WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 January 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

HAMMERING THE ENEMY. 'iTIE RECENT FIGHTING AT SERRE. PRISONERS NERVE-BROKEN-. RAPII AND SUCCESSIVE MOVEMENTS. f Australian Cable Assn). \ereivcd, Jsn. It, 5.5 p.m London, Jan. 13. Mr. Pliillip C,ibl)<; says the sucross i-.erth of Beaumont Hamel is a continuation nt' a scries of small encounters that have occurred during the past ten days. They were not big infills, but were important locally. They show clearly the character of the winter warfare, as well as the spirit of our men, and the effect of our definite, deadly policy ..f hammering the enemy with increasingly high explosives and not giving any rest to the enemy. We made the first move on January 2, leading up U the recent cvonts, when we seized a small nost in front of Serre. We then decided to take two points and link them as a protective harrier. Raiding parties on he ."ith, captured the posts. The Germans counter-attacked, and in their first effort 211 out of SO were killed. Tin remainder crawled hack. The second attempt was blocked as soon as it started. Then the fighting grew grimmer and grimmer, and the area widened until i.ht bombarding occupied two miles of front

British detachments, on the 10th fallowing up the barrage, penetrated In the thijrni)*-- and {rave the enemy the choice of den i or capture.' They nil surrendered, including several officers. They weie wet. miserable, and nerveuroken.

The attack on the 11th was in greater strength. Jt was a misty morning, and over the snow-covered quagmire we were too nuick for the enemy We pierced his dugouts before his machine guns wer" brought out and gave them the same choice. Some officers tried to rally th"ir men, but all were killed.

An important feature of these local encounters is that, the spirit of the British troops, which is unweakened, is as grim as evei despite the hardships ami the foul weather. Behind them the massed guns pursue tneir destructive work all day and all night- incessantly.