WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1918, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE FLANDERS HELL.

FIERCE ENEMY ATTACKS. SOME TRENCHES ENTERED. A STRAGGLING REMNANT RETURNS. Heuter Service. Received Jan. 2, 8.55 p.m. London, Jan. 1. British Headquarters reports: The enemy's attack yesterday north-west of La Yacquarie was carried out after a fierce bombardment. The attack was concentrated on a. half-mile front. Waves of men advanced under cover of ' fiammenwerfers, and parties* swarmed into a short length of trenches on the right. Elsewhere they were unable to rush the parapet and face the heavy machine-gun and rifle fire. Whilst, our supports were organising a counter-attack, our gunners put up a fierce barrage, driving the enemy to cover, with the result that we retook the whole of the trenches the Germans had carried. It was a very straggling remnant of the original storming companies which got back across "No Man's Land." TOMMIES' GREETINGS TO THE ENEMY. USHERING IN THE NEW YEAR. Received Jan. 2, 8.55 p.m London, Jan. 1. The new year was ushered in according to custom at midnight, when groups of batteries put over salvoes of high explosives which burst a dozen times, intimating twelve o'clock. Other gunners joined nunctually, the firing indicating the numerals IMB, after which a'bouquet of gas shells was sont speeding to bid Fritz a happy new year. This form of greeting was resented in Rome places, a quarrel between the opposing heavies blazing up

OFFICER'S ILLUMINATING DIARY. TERRIBLE DEMANDS OF FATHERLAND. (From Captain 0. E. W. Bean, Australian Press Representative with the Commonwealth Forces). British Headquarters, France, October 7. We captured the other "day the diary of a German officer who had recently fought against the Australians—at least they had been opposite him in the line. (To was in no attack—he was engaged in the simple business of "holding the lines' while "others attacked through him. His diary runs: —

September 20. —At 7 a.in. we moved up into support. There was a heavy bombardment, if not exactly dmmlirc. The airmen, who, by the way, appeared in strikingly small number, could not have detected our location, for despite the very remunerative target (division) practically no artillery lire wa3 directed at us. We remained there the whole day. A hut in which a resting platoon of another regiment was billeted afforded refuge for some of us. At 7 o'clock a maddening drumfire of un-heard-of violence began on our front. I can scarcely imagine anybody coming through it -alive. At 2.30 we got our | marching orders, which were to relieve tlie —th- Division in the vicinity of . Just the sort of place we expected. We Imarched back via • The roads, by the way, were good, and not seriously damaged by shellfire. What specially struck me about was that tho place, although practically unscathed, was absolutely empty. At about 3 o'clock we arrived in , bad a very short rest in a stable, and continued our match at o o'clock. We encamped once more in the open in the vicinity of , behind lodges and other scanty cover from aircraft. IS IT NOT MONSTROUS? Our prospects are as gloomy as can be imagined. One regiment of the division about to be relieved is said to have lost all three battalion headquarters' staffs yesterday; all the other officers are wounded or killed. Is it not monstrous? Division after division is thrown int» this pari, of the line, to come out decimated a few days afterwards. All that the newspapers tell us, however, is that the line has been valiantly held, and that the enemy 'ha 5 obtained 'trifling local successes.' It is no longer possible to believe those reports.

The rumor that we are to relieve is confirmed—one company is going into battalion reserve. I wonder what the front line looks like? Probably there is not much left of it after iill that artillery fire! Great aerial activity and so much movement on the roads at night makes me wonder that there are not more disasters.

September 28.—We proceeded via to wood. "Wood," by the way, is I a singular term for such a wilderness. i' have never seen anything even approximating, resembling it. Wc were wrongly guided, and got into quite a different sector from thai for which we were intended. However, we secured a dugout in the very front line. It is provided with a "scissors" telescope, but the line is continually under fiie., so that it is impossible to stick •one's head out by day. The activity here is indescribable. One of our men was sniped immediately. An entire detachment from our battalion jot lost in the n»ze of trenches and wnlkcd straight into the arms of the English. Through the telescope I could see them being marched away in column of fours. The day passed uneventfully, j "THE MORNING BLESSING." During the night, however the maddening artillery fire recommenced. Our ra-tion-carriers camu up causing an unnecessary commotion, and the English had probably mistaken this for the preparation for an attack. We managed to get some warm food by about midnight. We wero told by the way that, the 4tli Company is almost entirely wiped out, so we have done fairly well. . Our casualties are one dead, two wounded, and we still have seventy rifles at our disposal. September 29.—1 actually hsd some

sleep last night. 'My nerves are'no longer what they were. An auack of ours is |to take place to-morrow—if only it is I successful. The customary "morning ! blessing'' wos almost entirely omitted to-day—the forenoon, too, was (piicf, but for a. lew slight bursts of fire mostly from our artillery. It is only the long lioun during which we sit brooding and closely packed together in the narrow presenilis of our blockhouse, thai are so t-.-rrihlc. All the passages in our blockhouse are crammed with people, for everybody who U not absolutely obliged to remain outside seeks shelter here. The blockhouse might he five times as large, and it would still be fully occupied. And the- amount of kit lying about everywhere—equipment, ammunition, etc —indescribable. • The maddening bombardment lasted till about 7.30, then it got rather quieter, so that at about HUtfwe even managed to have some warm food and our mail brought up to us. The distribution of rations is no pleasant task here, more especially as three company commanders are billeted,together in the small blockhouse. Wc have certainly received less that our proper share as compared with officers of the other companies. FLEA TEASING AN ELEPHANT.

September 30.—At 5 a.m. our line was subjected to a bombardment of absolutely unprecedented violence. 1 was sure we were going to be attacked. But shortly after 7 o'clock the drum fir* ceased, and we were able to some extent to got our bearings outside, in the smoke and fog that lay thick over all our area. So far the losses in our company are slight. Six men, however, have paraded sick, and who can blame them? After what I have, seen of the activity of the artillery here we cannot lione for a decisive victory as long as the enemy is able to bring to bear on us so overwhelming an artillery of all calibres. To made headway against it is in my opinion absolutely hopeless. At 10 'o'ejock our artillery replied with a "five minutes bombardment.'' It makes a ludicrous impression compared with the mighty power of the enemy—like a flea teasing *n elephant. Nor did the English think It worth while to reply. We had to send in a writen report on the effect of our fire. Absolutely silly. What impression can one record of a bombardment ! that lasts only five minutes? As long as wo are unable to isolate our enemy in the west from his artillery he will retain t'-i. mastery over us. All the fine phrases in the world cannot gloss over that fact. | Trifling local successes, moan nothing. j To-morrow morning the 1 assaulting battalion is going 1o make an attack. Poor victims. To my mind they have no chance of success, and we shall oouie in I for a big share of the retaliation. I AN ATTACK THAT FAILED. October I.—At half-past two the assaulting troops arrived, armed with enormouV ladders for the crossing of the brook, and shortly afterwards the artillery fire began. At 5.30 our'artillery directed destructive.fire on the enemy trench's, and at 0 the attack was launched. As I expected, it failed. The assaulting battalions bad no idea of the ground in it's present fearful state. And then an absolutely hellish bombardment of our trenches began. I passed two horrible hours in my wretched little shelter, and was then relieved at about 2 p.m., and could snatch a little rest. Outside the most terrific artillery duel was raging, and I must say that our own fire was powerfully effective. If it were not for our blockhouses we should have been dead men long ago. Tile demands made on our nerves arc simply indescribable. Still our company had once more practically no losses. What experiences one goes through in hours like these. And the folks at home have no idea of Hie everlasting danger confronting us. The fire continues in unheard-of-violence all day, now in the back area, now in the front trenches.

October 2.—At S a.m. I was relieved, and could get a little rest, or what at least is called "rest." My nerves have gone to the dogs, and I wake up whenever I hear the sounds of people's voices. During the night our 3rd battalion came to relieve , but the later had vanished. Ido not believe that the people behind the line have any idea of what is going on in front. And now our fifth day in this hell is beginning. No outsider can possibly imagine what we have to endure.

When will the relief take place? The division must be pretty well used up, and we simply can't go on like this. And yet we are ordered to hold out, and must obey. Truly the Fatherland makes terrible demands on us.