FAILURE AT YPRES.

Taihape Daily Times, 22 July 1918, Page 6

FAILURE AT YPRES.

ENEMY TROOPS DISPERSED.

SPLENDID WORK OF THE GUNS.

The failure of the Germans’ bid for Ypres on May 8 is described by the special correspondent of the Morning Post on the British front. He says:—

The unusually prolonged calm was broken yesterday by another German failure in Flanders, An attach apparently planned on ambitious lines, between Locro and the Ypres Canal on a front of between five or six miles, was completely frustrated. Less than half of the enemy troops allotted for this enterprise wore able to leave their trenches. Those who 'did. succeeded in holding some destroyed British defences in and around Ridge. Wood for ten hours, English andi Scottish troops turned them out, The end of the day found the Gormans back in their original line in the semi-marsh-land around Yierstraat, considerably weakened by our .artllcry and machinegun fire.

There is reason fp believe that five German divisions prepared to .attack the British and French yesterday morning. There were expected to improve the enemy line by driving eastward into the British near Ridge Wood, and northward against the French defending the four Flemish hills that overlook B'ailleul. All that materialised, at the end of an extremely heavy bombardment, proved to be elements of the 52nd Reserve Division, a perfesfly fresh German formation, , J aijd the 56th Division, the first driving against Ridge Wood, the second against the British right and-’ the French left with the obvious intention of separating the allied forces. ■-

Two other German divisions opposite the French tried to assemble,, but" the French themselves attacked shortly Before in order to improve their line near the La Clytte-Kemmcl Road, and their supporting barrage tappears to have completely dispersed the enemy. Similiarly the British artillery plastered the German assembly ' trenches around Yoormezeele, and the division holding that sector near the Canal did not attempt to move. The German bombardment of the Ridge Wood defences was so intense that our outpost line in front of them was completely destroyed. When waves of the 52nd Reserve Division appeared at about half-past nine our men simply fell back behind the vrood and left the battered remnants to the enemy. The Germans tried hard to establish themselves in the wood. They dug and brought up machine-guns, and throughout the day reinforcements pressed forward into the area of blackened stumps, which is all that remains

oFthe IvooTitself. West of it, the British troops had to fall back astride the Wytschacte Road as far as Klein Vicrstraat, a distance perhaps of 500 yards, Towards the Ypres Canal, however, they did not yield a yard of ground. The enemy evidently thought towards the evening that he had the wood and that this serious obstacle m his path had at last been removed. About half-past seven, however, just as the light was failing, his hopes began to fail as well. A British barrage fell upon the 'German machine-gun posts at the eastern fringe of the wood, and from the other side came the Seaforths, picking their way through the stumps with ominous deliberation. Their bayonets were ready Some-of'the Germans declined to meet them and disappeared in the barrage. Enough remained, however, to put up a lively little struggle among the ruins of the trenches they had tried to recostruct -Before it was quite dark the Seaforths had cleared the wood completely, killed quite a number of the enemy, and taken some prisoners, including an officer. Middlesex troops were among the other units engaged. Pockets of Germans in the open ground west of the wood wore not cleared until the morning.