit to the Cambrai front, Mr Gordon Gilmour says: —A few yards of ground either way is not; reckoned of much consequence iii this' sector. The test of success is how many of the enemy have been killed. Tiros© in a.position to know say that we hav© inflicted serious losses. We caught the Gormans napping, though ho also sur-* prised some of our troops at one poinf A famous general told me that he aln ways taught his men to welcome couns tor-attacks, because they gave the best; chance for immense killing. The fat© of the German counter-attacks at Bullet court has justified our confidence in our ability to hold vital positions and smash, attacking forces. The enemy sought to> do things on a big scale upon a fronii of 1500 yards. Apparently, our harass-: ing counter-measures made a wider of-*

fonsivo impossible. The weather continues good for this! time of the year. German activity is being carefully watched. The' Austral

lian flying men are participating in' ■the Cambrai battle. I visited them, and found they had IS German aero* pianos in their bag, of which one avia* tor brought down six. Also they have recently been flying low, harassing the German trenches, and dispersing mow ing troops by means of machine guns and bombs. An officer who formed the' first Australian flying unit in Egypt is commanding the Australians, who are hoping for some air duels.