ARTILLERY ASSISTANCE 10 ADVANCING ARMY

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 244, 12 October 1917, Page 5

ARTILLERY ASSISTANCE 10 ADVANCING ARMY

SLIGHT RECTIFICATION OF BRITISH LINE. T.ATTfiflftKHfc'lF? HETPS GREAT MARCH AT FOEXiCA?EXXE. LONDON, October 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Our aviators did much work on the battlefront Cn Tuesday, despite a strong gale and thick clouds. The artillery was thus enabled to deal with the enemy's new gun positions and other suitable targets, and was kept in touch ■with the advancing infantry. All day long enemy troops were harassed at every opportunity by machine-gun fire. Many bombs were dropped on Roulers. Courtrai, Menin, and Ledeghem railway stations, causing a cumber of explosions. We brought down six German aeroplanes. Two of pars are missing. In the course of the day attacks on the new positions in the neighbourhood iof the Ypres-Staden railway led to local fighting, but did not affect any material change in the situation. The enemy made no further counter-attacks. Our troops actively organised the captured despite the great difficulties of the ground. Tuesday's prisoners, so far reported, number 2038, of whom 29 are officers. The number also includes 400 taken by the French. We captured a few field gans and a number of machine-guns and trench mortars. A French communique reports:—Xo infantry action has taken place in Belgium. The troops are consolidating the positions won. The artillery is active on both sides north of the Aisne. After an intense bombardment the enemy violently attacked on the right bank of the Meuse, north of Chaume Wood. The attack was maintained throughout the day. The enemy gained a footing at some points in our advanced positions, but our artillery prevented him from making further progress. An earlier report stated:—ln Belgium, extending our advance east of Dnailbank, we captured Papegoed Farm. The artillery is active in the region of Laffaux Mill, north of the Aisne. —(A. and >".Z. and Reuter.) A German official report states: —The attacks of yesterday morning proved a prelude to a battle on a 20-mile front between Bixschoote and Gheluvelt, lasting far into the night. The enemy repeatedly assaults, as many a≥ sis times at some points. The enemy captured 1500 yds of ground in the neighbourhood of Draaback, Mangelaere. Veldhoek, and Poelcapelle. We firmly leld the lines from Poelcapelle to the south of Gheluvelt. The Bulgarians repulsed an English attack to the south-west of Lake Doiran, on the Salonika front. It is reported that Marshal yon Hindenburg has declined to accompany the Kaiser to the Balkans, owing to the situation in Flanders.— (Admiralty, per Wirele??.) Mr. Perclval Phillips says that the original success yesterday has been somewhat modified between Broodseinde and the Thourout railway, embracing tne area of our attack from Passchendaele to the southern border of Houthulst Some of our troops have fallen back to a lino which is still much in advance of that hold yesterday morning. The relinquishment was due to the unfavourable ground, which in some places was an impassable quaTnire. Xowhere did the enemy drive us out, hut th<- water-logged condition of the country and the large number of :-nipers ensconced in the trees and in the concrete redouhts at Pasechendaelc retarded our progress. It is impossible to give an exact definition of the present linr- between Poelcapelle and Broodseinde. Some of the fortified farms cleared yesterday have been reoccupicd by the enemy, but on an average our net advance is two thousand yards in depth. (A. and >\Z. Cable.) The battle of Poeicaprlle will always be famous for the grit of the -ancashire, men. who, in marching to the attack, endured superhuman trials. At nightfall they crossed tlif Ys»r Tanal, and marched milfs over country ~mch was formless and featureless, and lighted only by gun flashes. The night ■""as pitch dark. The men stumbled on through infinite tangles of sinister country, falling foul of shell holes. It v> as impossible to get food, drink, or rest, otherwise they would have been too late for the battle. The troops marched in this fashion for 11 hours, arrived in time, and despite their exhaustion -nent over with the rest. They fought a great battle, winning their objectives and withstanding counter-attacks.—(United Service.)