HARD FIGHTING ON LA BASSEE CANAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 231, 28 September 1915, Page 5

HARD FIGHTING ON LA BASSEE CANAL.

SUCCESS OF THE ADVANCE NEAR HOOGE.

FRENCH CAPTURE STRONG POSITION IN CHAMPAGNE. Li'XDON, !#ptcmher 27. The following dispatch has bfva received from Mr John French, under date of Sunday morning: — "Attacks were made north of La Ba*»ce Canal, which «!rew strong enemy reserves towards these point*, where hard fighting occurred all day long, with varying success. At nightfall t!.c troop* north of the canal occupied tho positions of the morning. "We made another attark nejr Hooge. on fithcr side of the Memn Roa'l. The attack north of the ros<l rmultrd in the occupation of Bellewarde Farm and the ridge, hut the onera? retook tne.*e position*. The .ctt.uk south of Ui« road gained tlflOvds. We roisolidated the ground won. "Up to the present 1.70? prisoners hj\e be*n taken, with eight g"-in» and several machine-guns. "The report in Friday's German commnnique that our attempted attack on Thursday south of La Basaer I'anal failed is not true No attack was attempted." Sir John French later rejwrtH - Severe fighting fit continued on Sunday. Despite determined enemy counter attacks, we held the ground gained, including the whole of Loo*, flur aeroplanes Iximbed and derailed trains at Douai. one of wbirli was full nf troop*." A French communique states: "W't occupied by main forre the whole of the Tillage of Souchei, and advanced rulward in the direction of Givenchy. Further south we reached La Folic and pushed north to Thelus, capturing 1.000 prisonersyafter crossing utmost the whole front "Between Aubcrive, and YiDe-aur-Tourbe, in tlie Champagne, where a powerful network of trenches and forte hail been established and perfected by the enemy during many months. \>e advanced northward, compelling the Germane to fall back two and a half miles. "Fighting continues along the whole frnnt. We reaches! Epine de Ville Gande, further east, and hold the Maison de (.'humpagnc farm. The enemy suffereii heavily in artillery and hajid-to-hand tighunj;. The matrnul captured includes 24 field guns, 16.000 unwoundi-d prisoners and 200 officer!". "Pic prisoners taken on the whole front during two days rxi-rnl 20.000. An official description of the fighting says: "After a spa*m of firing the French guns were silent. The bayonet got to work in the German trenches for the first time in months. The French used picked troops, who fought like demons, and turned out the Germans in spite of Genera! yon Falbeck's furious reei&tauce. The enemy threw hundreds of t.uffocating shells, and used aeriaJ torpedoee. ' "The British attack against Prime Ruprecht of Bavaria's forces is proceeding to the left of the I-ensLa Bassoe main road, and is directed towards the north of Lens."' An Army Service driver states that the British artillery crumpled the enemy's front trenches, but when the British reached them the German* advanced along communication trenches, and sanguinary hand-to-hand fights took plac* , in the new trenches. The bayonrt did excellent work, and the British gained a footing in many sections of the enemy's front. Prince Ruprecht's troops fought well. Many Bavarians were captured. The Paris correspondent of the "London Daily Telegraph" says he was impressed by the calm with which the city received the news of- *he success. Large crowds walking the boulevards read the communique. The general comment was, "Thinge are going well!"