WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 August 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

CAUGHT IN THE MUD. ABOMINABLE ADVENTURES. Received Aug. G, 10.55 p.m. London, Aug. fi. Mr. Philip Gihbs says that the Canadians successfully pushed forward to the outposts of I>piis, getting through the German defences at Cite du Molin. Words are not food enough to describe tJie infantry's grit. The men attacking east of Zillebeke had abominable adventures. It was almost pitch dark, and the battalions became hopelessly mixed. The barrage went ahead. Thev had a strusglo in the morass without the barrage's support, being shot at by Germans on tiic flanks. Fellows stopped to pull out their comrades and were pulled in themselves. It took forty-five minutes to clear two lines of undefended trenches. Whole platoons were bogged while German snipers were busy near by. CANADIAN POSTS ADVANCED. ENEMY ATTACKS ALL SAIL. GERMANY'S YOUTHS IN THE FIELD, Reuter Service. Received Aug. 6, 0.30 p.m. London, Aug. 6. Router's correspondent at headquarters reports that the weather is improving. Much further jyograss has been made, but the position is obscure. Tho Canadians to the south of Hollobeke advanced their p'cstu in the direction of the Cite du Moulin to a depth of two hundred yards on a front of a thousand yards. The enemy's attacks on the new front all failed with appalling losses. German bombardments are inflicting considerable losses on their o\jn infantry owing to the guns repeatedly shooting short. Among tlie captured ofiisers are some of the adult 1918 class, who are regularly embodied, while many of the 1010 class are in the field. THE ENEMY ATTACK. COUNTER-STROKE DRIVES HIM OUT. Received August 0, 10.5 p,m. London, Aug. 0. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig reports: After heavily shelling the positions southward and northward of Ypres Canal, the enemy attacked astride the canal and secured a foothold at Hollebekc. A counter-attack immediately drove him out. Elsewhere enemy attacks failed. A French communique states that there is intermittent artillery duelling at various points. HAIG'S ARMY ORDER. GRIM CONFIDENCE I.: VICTORY. Reuter Service. Received Aug. (i, 5.5 p.m. London, Aug. 5. Sir Douglas Haig has issued the following army order to-day: "We enter on the fourth year of war with a grim confidence, based on what we and our allies have already done. There is no doubt in our minds that the British armies in France, and the workmen of the Empire upon whom they deipend, have the power and will to win certain and definite victory." UNFALTERING RESOLUTION. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S MESSAGE. Wellington, Aug. 6. The Governor-Qeneral has received, through the Secretary for State, the following message from Sir Douglas Haig: Our armies in Prance, drawn from every part of the British Empire, bring to the fourth year of the war the steady confidence justified by then* past achievements, and are unfaltering in their resolution to complete the task to which tlicy have put their hands. They will fight on until the enemy is finally overthrown. ALLIES MAKE (PROGRESS. London, August 5. Sir Douglas Haig repots:—The enemy's artillery ia active in tho neighborhood of Holiebeke and the Ypres-Com-ines Canal. The French made further progress north-westward of Bixsehoote. We repulsed a raid southward of Arleux-en-Gohelle. and we successfully raided eastward of Vermelles. A German attack on a Portuguese post was driven olt with loss. SEVERE TRIAJS OP TANK CREWS. London, August 5. Mr. Gibbs says that two tanks were constantly in action for 17 and 25 hours respectively. The crews were cramped between the engines and guns and had no head space. With the engines going at full blast the heat within was terrific. The occupants were flung about when traversing rough ground like fishermen in a wild gale. They stared through periscopes till their eyes ached, watching their own" infantry signals and the enemy barrage. Seventeen hours of this work with the chance of death all the time is a 6evere test for the strongest. Rain turned the ground to a quagmire and the tanks were frequently bogged. Near St. Julien the crews emerged and Worked for a couple of hours under shell and machine-gun fire to extricate them. FRENCH LINE RE-ESTABLISHED. 'London, Aug. 5. A French communique says: South of Juvineourt the enemy delivered a serious attack at midnight. After lively figlit- , tag the assailants were driven from the | portion of trench where a footing had | been gained, and the line was re-estab-lished in its entirety. There is violent jrtillery duel in the region of Mort Homme and Caurieres Wood.