WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

A GREAT BATTLE,

CAPTURE OF MESSINES. SUCCESS OX NINE-MILE FRONT. London, June 7. the British captured their objective on a nme-milc front from Messines to Myt-chaete. Messinea has been captured and Wytsehaete is surrounded. Sir Douglas .llaig report*:—-Wo attacked this morning'the Mc?sim-i-\Vyt-sehaete Ridge, on a nine-mile= front, and everywhere captured our first objectives. Further'progress is reported to 'be satisfactory alone the whole front attacked. Numbers of prisoners aro coming in.

London, June 6. x\ headquarters correspondent states that the artillery duel is thundering from Vimy to nod Inward of Ypres. Prisoners state that, the British pints are .playing havoc with the German front and support trenches and rendering the entanglements useless. The Germans' nerves are so shaken that in some sectors fresh divisions arriving from the east front are replacing them. ,DOMINATiNG RIDGE WRESTED TANKS USED WITH GREAT SUCCESS. BRITISH STILL ADVANCING. Received June S, 7.10 p.m. London, June 7. The United Press correspondent at headquarters states that the British infantry in the morning attacked on a twelve-mile front from Ypres salient to Armentieres. They have already wrested from the Germans the IVlessines ridge, dominating I lie whole north end of the line. The Germans held Messines since October, li) 14. The British are now in possession of the town. Many tanks were used with groat success. The British have also taken Balta wood, Linfer wood, Neray farm and Pheasant wood, and the villages of hospice and Zarcenba. They are still advancing. Prisoners state they never experienced anything like the British artillery. APPALLING EXPLOSIONS. MINES AND GUNFIRE. AN INCREDIBLE SPECTACLE. Received June 8, 8.40 p.m. Reuter Service London, June 7. The headquarters correspondent says the new offensive opened an hour before daybreak at. a .pre-arranged moment. Tt was the biggest thing ever attempted in mining operations. /The sky was rent and the crashes were ear-splitting as the long series of mine.?, some dug a year ago, c.vploded along the whole enemy positions. The totaf charges of these eruptions was over a million pounds (over <HM tons) of high explosive. It was the fitting answer to the Kaiser's bombast about the collapse of our offensive in the West.

The. preliminary bombardment along the front attack was appallingly intense. Tho villages of Wytschaete and Messines totally vanished from north of ITill (10 to south of Floig street, the spectacle was incredible. The geography of the whole district Was changed—blown and furrowed beyond recognition. . DESPERATE GERMAN DEFENCE. AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALANDEKS 'PREVAIL. YPRES SALIENT WIPED OUT. Received June 8,10.10 p.m. London, June S. Mr. Philip Gibbs says the Australians and New Zea landers captured Messines In a hundred minutes, despite a desperate German defence, killing many of tlie enemy. Irishmen raptured Wytfchaete, the English taking Battle Wood, south of Lilleseke. The Germans are now massing towards Warneton for a counter-attack. The Yprea salient was wiped out. "THE DAY GOES WELL." VAST STRENGTH OP ENEMY POSITIONS. EN-'Y LAID LOW IN BELTS. A YEAR'S 'PREPARATIONS. ' Received June R, 10.15 p.m. London, June S. Mr. Gibbs says the battle of Messines, which began to-day at dawn, was more audacious than the battles of Villij' or Arras, because of the vast strength of the enemy's positions, the massed gunfire i:.--ing of greater intensity than any ].;;viously experienced. Our troops are now lighting forward through the smoke anil mist. English, New Zoalandcrs, Irish, Protestants and Catholics, were fighting shoulder to shoulder, and made good progress up the slopes of Wytschaete and Messines.

Prisoners are already telling how thu British swept over and beyond the German positions. The day goes well.

Messinos ridgehad for two and a-hali years been the curse of our men lioldiii" the Yprc-i salient. The Germans hen stacked guns with every kind of explosive against us. The battle only started after the mosi complete preparations known to military seiaiao. Miners « r»w ago com-

mencoc! (he t'lim.-ls, laying a supply of a tremendous explosive, which at a touch to-day blew up hillside.-, altering the very geographical face of France.

Sir Herbert Pinaier had for a year l:<'::: preparing this attack, which 'was finally madejn a week, with guns, tanks and every kind of explosive which modem science has designed for killing men in great nuuses. The terrible bombardment commenced a week ago, and increased iu violence, working up to supreme fury as dawn broke.'

The Germans lied for live days been pinned .in (heir tunnels having no way out of these zones of death.

Regiments attempting to come up last night were shattered by our heavy guns, which laid them low in belts, the shellfire being devastating and impenetrable. ATTACKING A GIBRALTAR. GRAPHIC STORY OF THE FIGHTING. OBJECTIVES GAINED WITH ASTOXTSHIXG RAPIDITY FLOCKS C~> AEROPLANES. , Received June 9, I a.m. London, June 8. Mr. Philip Gibbs continues his narrative:— Our _ gunners smothered the German batteries whenever tiki airmen revealed them. (Hi: aviators have been wonderful. They brought down forty-four enemy machines in five days. Flocks of aeroplanes went up this morning in prder to blind the enemy and report the progress of the battle.

The men knew they were going to attack a Gibraltar and expected the enemy would fight their hardest for the Messines ridge.

The final outburst of the guns 'was the most terribly beautiful thing in the most diabolical splendor ever seen in war. Out of the dark ridges of Messines and Wytschaete and the" ill-famed Hill 60 there, gushed an enormous volume of flame from the exploding mines.

GROUND ROCKED UP AND DOWN. A New Zealand boy who came backwounded said it felt' like being in an open boat on a rough sea. The ground rocked up and down. A thousand An7,acs and British soldiers thus rocked before they scrambled up and dashed forward upon the German linc3, assisted by a tornado of shells, which crashed over the enemy's ground. White, red, and green distress signals ro3c from the Gerpian lines, telling the gunners that the British were upon them. Soon these distress signals disappeared, Instead were British signals, German prisoners began to come back in batches.

The Germans described the eagerness of the attackers was so great that sometimes the men seemed to be in advance of their barrage. The Germans did not expect the attack for another two days, and made a desperate effort at night to relieve their exhausted troops by new divisions. They lost heavily whilst .coming up to the firing line.

PLAN OF BATTLE FILLED TO THE LETTER.

The story of the great victory cannot yet lie told, hut the reports show that our men everywhere .succeeded in gaining their objectives with astonishing rapidity. General Haig's plan of battle was filled almost to the letter and timetable, Irish Nationalists and Distention, vieing with each other in courage and selfsacrifice, stormed their way up to Wytschaete. After a despnvate resistance they captured .all that was left of the famous white chateau.

By midday our men were well down the further slopes of the ridge, while lisld 'batteries rushed up tho ridge and took up now positions. , The. English further north, along the shoulder of the Ypres salient, captured the greater part of the battle wood, south of Zidlebeke, PRAISE FOR THE NEW ZEALANDERS. VERY LIGHT CASUALTIES Received June 0, 1 a.m. Times Service. London, June S. The correspondent at 'headquarters says that in winning Messines the New Zealanders did their 'work, as they always do, cleanly and well. They suffered very light casualties. They have already consolidated and fortified tiie ground with a thoroughness and precision worthy of the highest praise. HAiG'S REPORT. PLANS COMPLETELY SUCCESSFUL GREAT AFRIAL FIGHTS. Received June 9, 12.10 a.m. London, June S. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: Operations southward of Ypres were continued methodically all day long, ;\i:d were completely successful. We stormed in the. morning Messines and Wyischaete ridge, which for two and alialf years dominated our positions on the Ypres salient, and captured tho vil--Im-.cs of Messines and Wytschaete, also tilt defence systems and many stronglyorganised woods in the defended localities on a nine-miles, front, from southward of Ladouvebrook to northward of Mont Sorrel. Later we. again advanced in accordance with our plans, and carried the village of Costa Verne, also the enemy's rear defences eastward of the village on a five-miles front. Our artillery broke an attempted ice,inner-attack against the southern poi- ' tion of our new positions. The enemy's casualties were heavy. By 4.30 in the ailernoon over live thousand prisoners were brought in. The others have not yet been counted. We captured a number of guns and many trench mortars and machine guns, which are uncounted. There was great air activity, and many air fights. We dispersed five hostile formations, one of which consisted ' over thirty machines. There were avy casualties. Nine. German aeroplanes were brought down, and at least j nine others were driven down in an j uncontrollable st'.te. Six of ours ar«, •Bsuwuijfc

VIOLENT ARTILLERY STRUGGLE.

Received June 0, 12.5 a.m.

Paris, June S. A French communique states: The arlillerying was fairly violent, at Chem'in des Dames, notably south of Filain. "'A FLUCTU ATING~" BATTLE." Received June 9, 1 a.m. London, June 8. A wireless German official message states: The enemy has broker into our foremost position in the Wvtsclmete salicnt. A fluctuating battle continues violently. AERODROME BOMBED. London, .Tune 7. The Admiralty reports that a squadron of naval aeronlancs yesterday dropped :i number of bombs on the aerodrome- at Nicwmunster, fifteen miles *outh-sor.th-wect of Bhickenberu'be. They hit. a big shed, and several bombs fell close to two machines in the aerodrome. Four hostile aircraft attacked the returning raiders, but. were driven off and all ours returned safely. ' BELGIANS BO^aETraTTERIES. London, June 7. A 'Belgian communique says: There is active artillery work on the both sides on tile whole front, principally at Dixmudo, and between Stccnstraate and Hotsas, where we destructively bombarded the enemy batteries. . FRENCH STOP ENEMY ATTACK. London, June 7. A French communique says: Our vio ; lent fire stopped a strong attack at midnight on x front of 600 metres northwest of St. Quentin, inflicting the heaviest \o<v;. There is a very lively artillery contest/ on both side's south of Erilain and north of Chemin-des-Dames. AMERICAN SUPPLY OF FOOD. Washington, June 7. The United States collier .Tiipiter has arrived in France with 10,500 tons of foodstuffs. AN INGENIOUS GERMAN REPORT. A. & N.Z. Cable Association & Renter. Received June 8, 5.5 p ni London, June 7. A wireless German official report states: Between Ypres and Armentieres nn artillery battle has raged since yesterday with undiminished violence. The English attacked this morning in Flanders. Strong English attacks nt Hub luch, Loos, Lieven and Rouox failed. We captured French positions at the Chemin des Dames, southward of 'Pargnyfilain op a front of two kilometres, repulsing counter-attacks, and taking prisoner 557'. We. destroyed eight English aeroplanes'