WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1917, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

BRITISH STILL ACTIVE. FRENCH REJOICE AT RELEASE. London, Nov. 23. Mr. Gibba states that" the cavalry, infantry and tanks aro still active in the break in the HindenbuTg line. There was heavy fighting in the morning at Bourlon Wood and Fontaine Notre Dame. The French were overjoyed at their release and surrounded the tfliks with the utmost astonishment. They said they have had no property or liberty since 1914. Th« Germans requisitioned everything. The people were fed by tho American Relief Committee. The Germans made the women wash tho soldiers' dirty .clothing. One Frenchman had been hiding since 1014 in a cellar in his own house, where German officers were billeted. His wife fed bim from the extra ration given for a baby born during the war. The house was searched once a week, but the man was not discovered, otherwise both would have been shot. THE LINE ADVANCED. | RAIDS REPULSED. London, Nov. 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We sliahtly advanced our line south-eastward'of Yprcs, and repulsed attempted raids nort!i-ea«tward of Pontru, which 19 north-eastward of St. Qucntin and southward of Neuve Chapelle. The position is unchanged south-west of Cambrai. GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS ARRIVE. ENGINEERS PERFORM MIRACLES. London, Nov. 23. Additional German artillery, machineguns, and aeroplanes arrived on the sceno, and heavy fighting developed ip. parts of the new (battle-front. Evidently civilians evacuated Cantaing in the nick of time. German low-flying aeroplanes arc busy over tho Rritish advanced lines, while heavy machine-gun Arc opposed our advance in the direction of Crevccoeur. The bulk of the enemy artillery is directed against the British in Cantaup and Bourlon Wood. The British Engineers' work Js little short of miraculous. INFANTRY'S GREAT RECORDS. MORE PRAISE FOR TANKS. INJURED MACHINES USED FOR DEFENCE. Times Service. Received Nov. 25, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 24. Mr. Robinson writes that during the thrust tho infantry put up new records. The Ulsters bombed and cleared out 1000 yards of the Hindenburg trench, which was honeycombed with dugout), necessitating much stubborn fighting. West Riding troops cleared 7000 yards, the longest infantry record for a single push'on the Western front, but did no bombing, advancing across open country. They toojc prisoners from six division*, including some from the Russian front. The outstanding feature throughout the operations was the success of the tanks. Besides flattening obstacles and clearing trenches and strong points, they took and held strongly defended villages, and even captured batteries of heavy guns, butting in between the guns and machine-gunning the gunners. Some of the tanks broke down through mechanical difficulties, and Avere utilised as stationary strong points, proving superior to the German pill-boxes. OPERATIONS AT CAMBRAI. | DEVELOPING SATISFACTORILY. Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Received Nov. 25, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports that operations were continued to-day against tions westward of Cambrai. Latest reports state that they are developing satisfactorily. Hostile artillery was very active in the neighborhood of Passchendaele. WHAT THE GERMANS SAY/ ' Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. Received Nov. 25, 5.6 p.m. London, Nov. 24. Wireless German official: A renewed English attempt to break through south! east ( of Cambrai was shattered, with most severe losses to the enemy. ENEMY RESISTANCE STIFFENING. London, Nov. 23. The Germans are rushing up troops from all directions and the resistance is stiffening at Cambrai. , The British have consolidated in some places and fallen back in others. They have captured' Tadpole Copse, westward of Moeuvres. Street fighting is going on in Cantaing. A SNARLING GERMAN COMMENT. Amsterdam, Nov. 23. Tho Lokal Anzeiger snys 150 to 200 tanks were employed in the British attack, and declares that this abortive offensive will not divert the Germans' attention from Flanders, where the British arc cortrlii to renew efforts to get rid of the dangerous submarine bases.