WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

BRITISH OFFENSIVE RESUMED. CANADIANS DOMINATE PASSCHENDAELE. London, Oct. 30. Sir Douglas Ilaig reports:—At . r iAO this morning we attacked northward of tho Ypres-Roulers railway. Good progress is reported. The United Press correspondent says that to-day's attack was on a four-mile front. The Canadians stormed positions fifteen feet higher than Passcliendacle and overlooking the village. They swarmed up the Meechcle spur and drove back a counter-attack in disorder. BRITISH STRIKE AGAIN. GERMAN MASSES IN FLANDERS. SENT REELING BACK. Reuter Service. Received Oct. 31, 8.46 p.m. London, Oct 30. Reuter's headquarters correspondent states: Our armies luive again struck the German masses in Flanders and sent them reeling back, in places to a depth of nearly a thousand yards. Luck was with us in the matter of weather, which kept dry. Before the sun was two hours high the Canadians were making the attack and gained most of their objectives. The fighting was chiefly towards the outskirts of Passchendaele and the region of Poeleappelle, along several of the tributary spurs of the great ridge which is gradually being won from the desperately resisting enemy. Early in the advance the Germans launched a big counter-attack. The Canadians had just carried some strong fortified redoubts, against the centre of which the enemy attack was.direceil. The place wa.s liberally furnished with ma-chine-guns, which were promptly turned against the oncoming enemy. Rifle fire completed the work of the machinegunners. The counter-ataek was repulsed with heavy punishment. The ground is still desperately bad, but along the higher places, where the principal fighting is developing, the surface is reasonably good between the flooded shell holes. IMPORTANCE OF CREST FARM \ PASSCHENDAELE HEIGHTS WITHIN OUR GRASP. Received Nov. 1, 12.45 a.m. London, Oct. 31. ■Mr. Gibbs states that if the Canadians can hold the hard-won ground they captured in the region of Crest Faring almost the entire heights of Passchendaele ridge are within our grasp. Crest Farm is the outer form of Passchendaele itself.

THREE iMPORTANT POSI* TIONS TAKEN.

. ■ THE VILLAGE CAPTURED. i Australian Cable AssociationReceived Nov, 1, 1.30 a-n^i London, Oct. 31. Mr. Gibbs further states that the Canadians attacked both sides of Ravebeck, also along the ridge towards Crest Farm, thus attacking the final heights of Passchendaele from the west and south-west, fexactly similar positions to the last New Zealand-Australian attack. Possibly the Canadians will find the operation of capturing the ground less difficult than holding it, but if they can establish themselves on this last summit, we will have the dominating ground wherefor the English, Scottish, Irish, Australians, New Zealanders, and Canadians have fought through bogs and marshes, against concrete blockhouses and many machine-guns, and against masses of Germany's finest troops, having also incredibly bad luck as to the weather.

The actual capture of Passchendaele village is possible after Crest Farm has been silenced. The Australians here found it desirable also that Bellevue and Mcetcheele, on the neighboring ridge should be in our possession. Apparently the Canadians have now captured all three positions, exposing the village. It was not a great battle in numbers, the greatest distance of the intended advance being only a thousand yards, yet it was a hard battlo, because of the enemy's desperate resistance, the difficulty of the ground, the badness of the weather, and the physical hardships.

The Canadians to the left of Ravebeek encountered a hornets' nest at Friesland Copse,, and suffered somewhat in trying to rush the place. Finally smfll parties worked round the emplacements, then dashed in and captured them. After fierce and close fighting, the Canadians pushed on to Muteheele village, which was strongly,, defended by blockhouses. Another fierce struggle took place until groups of Canadians mustering in shell-holes made a concerted rush, and carried the blockhouses. A further fight of a similar character took place around another row of blockhouses beyond Meetcheele. The Germans now began to run. The Canadians knew their objective was gained. Meanwhile other Canadians on the right of the attack fought towards Crest Farm. Early news indicated its capture.