WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE SOMME BATTLE. KLW ZEAT.AXDERS FIRST TO ' ENTERS FLERS. NARRATIVES BY WOUNDED MEX. : ] JIA'iyiFICEXT SIGHT. i Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. ' London, Sept. 2.1 AYov.nded New Zeaiauders have arrived , V'im tliti Si/inmc iront, whithci tliey vere transfered from the Armentieres c -- l or a month ngo All stories confirm ■ •heir splendid courage. On the morning of September IS. they , 'need the greatest trial yet experienced. ' Hie father of a young family, gravely mounded, said, ''When 0111 boys went iver it was a magnificent sight. The Srst body consisted of Otagoites and ~nders, who stepped out fearlessly, lespite a hurricane bombardment and incessant whizzing of machine-gnn bullets, \n onlooker might have though' by heir carelessness of dangci that it was inly sham fighting. Those whos.* joiis md brothers were killed here can well be proud, it was a glorious death. They ivero heavily loaded and unable to run, carrying ihovel? and .'qnipment, unlike ;he raiders who go'it and return. It ivafi a moving day for these men, and :hings did move. They found a new place to sleep that night, although there iverc many gaps as the result of those first two hour? in the open. They ivalked in extended order over "N*o Man's Land," dodging the shell holes. Gernail dead were lying everywhere, the result of the enemy's earlier fruitless ittacks. English regiments were coiperating oil our right. GERMAN'S FUNK THE TANKS. '"SevciAl 'tanks' were allotted to our front. We were vastly impressed with •hese new engines aiul delighted to wtice the German funk when they realised their deadly powers. When the first sallied out, fourteen German xmibers rushed out thinking it was an jrdinary aromnred car, and. hoping to 'top it before it reached their trench. ,hrcw scores of bombs, which exploded larmles.vly. The Tank's machine-guns .hen wiped out t!r whole party. The "lermans quickly learned to respect tlie monsters, which, when they develop rreater speed, will he even a more toi•ible menace to defenders of trenches.'' rHJIILLED WITH IMPORTANCE TASK. _We felt we were right into it this iiue," said another of the wounded men. '"Although we lost, several, notibly a number of Maoris, during the previous three weeks' by gas attack? and wnbardmcnts. this was our first proper iction on the Somnu front. When we earned of the magnitude of the operaions and our important part therein, a lirill went through all of lis. Every;ne was cheerful, ilthough we knew for i certainty that many of us would not urvive. Our bombardment was beyond leseription. The Germans declare that ve ill not know what shell fire is until ■VP have been in their trenches. The German bombardment was severe enough md caught many of our chaps before the idvance. Tlie assault mi the trenches vns quick and rough work, and there vere few moments for rest, and 110 timu ;o watch our comrades' fate. THE IMPULSE TO GO AHEAD.' The single thought in every mind was :<< get ahead. The result was that the "Jew Ze.llanders entered Flers before the Coldstream?, Irish, Canadians. Scottish, md other English units. We vvere alt nixed un in the finish The Otagoites tml Aucklanilers took the first line, and .raited for tlie Rifle Brigade to come lp. Thev then pushed out, making for he second line in an overwhelming dash. Then all the Xeiv Zealand forces combined for the final rush. The 'Dinkuins,' is the Rifle Brigade (Lord Liverpool's Iwnl is called, proved themselves among .he best. Some of our men got, beyond lie village and suffered from maehine;ur.s." GERMAN SURRENDEREES. A pioneer says: "It was laughable to vateh the Germans surrender. They •ame into our trenches running, rolling, imping and crawling. A Hawke's Bay nan. with n broken arm, helping to drag t Dmicdiu comrade, more seriously rounded, became indignant at seeing a mge German carried on a stretcher. He leicrmined that lii.s comrade should be •elieicd of nis painful crawl. He saw ;\vo Germans, who were seared to death, •mining from a shell hole and shouting Kamerad..' Tin Hawke's Ba\ r man •limited to the Germans to stop, but they lid not comprehend him, and picked up i rifle, but they quickly understood as le approached anil they dropped on their ;nee.s. The burly Hun then carried the Dunedinite a mile and a half to the rear. The pioneer battalion suffered while digxing communication trenches, under a larrage intended to prevent the supnorts ipproaching." A CINEMA FILM TAKEN*. Before the battle, General Birdwood igain appeared, unescorted, in almost •very trench, renewing his acquaintance with the Gallipoli veterans. The men ipeak in the highest terms of General Hussell, and express surprise at seeing a cinema operator at the front trenches, ;jii Friday morning, coolly filming the advance. Then men say it would do our people good to see the magnificent steadiness of that great attack. A Kaitangata boy, who was badly hit in the jaw. speaking behind his bandages, said: "According to General Ilaig's latest, our chaps are still there holding the line. You bet vom life they will stick to it as long as needed." CARE OF THE WOUNDED. The wounded lmve concentrated at Broekenhurst, Walton-on-Thames, and as soon as convalescent they will be sent to Hornehurch and Codford. Some, owing to pressure, were sent to isolated hospi. tals, but this was quickly discovered and they were transferred to the New Zealand hospitals, all of which are working smoothly, there being no complaints, They especially appreciate New Zealand mutton and butter. VICTORIOUS FRENCH AVIATORS. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Sept. 23. Official: Aerial battles yesterday re suited in eleven enemy machines beinj brought down.

BRILLIANT WORK CANADIANS. ; MAGNIFICENT RESULTS '/ iCHIKVIiD. t Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 2". The Canadians took a brilliant shari in the battle on September U>tli. Thcj forced back the Germans for over a mile and captured Mouquet Farm. After £ resistance they carried tin sugar refinery, and then advanced ant captured the whoie \illage of Couree lette. Altogether they took 1201 prisoners, including thirty-two officers I'll; 1 artillery barrage wa.-, advanced he fore the Canadians stage with remark able precision. The infantry moved forward in successive waves. Directly tin first lines of the Herman trenches had been secured, the assaulting waver pressed on. In their midst were several armoured cars, which the Germans were powerless to stop, and these cars assisted materially in silencing the machine suns as well as enfilading the enemy trenches. 'I he attack was so successful that they decided to press on to Coureelette and Mouquet Farm. Within twelve hours the Canadians had captured the whole defensive works on o wide front and a depth from 1000 to 2000 yards, desjiite the fact that the Germans were fighting with the courage of despair. FURTHER FRENCH SUCCESSES A GREAT RECORD OP PRISONERS. Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Sept. 23. A communique states: We captured by surprise., a fortified lions.* on the outskirt? of Gambles. Further east we carried several portions of trenches. Our curtain of fire frustrated an enemy attack south of Raneonrt. The total number of prisoners sine- -July 1 to September 18, is 55,50U, whereof 34,050 were taken by the French. BRITISH POSITION IMPROVED. Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 23. General Sir Donglas Haig reports heavy and mutual artillery work and isolated actions wherein we improved our positions and pushed forward detachments in several directions. FURTHER BRITISH ADVANCE. ) >! VIOLENT COUNT!?.. ATTACK REPULSED, Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 23. The War Office reports that General Sir Douglas Haig furthci advanced south of Ancre, and captured a strongly fortified system of trenches East of Conrcelette our line ha.? advanced on a front of about half-a-mile. A :ounter-attack of great violence west of Mouquet Farm, was repulsed with heavy losses. Onr artillery exploded an ammunition dump east of Bethune. ENEMY ATTACK REPULSED. MILITARY ESTABLISHMENTS BOMBED, Received Sept. 24, 11.45 p.m. l'uris, Sept. 24. A communique states: There is violeni artillery activity at the Boucliavesnes Helloy and Berny sectors. An enemy at- ' tack southward of Cal Sainte Marie, in 1 the Vosges, was repulsed. Our airmen ■ bombed tin military establishments in ' the Ludwigshaven Palatinate, and a big factory and Mannheim. A vast fire anj • several explosions were observed. ; THE BATTLE OF SEPT. 20. t . ENEMY LOSE AT LEAST 30,000. Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. Paris, Sept. 23. La Liberte publishes a statement made I by a French staff officer that the Gerr mans during the battle on Septembei ' f 20th lost at least 30,000. , i FRENCH WAR VOTE, i SUPPORTED BY SOCIALISTS. ' Received Sept. 24, 5.5 p.m. r r Paris, Sept. 23. ~ The Chamber voted provisional w:v. / rrcditp by 448 votes to 4. The United •. Socialist party supported the vote, exL plaining that there was not a sin^h s Socialist who would accept a peace which would leave France mutilated. GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY, j Received Sept, 24, 5.5 p.m. t Paris, Sept. 23. e A communique states: Patrols passing „ forward on the southern outskirts ol Combles, found numerous enemy dead a ' "'"'it generally was quiet. Then- «, i* great aerial activity along the entin |_ Sonnnu front. It A GERMAN REPORT. It Received Sept. 24, 3.5 p.m. 1- Berlin, Sept. 23, \ s A communique states that the battle jj of the Somme has been resumed. Tht II French resultlessly attacked tin Combles-Rancourt line, and the Britisl: at Courcclette. Wo brought down eleven aeroplanes on the Somme. it ■ GERMAN PRESS ADVICE. Amsterdam, September 22. ig The Frankfurter Zcitung says that, by i> the battle of the Somme the Allies desire id to draw German troops from the southw eastern theatres. The paper advises the <- general staff not to hold what is not 5. worth holding. Villages and long-main-id taineel positions are being lost, but even greater shortenings of the western fronf would benefit the general situation. London, Sepember 22. A German communique states that there were artillery and grenade engagements on the Somme and Meuse sectors.

ENEMY DRIVEN FROM | TRENCHES. INFECTIVE GUNNERY WORK.deceived Sept. 24, 11.30 p.m London, Sept, 24. Genera] Sir Douglas Haig reports: \\\ | continued to improve our position south- ! ward of Ancre, pushing detachments of ' the enemy from their advanced trenches, j During Friday's bombardment, ten enemy gun pits were destroved, ami fourteen severely damaged, while live ammunition pits were exploded to-dav. j Our artillery also caused a big fire in'a ; village largely used for the transport of : .supplies. -Kil'ty aeroplanes successfully raided an important railway .junction causing much damage, 'including the destruction . of two ammunition trains. Other sue- | cessfiil raids were carried out on rail- I way works at aerodromes. '