BATTLE FOR PENINSULA.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 October 1917, Page 5

BATTLE FOR PENINSULA.

, FRANCO-BELGIAN DASH. %£■??£ ; EN BY SURPRISE. London Oct. 2!). Mr. Phillips says that nothing during the campaign has been quite like the Franco-Belgian victory on Saturday in the peninsula of Luyghem, a tongue of land a quarter of a mile wide at the widest. The first French advance on Friday morning took them through the marslies, where- they waded and swam. Their success gave them a bridgehead across the flooded Yser and the French engineers, on Friday night, by a wonderful piece of work, threw pontoons over the flood, working shoulder-deep, thus enabling the infantry to cross beforb daybreak. The enemy was taken by surprise. The ISth Bavarian Division had arrived in the line the previous night, expecting to he undisturbed in this quiet region. A sanguinary fight followed with the bayonet and bomb The Bavarians were driven from line to line, the French pursuing so closely that the enemy was unable to establish himself. Thus the French stormed Verbrandesmis, Asehhoop and Kloostermoten. The whole region was most difficult and lay under water, but the impetuous French toiled until they reached firmer ground on the outskirts of Merckem. They then charged with the bayonet, rooting out the occupants from cellars, while others advanced on the Dixmude road to Kippe. These successes ought to have sufficed, but the French waded through the maze of communication trenches fronting Luyghem, a village standing on a slight elevation and commanding an extensive field of fire. The main roaft thither was wired and barricaded, and was only conquered after several hours' hand-to-hand fighting and repeated assaults. The Belgians then entered the fight after crossing the floods on punts and secured a solid footing in thepeninsula. CANADIAN GALLANTRY. DESPERATE EFFORTS SUCCEED. London, Oct. 29. Mr. Gibbs states that the Canadians never did better than during the attack on Bellevue. They were beaten back, but reformed, scaled the slopes and carried the blockhouses held by the Bavarians. The position was extremely strong. On one side of Bellevue is Crest Farm, and on the other Passehendaele, and these support each other in sweeping any attack on the slopes. Many were obliged to struggle through bogs and seas of mud, but the right flank attacked Crest Farm along the main ridge, Where the ground was much better. The slope below Bellevue was reached at a point near Duck Wood, and the position was good, but the Canadians on the left were caught in mud under a heavy machine-gun barrage from a row of hlockhouses on the crest of the ridge. The Canadians strove desperately to reach them, and some gained a footing on the higher slopes, but were forced to withdraw from Bellevue almost to their original line. ] There, strengthened by a small body of comrades, they re-formed and advanced again and worked forward in small packs. More fell, but enough remained to mvcßt the forts and silence them. The garrison were given the choice of death or surrender, and thev chose the latter. GERMAN ATTACKS REPULSED. Londm*, Oct. 20. A French communique sa»s: There was fairly great artillery activity in the region of Pinon and Chavignon and near the Epine-de-Chevreanv. The Germans, at mid-day, strongly attacked our positions north of Froide'mont Farm, but our fire drove back the waves of attack with heavy losses. There is a fairly lively artillery duel in the region of the Champagne heights. London, Oct. 2fl. A French communique says: After bombarding the Boie de Chaume-Bezon-vaux front on the right of the Meuse, the enemy attacked, but was driven back, except at a point north of the Caurieres Wood, where he obtained a footing on a front of 5000 metres. A counter-attack mostly recovered the ground. FURTHER BOMBING OF AERODROMES. London, Oct. 23. The Admiralty report- that naval aircraft on Saturday and Sunday dropped , tons of bombs in the vicinity of various ' aerodromes and railway stations. Some direct hits were obtained at Dixmude. , CHAMBERLAIN'S TABLETS. These Tablets are intended especially for disorders of the stomach, liver and bowels. It you are troubled with heartburn, indigestion or constipation they : will do you jood. Try them. Solil everywhere, , keener*, 1

THE GROUND BAD. [ TROOPS PRAISED BY HAIG. ' ENEMY REAR THREATENED. United Press. Received Oct. 30, 7.50 p.m. London, Oct. 29. The United Press correspondent says the ground eastward and northward of Ypres continues bad, and there i 3 little prospect of much improvement as the winter advances. _Rir Douglas Haig has shown appreciation of the conditions by issuing an order declaring that the successes gained under such conditions were deserving of the highest praise. All the troops°did well, the results achieved by the Canadians being remarkably fine. The ground gained was of the highest importance. The correspondent states that the French success between Houthulst and the Ysvr directly threatens the enemy at ■Dixmude in the rear. SUCCESSFUL RAIDS. AERODROMES BOMBED. Received Oct. 30, 11.55 p.m. London, Oct. 30. Sir Doughis Haig reports that the Inn'skillings, raiding north-eastward of Croiselles, took a few prisoners. The Belgians, in a successful raid, took a number of prisoners northward and southward of 'Dixmude. Our low flying aeroplanes on Sunday fired many rounds on troops in the trenches and shell holes. They dropped 100 borttbs on aerodromes and billets. They also bombed, during the night, the Gontrpde aerodrome and Courtrai station, also railway stations in. the neighborhood of Roulers. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. Received Oct. 30, 10 p.m. London, Oct. 29. Wireless German official: We repulsed the English northward of the BoesinghcStaden railway, and repulsed the French twice near Braye with heavy losses.