COLOSSAL COLLISION

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1917, Page 5

COLOSSAL COLLISION

SOVEREIGN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE NATIONS-

ALL GOING WELL,

Paris, August I. The Petit Parisien's correspondent says: We must not forget that the battle which has opened so formidably is going to last some weeks as it is a strategic battle in which the French and British are employing material on a scale hitherto unknown. The French are commanded by a General who played an important role in the last battle in Champagne and last year below Verdun. At nightfall the French sent large forces across the Yser Canal. When the bombardrc.nt of the third German line began the French advanced and gecupied the first line unresisted. Then, protected by a barrage, they advanced so rapidly that tho British for a time were left behind, but not for long. Spon the whole German position on a sis mile front was in the Allies' hands. The second line was carried as easily as the first. South of the lloulers road the British met strong resistance. There the ground was more uneven and the Germans were able to preserve some points d'appui, but the British fought valorously and the Germans soon fell back. Still, at the end of the day, the enemy held a portion of the secpnd positions on the right wing. M. Tudesq, in the Journal, saye that the artillery flro has spread to Lens, and the terrific cannonade has wiped out the last mining village. We are fighting tho most momentous battle of the war. We are no longer concerned with the mere conquest of a town or gaining a height; it will be a sovereign encounter between two peoples, each of whom has reached thp maximum efforts of science and hate. It is the most colossal collision ever recorded. It can only end by the final crushing of the entire German military force.

M. Marcel Hutia says: Just as in the battles of the Somme, Anew, Wytschaete and Messines, the depth of the advance is being systematically limited on a predetermined front. The FrancoBritish advance secures all the observation points and intermediary positions around Yprea, to which the captures of Wytschaete and Messines were the preliminary step/'

OUR RAPID ADVANCE.

FRENCH ASTOUNDING FEAT,

5000 PRISONERS COUNTED. " r "~ London. August 1. Correspondents state that our air supremacy was again unquestionable. An astounding feat of engineering is credited to the French, who built 28 bridges within the day under heavy Are, crossed with few casualties, and, despite the peculiarly difficult ground, exceeded their prescribed' goal. Two British units took prisoners in excess of their total casualties. The British faced 13 divisions, of which four were Bavarian, namely, the 4th and oth Reserve Divisions, and the 10th and 10th Divisions. None held the first or second line trenches against us for any appreciable time. The 3rd Battalion of the Guards Fusiliers, known as the Berlin Cockchafors, which the Kaiser styled his crack battalion, was never more roughly handled and decisively beaten than at tie hands of the Welsh, whose inagnificent onslaught was reminiscent of their grand attack in Mamefcs Wood in 1916.

Tho Guards traversed every obstacle, with extraordinary dash, and the Highlanders passed over entanglements, trenches, redoubts and fortified positions as if on parade. Our rapid advance, alternately resting and pushing on in regular stages, was as brilliant as anything seen on the western .front. The British describe their French comrades as irresistible and the Australians and New Zealanders as bearing a noble part in the first day's successful struggle. At the outset of the offensive the Germans cunningly withdrew their foremost heavy guns to the rear of tbo next lin", firing with field guns from the abandoned battery position, and then hauling them back to give the impression tliat the batteries were still there. The day was notable for the successful storming of two entire defensive systems, and the capture of ton fortress villages, placing again in British possession numerous points which were the scenes of some of the most shattering combats in 1914 and in the early days of 1915. Tho prisoners probably number 500.

TERRIBLE LOSSES. The Morning Post correspondent in Flanders states that the prisoners tell terrible stories of the losses under our concentrated artillery fire. One German fcattery changed its crews nine times, and its guns five times. We caught many reliefs, and the Germans at the last moment throw in tho |Brd Guards Division, and tbp 62nd Rclerve Division, the latter relieving the 1830 th Division two hours be/ore the present offensive, wbilo the 3rd Guards Division, which we so effectively depleted at Montauban and the Sornme, was still busy relieving the 23rd Bavarian Division. Prisoners from both elements" began to arrive in our collecting cages this morning. GERMANS NOT BROKEN.

The 6th German Army which fated us »ot only included: the divisions punished In the bombardment, but also new ones unfamiliar with the line, which were suddenly plunged into the wreckage of trenches, and were obviously at a disadvantage 'when caught by the flood of men and tanks let loose by the greatest barrage of all. Yet they were not broken men, and their fightiug spirit in places was good. They nowhere appear to have turned tail and run, but there was less determined fighting at isolated strong posU than marked the early phases of the So mine battlo and a greater inclination, particularly on the northern tip of the salient and the ground thereabout, to surrender immediately they were cut off. GERMANS IN SHELL CRATERS.

The first two lines of defences we overran by breakfast time. They in no wav afforded iw good shelter as the trenches and dugoutß on the Sonune and Arras. Being built on a forward slope

below the lip of the saucer they were without deep underground refugee, feat tho solid concrete pill-boxes were more easily overturned tjian wholly smashed by the bombardment.

The iflfantry lay mostly in shell holes behind tho vestiges of the front line.

Then came the so-called Sturtzpunkfo in better condition, though not strong) but still capable of good defence. Thft Germans 'had made little or no effprt to repair the damage done by the svins and rested as best they could in the craters, dependent, on tho infrequent lulls in tho bombardment to up supplies to the hungry men.

THE ATTACK UNEXPECTEDAt the hour of attack they were surprised, for though the enemy expected us lie had once before mistaken the time and the night gave no hint of our completed concentration or of the shadowy logions already in the position for the assault.

The barrage which broke the news was greater than any of its predecessors. Every sort of gun from the 18-pounder to the heaviest howitzer contributed to tho curtain, setting their shells down with the same wonderful accuracy, and 'giving tho infantry a travelling shield that advanced with almost human intelligence. The infantry moved witfU same precision.

OBJ EOT OF THE ATTACK.

THE GERMAN VERSION. bitter HAND-TO-HAND mqhuing. Received Aug. 2, $ p>m ; A'jig Wireless German ofS^ial; With such iu 'iftvo never before usedi In the war period, the English, with ih» French in their wake, a,ttapke4 yesterday. Their aim wfts «, ipfty QBte, being intended to deliver an annihilating J>i»w to the U-boat) past, -which from the coast of Flanders i# luiderwioing EjUgland's mastery <?f ths spa. Densely packed attacking waves o,£ closely placed divisions followed each other. Numerous tanks and. cavalry units participated, The enemy penetrated by tremendous pressure our defensive ?one in, some sectors and overran our lines, temporarily gaining considerable territory. Our reserves counter-attacked. There wer» bitter hand-to-hand engagements %Jjl day. We drovo out or forced ba<jk the enemy into the foremost crater field, 'We were compelled to abandon Bixactyoote, the enemy penetrating deeper into this sector. The enemy's attacks in the evening on our new battle line failed. We repulsed four French attacks at Chemin-des-Daines, and drove baok the French astride the Malancourt-Esnes road on a two kilometre front to a depth of seven hundred metres, faking 500 prisoners.

FIERCE COUNTER-ATTAQK9.

BRITISH COMPELLED TO WITH' DRAW. HEAVY RAIN IMPEDES OPERATIONS " Received Aug. 2, 8 p.m. London, Aug. 2. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Rain fell heavily all day. Our line wa9 advanced slightly in the neighborhood of the Zillebeke-Zandfoorde road. The French gained further ground on the east bank of the Yser ca.nal. Strong forces of the enemy heavily counter-attacked our new positions eastward and north-east-.waTd of Ypres, between Westhoek and St. Julien. After resisting repeated attempts, wo iwere compelled, ajfter stubborn fighting, to withdraw from St. Julien.

The fighting was particularly fierce fpr Westhoek. We now hold the western outskirts. The enemy in the afternoon to-attacked in the neighborhood of the Ypres-Roulers railway, and entered our advanced (positions on a narrow froni Fighting is proceeding. The British took prisoner yesterday over five thousand, including ninety-five officers, and captured a few guns, s> number of machine-guns apd trench mqrtwa.

Despite the 'Weather yesterday, om aeroplanes made contact* with thq advancing infantry all day, and successfully bombed and machine-guimed the enemy's aerodromes, transport and infantry. A few enemy machines attempted to fly, We brought down sis. Three of ours are missing. A French communique says: In Belgium persistent rain fell. Our troops continue to organise the positions won. North of the Aisne there was reciprocal artillery fire in the Craonne-Hurtebiso sector. The Germans' attack west of Oerny was repulsed. There is an artillery duel to the right of the Meuse.

GERMANS ALARMED,

RESERVES RUSHED UP. Received Aug. 2, 6.5 p.m. London, Aug.l. Mr. Philip Gibbs reports that tho enemy is alarmed at the menace, and Is rushing up reserves by omnibuses alid light railways over the shell-siyept roads.

A SIGNIFICANT SIGN.

HEADQUARTERS MOVED EASTWARD Received Aug. 2, 8 p.m. Amsterdam, Aug. 2. Tlio Germans are moving their beadquarters eastward, probably almost to Brussels.

THE ALLIED CHIEFS.

MUTUAL FELICITATIONS. Received Aug. 1, 8.10 p.ift. London, Aug. 2. Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig telegraphed to General Pebaia payiqg » tribute to the ability and ardor <)l the frcncli army and to the worjf qf Commander Anthoine, whose assured Uto Allied flank, &nd hftd Iftrjjwy contributed to the day's ssweoM, General Petaiu replied; T&a Bue<sse tf the combined attacks yow directed is shedding fresk glojy en tite British flag, and; strengthens the mutual confidence of the Anglo-lYeneh armies."

,if A SLIGHT PAUSE.

MP WWfißPv CONDITIONS.

| wmtomwii mmm t j lfe.» l - l Jl!l'U. l i Lftiidoii, August 1. A correspondent oays that there is a, slight in the operations as rain has transformed Flandow into a muddy marsh. Even before the rain' the shell holes were filled with sewage, and these are now brimming and malting the qui vance a matter of swimming as veil as walking.

There are no reports concerning the guns captured. ITje artillery smashed lip Germans massing for a counter-at-tack eastward of T>ezenberg; further southward the British took the Forest Farm. Hot fighting developed round the windmill at Warneton, 'which the British took, lost and finally recaptured. The French maintain their positions three miles eastward of Monday's front Uaes.

Sir Douglas Haig reports: We improved our new line by night operations southward of the Catial, We counter-attacks against our new positions at La Bassee Ville, northward of the Yprea-Roulers Canal and near the Ypxes-Roulera railway. Heavy Tain since yesterday afternoon is not favoring operations. Rome, August 1.

Berlin reports that as the result of the western offensive the Kaiser, Hindenburg, and LudendorS have returned from Ga.lieia,

FRENCH CQNSQUBATE.

A&3WBRY' JUGGLE CONTINUE Received August 2, 5.5 p.m. London, August 1. A communique says:—After o\ir magnificent success in Belgium, we Consolidated in torrential rain the positions <w:o had won.

The artillery struggle continues along the whole Aisno front. Strong counterattacks enabled us to, progress east of Cerpy at several points. After a boml>ar<lw»t °f several days in the region between <Vyocourt ajvd Hill UO4, the Germans io the morning attacked positions we had captured. At 7.7 in the evening they were only able to reach certain advanced elements of our first Hike, where they wero held up by the first curtain.

Aviator Guymeyer has won his fiftieth air victory-

METHODICAL CONTROL,

EXCEPTIONAL STRENGTH OF ENEMY'S RESISTANCE. i Received Aug. 3, 12.20 a.m. London, Aug. 2. The consensus of reports of Tuesday's battle testify to two main points—firstly, the methodical control of operations, whereby each unit's task was first and last measured by studious precision, vvhilo the forward move of artillery behind the advance was carried out on a wide front with extraordinary promptitude; secondly, the exceptional strength of the enemy's resistance, illustrated by the obstinate struggle at many points, and the subsequent prompt, frequent, and powerful countor-attaeks, showing they were ready for us on this occasion as they 'have not been since the new British army reached its full fighting strength, '' This fact enormously increases the importance of the unbroken chain of successful thrusts from Steenstraete to L» Bsisseoville. GERMANS BOMB GERMANS. Received Aug, 2, 10 p.m. Paris, Aug. 2. ''A German aeroplane bombed the German prison camp at Amiens.