WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

BRITISH ADVANCE. ALL OBJECTIVES GAINED, —— \ HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. VALUABLE POSITIONS TAKEN. ' Wellington, Sept. 21. The High Commissioner reports under date "London, September 20 (11.20 a.m.): Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Eastward of Ypres we attacked at 5.40 this morning on a wide front. Satisfactory progress is reported, we already having captured some valuable positions. London, Sept. 20, An unprecedented barrage preceded the infantry, who soon entered Inverness Wood, Glencorse Wood and Nonne Boes> chen Wood. The German artillery retaliated heavily, especially on the Anzacs on the right. The German losses were unusually heavy. The British captured all their first objectives and are still advancing and batches of prisoners are arriving. The Germans are stubbornly resisting frpm dug-outs and machine-gun emplacements. New York, Sept. 20. Advices received here state that the British have reached the ZonnebetceGheluvelt line. A VERITABLE INFERNO. FIVE WALLS OF FLYING STEEL BARRAGE PASSES THROUGH BARRAGE. NOTHING C-OULD SURVIVE Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 20. The United Press correspondent says: The Rritish attacked heavily on a long front centring on the Ypres-Menin road. There was fierce fighting in the Inverness copse, Glencorse wood, Nonne Bosches Wood, and the Nunbarton lakes. The battle began at 5,40, the ground being muddy owing to heavy showers overnight. The clouds were only GOO feet high, and the wind thirty miles an hour. Five barrages were formed—five walls of flying steel. These were weaving backwards and forwards across the ground like a complicated loom, barrage passing through barrage over the whole zone of destruction, which crept steadily forward. Any prisoners taken must have come from the dugouts, as nothing could live through such a storm. The troops at the centre followed the barrage up the heights towards a hamlet on the ridge by the famous Polygon wood. WORK OF AERIAL CAVALRY. The airmen advanced with the infantry, attacking from a 500 feet altitude and less, sometimes even swooping down until the wheels seemed to toucli the German helmets, and machine-gun-ning as they flew. Aerial cavalry is an appropriate name for these airmen, who definitely engaged infantry according to a pre-arranged plan. ENEMY CAUGHT BY BRITISH FIRE The enemy was keenly alive to the importance of the heights we were forcing by the centre attack, and they made desperate efforts to retain them. The Germans, suspecting the attack, moved considerable troops forward, which our fire caught. UNPRECEDENTED ARTILLERY PREPARATION. Tanks were used sparingly, owing to the ground being unfavorable. These, in any case, were notv necessary, as the artillery preparation had been of a greater depth than hitherto in the war. ARTILLERY ACTIVITY ON FRENCH FRONT. Received Sept. 21, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 20. A French communique reports intense artillery work south of the Oise in the Champagne sector at Cornilet and Highmont, on both banks of the Meuse. BATTLES AND FLUCTUATING FIGHTING. THE GERMAN VERSION. Received Sept. 21, 10 p.m. London, Sept. *2l. Wireless German official: A battle is in full swing on the English front from Langemarck to Hollebeke. There was bitter and fluctuating fighting all day in the foremost part of our defensive zone. SPLENDID COMMUNICATIONS. DUE TO WORK OF NEW ZEALANDERS. Received Sept. 21, 9.30 p.m. London, Sept. 20. Reuter'a headquarters correspondent, describing the latest British advances, says that considering the circumstances, the communication was good, and the credit for this was due to the New Zealand Brigade, which, during the compartively short period of preparation preceding the attack, buried over 30,000 feet of telegraph cable so deeply aB to defy any shelling. By the devotion of the various divisions the remaining line was longer than usual, and it was possible to put more than a normally large proportion of fresh troops into this attack. FRENCH STOP GERMAN ATTACK. Received Sept. 21, 9.50 p.m. London, Sept. 41. A French communique states: After a violent bombardment, an enemy attack south-east of Cerny vets stopped by our fire anil not aueceodl is reaching out Mttlfli