INTENSE GERMAN CONCENTRATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1917, Page 5

INTENSE GERMAN CONCENTRATION.

ENEMY LEFT AT SERIOUS DISADVANTAGE. FUTURE VIEWED WITH DISMAY. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 23, 11.50 p.m. London, Sept. 23. Reuter's correspondent at headquar- . ters says the German positions were held | so tensely that it is estimated there were ! four Germans to every yard of front. Several of the best German divisions were so shattered as to necessitate withdrawal. We won a victory which leaves the enemy in this wide tract of Flanders at a serious disadvantage. Captured officers, who have" hitherto been haughty and supercilious, now literally bow to their captors and confess defeat in what they regarded as their strongest point. They now view the future with dismay. HEAVY FIGHTING. MORE COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. A. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Received Sept. 24, 12.5 a.m. London, Sept. 23. An official report at midnight on Saturday states that during the day there has been heavy fighting southward of the Ypres—Menin road. The enemy fought with great determination, but without success, in an attempt to ; ■ gain the Towcr-Harnlets ridge. The Durham troops to-day completely repulsed three strong counter-attacks northward of Tower-Hamlets. Further south repeated hostile attacks compelled our advanced troops to fall back slightly from part of the ground gained yesterday morning in this area, but the whole o°f the positions captured on Thursday a-e securely in our possession. On the battlefront there were no further counterattacks. There has been great reciprocal artillerying all along the front. Our fire prevented an attempted raid in the neighborhood of the Arras—Cambrai road. We successfully carried out a raid eastward of Monchy le Preux. There was great aerial activity yesterday, our aeroplanes ranging guns on hostile batteries, and on troops in the trenches and shell holes. Low-flying machines harrassed the enemy's infantry and transports. Masses of bombs wer.dropped at Roulers, Menin and elsewhere. Eighteen enemy aeroplanes were downed. Twelve of our? are missing.

GERMAN OFFICERS' PRAISE. SERIOUSNESS OF DEFEAT ADMITTED. THEIR LATEST METHODS FAIL. Times Service. Received Sept. 23, 11.50 p.m. London, Sept. 23. Mr. Robinson, the Times' correspondent, says German officers abundantly confirm the importance of the success, and testify to the overwhelming artillery and the brilliance of the infantry advance as things that were incredible. They do not attempt to disguise the seriousness of the defeat. Mr. Robinson adds that the New Zealanders' work was particularly valuable, for besides laying 30,000 yards of cable, they repaired all the roads and trenches. Describing German methods, Mr. Robinson says that instead of a single strong line, they have now based the defence to a great depth, crowding troops on very narrow fronts, supported by strong reserves further back and ready for immediate counter-attacks. The whole area was sprinkled with concrete redoubts, the massed guns being from 4000 to 7500 yards behind the front line. This elaborate scheme, the last blossom of German strategists, was carefully worked out, and framed with enormous industry, and we have broken it. RESOURCEFULNESS OF TOMMIES. DETERMINED BUT FRUITLESS EFFORTS, GROUND STREWN WITH CORPSES. Reuter Service. Received Sept. 24, 12.5 a.m. London, Sept. 23. Headquarters gives an instance of the resourcefulness of the "Tommies." A party of bombers reached the parapet, where the Germans were crouching in ■a trench. Owing to tho close quarters i the grenades would have been equally dangerous to both sides, so the "Toni- , mies" pelted tho Bosches with waterfilled bottles. 'Scenting a new source of frightfulness, the Germans speedily "kameraded." Describing the German counter-attack, it is stated that fresh troops from the : reserves were utilised and attacked . with great determination, actually penetrating our front for three hundred i yard:. Fierce hand-to-hand fighting en- [ s>.ed and the ground was soon filled with s corpses. Five other similar attacks of . a formidable nature were all repulsed i with great losses, our casualties being : light. ' OSTEXD BOMBARDED. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Rece'ved Sept. 23, 11.50 p.m. London, Sept. 23. • J The Admiralty reports that the ships , |of i-l'.c (Mas:, patrol bombarded ' !;::ivi'': w on- a, '--lend, with satisfactory iresuii::. Our a'.r palrols brought down 'three enemy aeroplauua-