WESTERN ATTACK.
FIERCE FIGHTING. VALUABLE POSITIONS TAKEN. HEAVY ENEMY CASUALTIES. London, Oct. 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Highly successful minor operations were tarried out by us this morning in tile neighborhood of Poelcapelle and in conjunction with the French southward of Houthulst Forest.
Battalions of the Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Berks regiments, and the Northumberland Fusiliers attacked eastward of Poelcappelle on a H miles' front. They captured a number of strongly fortified buildings converted into redoubts on the hill eastward of the village. The (night's rain made the ground slippery and the task of assembly difficult, but the whole of the objectives were captured .ifter fierce fighting in wliich oiany Merman? were killed.
We pressed on south-eastward of Poelcappelle and carried other valuable positions beyond the line of objectives. Gloucester, Cheshire, Fusiliers, Manchester and Royal Scots battalions further north co-operating with the French, attacked on a two-mile front from the Ypres-Stnden railway to northward of Mangelare.
We captured, after severe fighting, the southern defences of Houthulst Forest and a further series of fortified farms and strong points. Tho Allies aro firmly established well beyond the southern boundary of the forest.
A strong local counter-attack in the vicinity of the railway checked our advance astride the railway line, but the enemy was unable to prevent .progress elsewhere. The enemy casualties were heavy. Mr. Gibbs writes:—The attack on the 22nd was nob over a wido front or of great depth, but it brought the French and English to the very edge of the dense woodlands of Houthulst Foreßt. The greatest depth of our advance was near Egypt House. The enemy made strong resistance and counter-attack after coun-ter-attack followed immediately and these are still in progress. Though the weather has been fine and, there has been a bright sun for eight days the ground has not dried and is still difficult. Our hurricane of artillery fire at dawn must have killed many Germans, but some machine-guns in emplacements were not destroyed and these held up our men for some time. When the Germans launched counterattacks along the Ypres-Staden railway our artillery was unable to range on them owing to a thick grey mist. The attackers forced back our men a short distance.
The progress of the counter-attacks is not known, but the fog has cleared and aeroplanes arc now able to signal to the guns, allowing us to support the infantry by smashing the enemy concentrations.
Mr. Phillips reports that Hie latestaccounts say we are fighting in the outlying fragments of Houthulst Forest and along the Westroosebeke road, where we overcame a number of German defences in difficult marshy ground. German counter-attacks regained a slight portion of the ground lost along the Staden railway.
The effect of our advance is to bring our flank closer to the high ground at Passchendaele.
Sir Douglas Haig reports: The wieniy attacked one of our new posts in the southern part of Houthulst Wood and forced us back a short distance. We maintained and consolidated our gains on the remainder of the front. Rain fell during the night and the weather is stormy and unsettled.
BRILLIANT FRENCH ADVANCE. TWO AND A QUARTER MILES GAINED. HEAVY ENEMY LOSSES A. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Received Oct. 24, 8 p.m. Paris, Oct. 23. It is officially announced that the new battle of the Aisne has developed very favorably for the French, who "capture! all the. crests forming their objectives and progressed beyond, the troops now occupying the counter-slopes. The advance is three kilometre? deep on a front of eight kilometres. Fort Malmaison was caplured early in the attack, also the villages of Allemant, Lea Vnllons, and Chavignon, with tlie Chavignon ravine, the Laon plain now lying before the French.
Three thousand prisoners and nineteen guns were captured. Received Oct. 24, 11.45 p.m. London, Oct. 24. A French communique states: North of the Aisne our attack developed most brilliantly, despite the fog and rain, against formidable defences garrisoned by Germany's best troops. The first rush captured the line marked Frittv-, Boherg quarries. Then Fort Malmaison, in the centre, fell. The French, pushing forward, expelled the enemy from the Mont Parnasse quarries. Progress on the left was equally successful, the villages of Alleman and Vandesson being taken. Our right carried the line to the heights commanding Pargny and Fillane. Our troops in the centre, hustling fresh enemy reserves, stormed the village of Chairgcton. The advance here reached a depth of two and a quarter miles. The enemy losses were of the heaviest. 7500 prisoners have hitherto been counted. The enormous booty includes 25 guns. THE GERMAN VERSION. Received October 24, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 23. A wireless German official report states:—The Anglo-French penotrated deeply into the defences at the southern edge of Houtlmlst Wood, but counterattacks repulsed the enemy, whose gains were only 300 metres deep and 1200 wide. The enemy's assaults on Poelcappelle. astride the G'heluvelt road, failed. The enemy's artillerying between Ailette and Brave increased to continuous drum fire. In the morning the French attacked at daybreak-
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Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1917, Page 5
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839WESTERN ATTACK. Taranaki Daily News, 25 October 1917, Page 5
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