THE FRANCO-BRITISH COUP AT MERCKEM
PENINSULA IN OUR HANDS BAVARIANS DRIVEN FROM LINE TO LINE London, October 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The French and Belgian troops carried out sue :essful operations north, of Merckem. The French captured Liiyghem Village I'he Allies now hold the whole of the Merckem Peninsula. There is reciproca irtillery action on the battlefront,"—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn.-Eeuter. (Eec October SO, 11.25 p.m.) London, October 30, Sir Douglas Ilaig reports: "The Innislrillings, raiding north-eastward o Sroieilles, took a few prisoners. The Belgians, successfully raiding, took a nnm 3cr of prisoners northward and southward of Dixuiude."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. tilMltl'l , . DETAILS OP THE FIGHT ENEMY COMPLETELY SURPRISED. London, October 29. Nothing during the campaign was quite like the Franco-Belgian victory oi Saturday on the peninsula of Luyghem. a tongue of lan da quarter of a "mill pride nt the widest (writes Mr. Percival Phillips). The firet French advance oi Friday morning took them through the marshes, where they waded and Gwam I'heir success gave them a bridgehead across the flooded Yser. The French En rineers on Friday night, by wonderful work, threw pontoons over the floods -rorking shoulder-deep, and enabled the infantry to cross before daybreak. Thi >nemy was taken by surprise. The Bth Bavarian Reserve Division hac irrived in the line on the previous night, expecting to bo undisturbed ir :his quiet region. A sanguinary fight followed with bayonet and bomb I'he Bavarians were driven from line to line, the Freneh pursuing them s< ilosely that the encuny was unable to establish himself. Thus the Frencl itormed Verbraiidesmis, Aschhoop, and Kloosferraolen. Tha whole 'region was Host difficult, and lay under water; but the impetuous French toiled until thai reached firmer ground, on the outskirts of Mcrcsem. Then they charged witf ;ho bayonet, and rooted out the occupants of the cellars. Others advanced or he Dixmude road to Kippe. Theso successes ought to have sufficed, but th( freneh waded through the maze of communication trenches fronting Luygherr tillage, which stands on a slight elevation commanding aa extensive field ol ire. The main road to the village was wired and barricaded, and was only conliiered after several hours of hard fighting and repeated assaults. The Belgians ;hen entered the tight. After crossing the floods on pants, they secured t ioilcl footing on the peninsuk."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aran. THE CANADIANS AT BELLEVUE '' ONE OF THEIR ' BEST EXPLOITS. London, October 29. "The Canadians never did better than during the attaok on Bellevue, whert hey were beaten back, bat re-formed and scaled tho slope and carried the block louses held by the Bavarians (writes Mr. Philip Gibbs). Tho position was an ulremely strong one. Bellcvue is on one sido of the Crest Farm and Pasechenlaelo on the other. They support each other by sweeping any attack on the topes. Many ot the Canadians were obliged to Struggle through bogs and seae if mud, but the right flank attacked Crest Farm along the main ridge, where no ground was much better. On tho slope- below Bellevue they reached a point iear Duck Wood. Their position was good; but the Canadians on. the loft wore iitught by the mud under a. heavy machine-gun barrage from a row of blockvouses on the crest of tho ridge. Tho Canadians strove desperately to reach ;hem, and some gained a footing on the higher slopes, but were forced to withIraw from Bellevue, almost to their original line. Strengthened by a small body )f comrades, they re-formed and readvanced. They worked forward in email lacks. Moro fell, but enough remained to invest the forts and silence them. The 'arrisons were given tho choice of death or surrender. They choso the latter." -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. (Eee. October 30, 9.2 a p.m.) London, October 29. A German official report states: "Wo repulsed the English northward of ;he Boesingho-Stadon railway, and repulsed the French twice near Braye, with heavy ]osses."-~Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Beuter. GROUND ON YPRES FRONT VERY BAD : SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S APPRECIATION OF THE TROOPS. (Eec. October flO, 7.25 p.m.) London, October 29. The United Press correspondent states that the ground eastward and northraTd of Ypres continues to be bad, with little prapect of much improvement as he winter advances. Sir Douglas Haig has shown his of the ionditione by issuing an order declaring tha,t the (successes which have been ;aincd under such conditions are deserving of the highest praise. All tho troops lid well. The results achieved by the Canadians were remarkably fine, and the ;round gained of tho highest importance. The .correspondent states that the j'rench success between Houthulst and the Yser directly threatens the enemy's ear at Dixmude,—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn. \ GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK ON THE AISNE REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES. London, October 29. A French official communique states: "Thsre is fairly great artillery activity n the region of Pinon and Chavignon and near the Chevregny Eidge. The Gernans at mid-day strongly attacked our positions north of JpToi'dmont Farm. Our ire drove back waves of attack with heavy losses.' There is a fairly lively artilery duel in the region of tho Champagne heights."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.. ieuter. FIGHTING ON THE MEUSE London, October 29. A Frenoh official communique states: "After bombarding the front on the ight bank of the Meuse between the Chaume Wood and Bezonvaux, the enemy ttacked, but was driven back, except nt a point north of the Caurieres Wood, fhere he obtained a footing on a front of 500 yards. A counter-attack recovred most of the ground."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asen.-Eeuter. THE AIR OFFENSIVES MANY TONS OF BOMBS DROPPED. London, October 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Our aeroplanes were bu6y all day on Saturday, .'hey co-operated with the artillery, and fired several thousand rounds at round targets from heights ranging from a hundred to a thousand feet. The irmen dropped twenty-nine heavy bombs on Eoulers station, six on the Abeele erodrome, and 121 lighter bombs on billets east of lens. Our squadrons durng the night dropped four tons of bombs on seven aerodromes and three imiortant railway stations. Several burst near the hangars and rail tracks. Inemy aeroplanes repeatedly attacked, but our machines neyer failed to reach ho objectives. We brought down eleven machines. Nine of ours are missing." The Admiralty reports: "Naval aircraft on Saturday and Sunday dropped ome tons of bombs in tho vicinity of vtsjifrae aerodromes and railway stations, iome direct hits were made at Dixmude."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. (Eec. October 30, 11.25 p.m.) London, October 30. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Our low-flying aeroplanes on Sunday fired many oundu at the enemy's troops in their trenches and shell-lioles, and dropped 100 ombs on aerodromes and billed. We bombed at night-time the Gontrode aeroromo, Courtrai etation, and the railway stations in the neighbourhood of Eou-ere."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Essn.-Eouter. ATTEMPTED RAID ON LONDON (Eec. October 30, 11.25 p.m.) London, October 30. Official.—"The enemy's aeroplanes attempted to raid the south-eastern counies to-night. Our aeroplanes ascen,ded, and with guns and lights in action the ostile machines did not succeed in passing our outer defences."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable tssn.-Eeuter. DESTROYER SKIRMISH OFF BELGIAN COAST ENEMY SHIPS FORCED TO RETIRE. London, October 29. The Admiralty reports: "Six British and French destroyers, patrolling the Selgiau coast on Saturday, attacked three Gorman, destroyers and seventeen eropTanes. Wo obtained two direct hits on the enemy's destroyers, which amiedialely retired lo the protection of the land battorics. Our aati-aircraft unliro broke the acroplano formation.- Tho aeroplanes each dropped three botnUe ii the vicinity of our vessels, but no damage was done. Two men were slightly •oiinded."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Eeutor.
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 31, 31 October 1917, Page 5
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1,247THE FRANCO-BRITISH COUP AT MERCKEM Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 31, 31 October 1917, Page 5
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