ARTILLERY PREPARATION FOR THE ATTACK.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVIII, Issue 245, 13 October 1917, Page 5

ARTILLERY PREPARATION FOR THE ATTACK.

MILITARY DIRECTOR WELL SATISFIED WITH PROGRESS.

LONDON", October 12. air Douglas Haig report.-: Improved Wfather and good visibility have favoured the wi rk of the artillery. There has been many effective artillery dueU, besides iMicnbardnicuts of the enemy"? positions, communications, and back ar.a-. The hostile artillery has become less active, and there has been no Infantry action, ihir aeroplanes on Wednesday bombed German big gun position-. File -nemy machines wire brought down, l-'our of ours arc missing. (A. and N.Z. and Reuter.) Brigadi'-r-Gencral F. 1!. Maurice (Director of Military Operations on the Imperial t.eneral Staff), reviewing the situation. sax*: "We have every reason to be phased with tlie latest advance."' He describes a statement by Colonel Moraiu that since September "JO the British had lost half a million men as grotesque. There was not that number ol men engaged in this scries of battles. Since- January our total casualties in all theatres had not exceeded half a niillion. Jj. submarines had not delayed our plans in France one hour, nor kept back a single round of ammunition. The British troops were lictlrr fed. and mure liberally supplied and equipped than ever before. The importation ,■>:' war materials into Fiance, which was formerly eleven tons per hour, had risen to 24 tor- in the last week of September. The railway and canal facilities for transporting supplies had enormously improved. — (Rcutcrj