WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE FIGHTING AT POZIERES. GERMAN" COUXTER ATTACKS. sheep goixg to slaughter. Af-TRAfJAXS REGARDED WITH TERROR. Received August 14, l!.o p.m. London, August 13, Mi Philip Gibbs reports that the Germans made several. attempts to regain tlie high gionnd northward of I'oziercs with a .strong body of infantiv 011 Thursday evening. The attacks were curious, vain and tragic, tilt' endeavor peng like several other conn er-attaeks by unit? which were recenth brought up as supports. and. knowing nothing of the country, jint wont blundering out with a kind of desperate courage. PrUoncrs admit that when ordered to attack they regarded themselves as sheep I going to slaughter. They only knew the Australians were in front, and, from what they had heard about the Australians, had not much hope. Their only hope lay in the guns behind them, which pieeeded the assault with a. .toimid».ble bombardment IRREGULAR WAVES ADVANCE. The attack was made between the windmill and Mouguet farm. The Germsns .streamed 111 open order from worries behind the farm, and came straggling forward in,irregn!?r waves for a distance c-i 750 yards, when our guns and mortars burst over then:. Our ma-chine-guns also whipped a scourge of bullet? amongst the attacker-, who feli in large numbers, whilst others ran quickly into the Australian lines, with arms up, and lay still. Many traversed a full quarter-mile under this terrific concentrated (ire from the Australians, who shot straight. The latter had 110 notion how many waves would advance, and had to kill them very quickly lest the enemy overwhelm the trenches and ground wherein they could find cover .SHEETS OF RI'LLETS AXD STORM OF SHELLS. The Australian machine-gunners sent sheets of bullets, whilst the British gunners from distant and unknown place? were also sending a fierce storm of shells, raising a curtain of fire through which men could scarcely pass alive. None did. A SENSELESS SLAUGHTER. Out of two battalions only live men escaped. Men were standing on the Germai parapet-- calling them hack, trying to save something out. of the senseless slaughter ordered by those in h:;:n command. A fiw stragglers ran hack, ant! a few others crouched in shell ho! :.-' The Australians collected fifty. It is a matter of wonderment why tlie enemy attempts such eounte' attacks, which are bound to end in disaster. Herman .soldiers might justly call it minder. EXEMY DISORGANISED. The last operations seem to show that the enemy .stall' is disorganised, perhaps a little demoralised, by the continuous bombardment, which cuts signal lines and prevents sending supports and supplies. The Australians are still •fighting in a wav which wins the admiration of the General Staff and all the army. MAUREPAS CAPTURED. CERMAX DEFENCES SMASHED. RESISTANCE CRUSHED WTTTT RAYOXET. SMALL FRENCH. LOSSES. BAVARIANS WIPED OUT. Received August 14. 7.10 n.m. Paris, August 13. A Drilliant success, resulting in the capture of four miles of the German third line. ea«t of Harecourt and the river, permitted the French to carry Maurepas and the .high ground west of Clery. The latter has now been graced with a stupendous massed bombardment lasting twenty-four hours, which smashed the German defence; and levelled the supporting trenches. When the artillery ceased, the infantry swept upon the demoralised enemy with lightning speed, and absolutely crushed all resistance with the bayonet. The infantry operations lusted less than ninety minutes. The French losses were singularly small. The casualties of the legiment capturing Maurepas were less than 10 per cent. SOlllO of the finest Bavarians were wiped out in the hand-to-hand fighting between Maurepas and Hill 10!), OFFICIAL REPORT. ENEMY CONCENTRATION SCATTERED. LOXG DISTANCE AIR RAID Received August 14, il."> p.m London. August I I. General Sir Douglas Ilaig reports: Our artillery scattered a arge enemy concentration north of Pozieres. Our aviators made a long distance raid and greatly damaged railway works. A "communique states: Small combats enabled us to progress on the slopes of Hill ion, sputh-east of Maurepas. There was violent artillery (ire at Barleux and Chuulnes. Our curtain of tire and grenades. stopped a strong German attack yesterday south of Avocourt.