A MAGNIFICENT VICTORY

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1916, Page 5

A MAGNIFICENT VICTORY

SALIENT OBLITERATED. London, Nov. 14. j-i.u iie.v advance is a brilliant success, ;nd is of great strategic importance, accomplishing the second portion of the work begun in July, when we smashed tin lines south-east of the Ancre, butfailed to penetrate those to the northwest. Tins subsequent south-easterly successes have enabled yesterday's completion uf the plan. Jt was a magnificent victory, under most unfavorable conditions—a roadless moi ass of treacherous niudholes, and is a striking tribute to Sir Douglas Haig and his glorious army. The capture, villages include the strongest points in an elaborate system of fortifications more powerful than the most famous o 1 " former fortresses. The victory brings nearer Germany's final defeat.

Yesterday's victory strategically wipes out the Beaucourt salient and enables us to continue operations on a fairly wide front.

Writes a correspondent from France:—Although the guns are massed in huge numbers, and prepare the way as well as streams of high explosives can do so, all infantry waves do not get through. The ideal sought after is to send out a small wave after the bombardment has gone on for what is thought a sufficient length of time to destroy defences. If machine-guns open fire, or the rifle lire is heavy, that wave returns or seeks the shellholes; the bombardment is turned 0:1 again; then another wave goes out, and so on. In plain advances against trenches we can almost always take what we are seeking, and the halt conies at a further point where the bombardment has not been thorough. At the Nomine there are valleys filled with English guns. We have heavy guns standing out) in the open, exposed, wheel to wheel, for many hundreds of yards; not only that, but lines of lighter guns in front, and lightei still in iront of tjieiti. In theory, the first wave that goes forward in tile final efiort passes over the line of enemy trenches, and establishes itself at the'fixed distance beyond; the second line stays in the battered trenches, and consolidates there, so. that we in our turn have a second line of works. The third wave either goes oil through the enemy barrage—certain to have been established by this time, even if it has not been turned on immediately the cessation of our bombardment heralded our attack; or it consolidates all the rest of the eaptuied ground. The first advance is not made at u run. It is almost a slow walk. The wave goes forward just behind our ,nvn barrage and destructive bombardment, which covers it, and is gradually lifted further and further afield as we ,lowly walk ahead. The very slowness rif such "charges" is their most trying feature, for the men feel their nerves tu'wiiv, and want nothing better than fio%un forward and dash at the enemy. The strange necessities of the case have produced a new kind of battle-a battle that goes on day and night for mont.is and months—and whose very essential lis its slowness.

UNITED STATES.

FRENCH LUAN SUBSCRIBED. Reuter Service. Received Nov. 15. 5.53 p.m. New York, Nov. 14. The fifty million French credit was fully subscribed. For the first time, American bankers accepted drafts drawn for export of merchandise. BALKANS