WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 August 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

A BRILLIANT ATTACK. FRENCH PROGRESS AT VERDUN. Received August 24, 8.40 p.m. Paris. August U. A communique states: As a result of a brilliant attack on positions between Fleurv and Thiaumont, wc have n.aterially progressed. INVINCIBLE OBSTINACY. BRITISH CLOSING ON MARTINPUICH. GERMANS FIGHTING WIT" COURAGE OF DESPAIR. Received August 24, 11.40 p.m. London, August 24. The Daily Mail's Paris correspondent states that there has been three days' desperate fighting in the northern part of Guillemont. The enemy are defending the position with the courage of despair, but our men are attacking with invincible obstinacy and have gained ground. A British patrol made its way into Martinpuicli village, which is now at our mercy. PORTUGUESE HELP IN MUNITION FACTORIES AND AT THE FRONT. Received August 24, 5.5 p.m. Paris, August 23. In addition to Chinese, ten thousand Portuguese workmen, above 32 years of age, will take up work in French factories. Below this age the Portuguese are mobilising to go to the front.

EFFECTIVE GUNFIRE. SILENCES THE ENEMY'S ARTILLERY. Received August 24, 8.50 p.m. London, August 24. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our heavy guns were very effective and silenced the enemy'.i artillery in three areas. Aircraft fighting continues active. Four hostile machines were destroyed and many damaged. We gained two hundred yards of trenches southward of Thiepval, thus straightening the line and improving the position. DETERMINED ATTACKS. GERMANS IN FKENCH TRENCHES. London, August 23. General .Sir Douglas Haig reports that a German counter-attack in the evening southward of Thiepval gained a footing in our new trenches, but was immediately driven out. We completely repulsed a second determined counterattack at midnight. The Germans are bombarding High Wood and Bazentin-le-Petit. Paris, August 23. A communique states: There was a heavy artillery duel all night long north and south 'of Maurepas. The Germans, after an intense artillery preparation, attacked southward of Estvccs and westward of Soyeeourt, and penetrated our conquered trenches at some points. ALL ATTACKS REPELLED London, August 23. A German communique says: English attack's were vainly repeated at Thiepval, iPozieres, north of Ovillers, High Wood, and Maurvpas. YVc ejected the Fiench from n portion of a trench they occupied on the 21st at Estrees. We repulsed an attack at Fleury.

KILLED IN THE CRATERS. AXZAC DASH AT POZIERES HEAVY GUXS AT WORK. British Headquarters, France, August 5. Last night, immediately after dark, the Australians broke the main German second line on a front of a mile and a-half north-east of Pozieres. The German troops were cut off in craters and trenches and killed or captured. Before daylight the Germans counter-at-tacked and broke into a short section ot the captured line, but were at once turned out. A second counter-attack was made about daybreak, the enemy attempting to bomb bis way in northeast of Pozieres, and also to bomb down the captured trenches from the northern end. Both attacks failed, and a number of the counter-attacking troops surrendered. At the present moment the fighting is fierce. The enemy is bombarding Pozieres, but the Australians this morning still held the whole of the captured position. It is notable that any of the Germans who are now priJsoners do not think that either side J will win the war, and expect a, fairly I early peace. ! As dawn broke, after the capture by tin; Australians of the German second lino behind Pozieres, the inevitable shelliire hegan to descend upon the whole of ( the Pozieres district. This increased during 'he morning. During the whole , ,lay the Pozieres ridge became pnee more , the main spectacle in this part of the ' battlefield. The smoke flung up by shellbursts rolled away through the sky as if from a burning town. All day long the blackened tree stumps, which mark the place, were half hidden from view by this slowly drifting mist of pink and brown and black. The bombardment rolled on into the night. Through all tins our troops held on in a manne; which surpasses all praise. The necessary operations \vor& carried out as on

the occasion of the first attack, desvto the enemy's fire. When the history of the war comes to be written this battk> of Pozieres ridge will certainly rank with the battle of Pozieres village, and with the landing and the battle of August, 1915, as t!ie four hardest battles fought by Australian troops—indeed, amongst the hardest ever fought by any anu.v. BBAVEST OF THE BRAVE. WADED THROUGH THE FOE. DIED SMOKING A CIGARETTE. London, August 8. A message from New York states that an American correspondent who has ve turned from lierlin quotes a German i uptnin as saying: ■The bravest man I ever saw was an Australian. It was in the street fighting in France. He was a big fellow, and was literally wading through our company. I swear I thought he would kill the lot of us. He used up all his ammunition, smashed his rifle, and then he picked up an iron bar. W'lien all was. quiet I went out to examine the wounded, and found the Anzac clean plugged through, but still game. When I asked him, 'Can I do anything for you.' he half sat up, dug his hand into his trousers pocket, produced a cigarette, and said, 'Thanksl Much obliged for a light.'" CHEERFUL AUSTRALIANS 6INIG IN THE TRENCHES. GERMANS DIRTY FIGHTERS. London, August S. Wounded Australian officers from Pozieres agree that the Anssaes did what they liked in the week-end advances, losing very slightly. Accounts from the front confirm these statements. After the capture of the enemy lines between Friday and Sunday the men were in a most cheerful frame of mind, singing merrily. One, who was formerly a comedian, led some prisoners along the communication trenches, hanging on to them by their oars, and shouting at thein in pidgin-French. An Australian officer states that two Germans approached in the darkness. One put up his hands in token of surrender, and cried "Kamerad," wliile the other dropped to his knees behind the first and started to fire his rifle. "It did not pay them," added the officer, tapping his revolver holster. Another Australian was about to bayonet a German when he saw in a flash from an exploding bomb that the Hun was a mere boy. So he took him by the belt and swung him into safety. Afterwards he found that the belt was hung with bombs. The leader of a bombing party was twice blown off bis firestep by German grenades, but he went on with 'his men, took possession of the Germans' bombstore, and used the foe's own missiles to clear out the trench.