IN THE WEST

Taranaki Daily News, 5 October 1915, Page 5

IN THE WEST

IN THE CHAMPAGNE. FRENCH NEAR ENEMY'S SECOND LINE, London, Oct. 3. A French official report states: —"In the last battles in Champagne we established ourselves iii close proximity to the second German line on a twelvekilometre (7% miles) front. FRENCH REPULSE ATTACKS. Paris, Oct. 3. A communique states:—Between Souchez and the Givenchy wood the enemy's four attacks to retake by bombarding portions of the last trenches were everywhere repulsed. The enemy bombarded portion of the reserve trenches in the Suippes Valley, still using asphyxiating shells. We silenced several of the enemy's batteries. ON THE FLANDERS FRONT. THE ADVANCE PROGRESSING. London, Oct. 3. Reuter's correspondent with the British Headquarters vividly portrays the conditions at the front in a dispatch dated September 30. He says that during the last two days there has been little further advance on the British front. Fighting has been proceeding at some places heavily along our new lines south of La Bass'ee, but none of the counter-attacks have succeeded and the enemy 'has lost heavily in killed and wounded. Our new positions arc being consolidated. The weather has been unfavorable. After a dull grey day there was heavy rain on Tuesday evening (the 28th), with a chilly wind. The flat Flanders countryside, especially the black country, is depressing to the last degree. Everything is covered with mud. It is a picture of long files of marching men with waterproof sheets right over their heads, plodding steadily through the slush and chanting a chorus to keep up their spirits. There are endless columns of huge motor lorries and staff cars dashing through the ruts of the roadside to pass the traffic and motor dispatch machines and men alike a mass of mud.

The only subject amongst the men is how the advance js going. Jn one town eight German field guns which were captured at Loos are drawn up, guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets. French and English inspect them and decipher the German inscription. The. barrels are engraved with the Imperial eagle and the name of the Emperor. Chalked figures show the ranges the guns last fired. The sight of the guns is a proof of success. With the British pouring through Loos the Germans had no time to remove them from their concrete emplacements, and the guns were ■brought back to the lines in triumph by British horses and gunners.

Soldiers from the front tell of the demoralisation of tfie enemy. The last fighting has proved the single-handed superiority of Tommy. The sight of British from the trenches wearing German helmets causes great merriment. The rain has now stopped and the sun is shining. Important results in the west may be forthcoming in a few days.

WORK OF THE SHELLS. AWFUL MAJESTIC BOMBARDMENT. London, Oct. 3. An artillery officer, describing the bombardment, states that there was a grand supply of ammunition on Friday. Our machine-guns prevented the Germans repairing their trenches. We brought up load after load of lyddite shells to the gun-pits, and at midnight all was ready. We waited till four o'clock, when the cannonade began. The air was suddenly torn by thousands of explosions, the shells screaming overhead. Jn a section of five miles three thousand shells were fired in live minutes, which will give some idea of the awful majesty of these few moments when, like an avenging angel with flaming sword, the Allies swept down on the Huns, The flashes were so continuous that they gave almost unbroken light. All the guns were firing their hardest at carefully-registered points of the German trenches.

SURPRISING THE ENEMY. A GREAT BOMBARDMENT. Received Oct. i, 8,30 p.m. London, Oct. 4. An artillery officer stales that for every yard of trench four shells fell within live minutes, each shell having a. radius of destruction of twenty ,ards. Afterwards the gnus switched on to the longer range-:, iheir business being to seaivh for the enemy's supports. The second bombardment lasted half an hour.

Tlic German artillery, surprised and overpowered, made a fecMe reply. Our men carried the first trench with ease, tlie second with some loss, and then turned their attention to the trench forts. At noon they had accomplished their set task, and had a fine bag of prisoners. REGULATING THE FIRE. WORK OF FRENCH AIRCRAFT. (Times ami Sydney Sun Services. Received Oct. 1, o.ii p.m. London, Oct. 4. Le Matin states that during the Champagne operations French airmen flew at a height of four hundred yards behind the German line, regulating the French fire. They were subjected to terrific shelling, and many returned with their machines riddled and the engines damaged. GERMAN REPORT. Received Oct. 4, 10.50 p.m. Berlin, Oct. 4. A communique says: Monitors bombarded Westende. The English abandoned their attempts to recapture the ground north of Loos, after bitter fighting and heavy losses. There is hand grenade fighting at Souehez, Neuville, Le Mesnir, and Ville-sur-Lourte. We forced a French airship in Alsace to descend and captured the crew.