WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE YPRES BATTLE. COL. REFUNGTOXS COMMENTS! A WONDERFUL BRITISH ACHIEVEMENT. Times Service. Received Aug. 3, 0.55 p.m. London, Aug. 2. tolcnel Repington savs that considering the extraordinary difficulties of terrain and defences, as well as the strength of the defenders, the opening .phase of the third battle of Ypres will always remain a wonderful achievement. The British army's objectives did not include the enemy's mafn artillery positions, therefore large captures of guns could net be anticipated. The enemy, alarmed at his previous gun losses, kept his guns far back, thus saving them at the expense of the infantrv, who fought less valiantly than usual. Sir l)ouglaj Haig employed merely a fraction of the troop 3at his disposal. As the reputation of the German command is at stake and the spirit of tie troops cannot stand these continuous defeats, immense losses must be expected. The German staff will shortly try to do something to restore its much tarnished prestige.

STRONG ENEMY ATTACKS. REGARDLESS OF SEVERE LOSSES. _____ ATI, ADVANCING LINES DISPERSED. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Received Aug. 3, 7.30 p.m. London, Aug. 2. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy, this morning and afternoon, violently and unsuccessfully attempted to recover ground north-east of Ypres. Strong forces repeatedly attacked, regardless of the increasing severity of their losses, the positions between the Ypres and Roulers railway and St.. Julien. We in every case broke up and dispersed tho advancing lines.

A FRENCH REPORT. GREAT AERIAL WORK Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc: and Reuter, Received Aug. 3, 8.30 p.m. London, Aug. 3. A French communique states: The Belgian artillery is dominating the Gorman artillery, whose activity is greater east and north of Bixsehoote, and prevented any attempted attack. Wo stopped two enemy attacks east of Cerny. There is reciprocal artilleryirig on the left of the Meuse.

Between the 21st and 31st of July we brought down twenty aeroplanes and two balloon 1; and caused twenty-one aeroplanes co descend, Ten ilying squadrons threw 41,000 kilograms of projectiles over the stations at Roulers, lieu, Thionville, and elsewhere, besides factories, cantonments, bivouacs, and munitions depots, causing considerable damage. WEATHER ABOMINABLE, ENEMY STRONG COUNTER-ATTACK. GREAT WORK BY THE COLONIALS. Received Aug. 3, 10.30 p.m. London, Aug. 3. Mr. Philip Gibbs says the weather is still abominable. The battlefield is waterlogged, and there are ceaseless rainstorms, but the fighting continues, tho enemy strongly attacking north of Frezenburg. Our artillery and machineguns swept them down. The Germans suddenly attacked for two hours. After emerging from the dense smoke balrago our guns poured shells on this ground, which wc regained in the evening. The German gunfire was intense over a great part of this lost territory, the longrange guns shelling far behind our lines, The situation was exactly the same as at the end of the first day of the battle. The Australians and New Zealandcrs were allotted difficult country, being placed at the extreme right of the attack, below Warneton, where th« enemy had gone to great trouble to wire the hedges and cover the shell-holes with wire-netting, hiding the machine-guns and snipers. When the New Zealandcrs took La Bassee Villa there was a' mere muddle of broken bricks, which had already been taken and lost; but the New Zealandcrs, once established, firmly held tlie position, despite the fact that tho cellars were temporarily useless, owing to their bebig choked •with dead. The Australians, after hard fighting, captured the old windmill near Le Bassee Ville, an important point becausa of its standing on a kholl. Waves of Germans in the morning advanced across tha Warneton-Gajafl9 road, incirclbig . the windmill, and compelled the Australians to evacuate their position; but after several hours' shelling, the Australians at midnight returned and routed out the garrison and firmly hold it again. Tha airmen performed unimaginable .feats, machine-gunning down chimneys ,and then flying round the front ana squirting streams of lead through the open doors. RESIGNATION OP 'FRENCH NAVY JfINISTER. Reuter Service. Received Aug. 3, «.50 p.m. Paris, Aug. 2. Admiral Lacaze, Navy Minister, has resigned. ; THS VALUE OF GERMAN REPORTS. : London, August 2. Military critics point out the signifi- ' oance of tho Berlin communique men- i daciously implying that Tuesday's assault was triumphantly repelled aiid that : the day brought a great German victory. < The newspapers, interpret) the Thetori- i cal communique aa a sign of political 1 desperation and consider it a remarkable pendant to the Kaiser's two bombaati* defiant proclamations.

SEVEiRE FIGHTING.

EAERAGE ON GERMAN REAR. London, August 2. Rcuter'S correspondent at headquar* ters reports that despite the bad 'weather impeding operation*, there was boon severe figktmg during the past 2-t hours. The Germans are manif*»tlT perturbed at our gaining so much high ground on the Filkeui ridge and have launched several desperate counter-at-tacks, throwing in the best Struartrooten (storming troops) to try to retrieve the situation. Gut preponderance of gun power enables u 3 to maintain a steady barrage on the German rear, through which the reinforcements have /to como before an attack can be organised.

FRUITLESS ENEMY ATTACK.

London, August 2. A French communiqne says: The bad

weather continues. There is violent artillery work in various sectors. The Germans, without result, :-.?ain attacked the Avocourt Wood. HEAVY ENEMY CASUALTIESi, ONE OF HEAVIEST BLOWS Of TBg WAR. It is estimated that tho Germfifc casualties <» the first day were ttfostr thousand. ' T ' Tit Bxtit ParutfenV «orrW]S(»de»s say* that, after the first day's formidable bound, the Allied troops have been contented with! repulsing strong coun-ter-attacks, especially in the tfpres sec-1 tor. The- Germans threw forward formidable massed forces, but the British endured the attack. The struggle was rendered harder by the first day's work. The heavy artillery continues the devas* tation, though the sodden ground renders it less effective. When the Welsh had cleared all theuiemy trenches with grenades, they, penetrated into St. Julien on three sides. There was fierce street fighting, and they had to lay siege to every houso In turn. The carnage •was frightful, but the Welsh covered themselves with glory. The Prussian Guards obeyed the orders to die on the spot and prisoners were not taken. One young prisoner declared that the Guards had been promised that they would not participate in this fight; they were to constitute the last reserve, but as things were going badly' they had to go forward. Ouly two out of 150 were left alive. The tanks did'great work. One" at* tacked a concrete redoubt, and all surrendered, Another made for a spinny bristling with machin-grma, and crushed mrything fiat, the garrison surrenderid. M: 'PajnUve has telegraphed to Lord. Derby. The advance has aroused enthusiasm in France, The heroism of your troops has dealt the Germans one of the heaviest Wows of the war.

The Journal says the New Zeataaders showed splendid spirit in seizing- the cross roads, machine-guns and redoubts at La Basse Ville, after a terrific hand-to-hand fight, and, despite two great counter-attacks, they held on firmly.

PROMPT TREATMENT OF WOUNDED. THIRTEEN GERMAN DIVISIONS WRECKED. ' " London, August 2. During Tuesday's battle we used from , the booty captured a quantity of the. newest German gas shells, t Tho Red Cross surpassed itself in the immediate and unceasing succour of the wounded. Specialist-surgeons attended at the surgical stations on the edge of the battlefield, and body wounds were as expertly tended as iu the base hospitals within a couple of hours of Injury. The same treatment was extendert; to the German wounded. Four German divisions were pounded) pummeled and wrecked by the bombardment and taken out before the bafttie' proper. They were followed by six others, who in the battle faced the artillery, burning oil, gas and molten-Vfeuid 'showers before encountering the Allien' indomitable infantry. Altogether the bulk of; 13 divisions were so punWaed' and shaken that recovery will be alow and costly. The Welshmen captured* Pilkem and a large portion of the ridge;other troops assisting, while the Scottish and English captured the slope of the Zonnebelce ridge. Experts consider that the line of the Lys River, where we are facing determined opposition is of pioro importance strategically than country further north. HOW THE GERMANS SUFFERED. Mr. Philip Gibbs says a rain»torm Veils the battlefield io dense mist. Th« wretched German infantry lying in t%. open woods were in a frightful condition) wet to tho skin and cut off by our barrages. The sufferings of the Gemma* huddled in exposed places were as hideous as anything in human agony. Thejr were slashed to bits by storms of ahel) and urged forword to wmnter-aitaoka, knowing that death was'inevitable. The prisoners have the look of mm who have passed tlirough hell. Txiey are drenched, their boots are full of Water, they have sunken eyes and ashen grey faces like sick, hunted animals. Many were groaning loudly and piteousiy from cramp in the stomach from long crposuro and hunger. Others wept bitterly, saying they hated the war and did not hide the sufferings of the people' at home or that the army was filled with gloomy forebodings and living in terror of our tremenduus gunfire". About onefourth of the prisoners are anaemic ladi terrorised and incapable of fight. Some of our own 'men were stunned by the terrifie blast of gunfire and were amazed to find tho field-guns wheel to wheel. They describe the rows of German dead, including a brigade staff, clasping gas masks, who were caught suddenly by the blackest terror of iaodern warfare. ,