ON THE WEST FRONT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2974, 11 January 1917, Page 5

ON THE WEST FRONT

ANGLO-SCOTTISH RAID NEAR ARRAS London, January 9. Mr. Philip Gibbs, tho war correspondent, describing the Anglo-Scottish raid near Arras, which, penetrated the enemy's third lino on a two-thousand-yards front, says: "It was remarkable only on the sooro of casualties. There was practically no German machine-gun fire. One machine-gun fired twenty shots, and was thon siloncod. The enemy barrage was erratic, and feoble. "It is difficult to divinn the reneon oE such a state of affairs. Possibly the Germans aro nursing their aramujiition and holding their fines thinly with youths. Certainly we are .iblo to walk through the old original trench system without finding the enemy. Jt would bo wrong to build nxtravaganfc hopes, but the enemy cannot afford to bo weak anywhere. "A heavy bombardment prerecled_ tho raid. The nttackers trudged quietly over No Man's Land in tho afternoon, deliberately but. liorribly close to the odgo of tho British •barrage. Our aeroplanes flow thickly and low. The Inck of opposition tras uncanny. Entanglements woro destroyed or levelled. Thero wcro many gaps of from ten lo fifteen yards. The trenches wero reduced jo rubbish heaps and shell cratprs. in which were some German ilend._ A young English officer, with a. reputation for nonchalantly strolling about No Man's land, led a detachment l< l tho third line of trenches, and mounted the parados to observ-o tho lay of the land. Ho got ji clear view of Tilloy, but saw no Germans. Tic then returned homewards. "A Scottish officer had a amiilar experience. He readied the third line, bnt saw no living German from first to last. He and his men blew ut> »■ number of dugouts, and the officer sat on the parados and lit a. cigarette. A. few Gorman' guns at Tilloy fired weakly. Tho Scots then leisurely explored tho shell crate™. Tho officer, limshed his. cigarette, blew ;i ,'tarantara' ou a French 'hunting born, and men slouched home."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SUCCESSFUL TRENCH RAIDS (Rec. January 10, 7.15 p.m.) London, January 9Sir Douglas Haig report!:: "Wβ successfully entered tho trenches opposite Hullucli. Our artillery was active on both banke of the Ancre and the Gommecourfc salient. Wβ also caused n big erplosion north of Wieltje."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ) : —