WESTERN FRONT.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17646, 26 November 1917, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE' CAMBRAI BATTLE

further Progress. sir b6uglas~uTig's report. A., and, X.Z. Cable Association nr.d Router. (Received November 25, 5.5 p.m.) , LONDON. November 24.

Sir Douglas Haig rci>ori:s ful operations were conducted yesterday west of. Cambvai. After severo fighting and stubborn resistance we stormed the important and dominating high grotfnd about Bourlon, to the east cf Rcnrlon Wood. Some progress- was made in the neighbourhood of Fcntnrne-Xotre Dame to tlie west of Bourlon Wood.

Further progress was made along the Hindenburg Kno astride the Canal du Nord, in the neighbourhood of Mamvres, while further west, between Mocnvres and Queant the London Scottish captured an important spur giving observation over tho Hindenburg lines to the north and west. In. the neighbourhood of Bullecourt ■we gained further ' ground during tho night, capturing a strong po.'nt, with guns. ; Sine© November 20 we hare caps/tared over a. hundred sun?, including \ several heavy guns, up to eight-inch calibre.

DEVELOPING (SATISFACTORILY. THRUST TOWARDS CAMBRAI CONTINUES. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and "Reuter. (Received November. 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 24. \ Sir Douglas Haig reports :—Operations were continued to-day _ against positions westward of Cambrai, and by latest reports these were, developing satisfactorily. Hostile artillery l is very active in the neighbourhood of Passechcndacle. HARD FIGHTING AT BOURLON WOOD. BRITISH RETAKE POSITION. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. (Received November 26, 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 25. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Fierce lighting occurred in the neignbourhood of Bourlon Wood, the enemy making several determined attacks with frGsh troop 3 to regain possession of the high ground. A strong attack this morning compelled us to give ground slightly in this area. Wo counter-iu'tacked later, and re-estab-lished the former line. We improved our positions in the neighbourhood of Banteux. _ , Hostile artillery is active at Pas- • schendacle. , The aeroplanes have co-operated with infantry in the fighting south-west! of Cambrai. They also attacked German reinforcements that were being transported, and bombed important railway stations where rolling stock had been collected and detraining was in pro - gress. Enemy aeroplanes were more active, attacking our bombing and low-flying machines. Wo brought down six enemy machines. Nino of onvs are missing. x TROOPS FROM CHINA. FOR SECONDARY DUTIES. A,. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. (Received November 25, 5.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, November 24. It is understood that the Allies have endorsed a proposal to permit China to send twenty-five thousand _ troops to France for secondary duties, thereby releasing French troops. IN MASS FORMATION. GERMAN COUN-TER-ATTACKS. United Service. y (Received November 25, 5.5 p.m.) V . LONDON, November 24. ' Mr Pferceval Phillips reports :—-The countor-attack yesterday against tMasnieres came from the north-east, whence the Prussian Guard advanced tin solid lines. We awaited them and our massed machine-guns proved better weapons than flesh and blood. The Prussians were checked, halted, and then broke. None got nearer than a '.thousand yards. Later other Guards came on from the Cambrai railway, but never gaifaed an impetus. A third attack at Novel. 'os resulted in a bitter close-quarter struggle for two hour?, Biul was cqufd-'y unsuccessful, though the enemy fouglit well and proved that they had not forgotten how to fight in open warfare. Both sides used the bayonet and. there were many single combats with’ fists and broken bricks where men had lost their weapons.

NEW INFANTRY RECORDS. SUCCESS OF TANKS. • " Tho Tiroes " Service. (Received November 25, 5-5 p.m.) ■' LONDON, November 24. Mr Perry • Robinson writes:~During thrust our infantry put up new re-

cords. The Ulsters bombed and cleared out four thousand yards of a Hindenburg trench 'which was honeycombed with dugouts, necessitating much stubborn fighting. The West Riding troop* cleared seven thousand yards, the longest infantry record for a single push on the western front, but did no bom bUig. Advancing across open country, they took prisoners from six divisions ircluding some from the Russian front. The outstanding feature throughout the operations was tho success of the tanks. Besides flattening obstacles and elcaiing trenches and strong points, t'jH-J took and held strongly defended villages, and even captured batteries of heavy guns, batting in between tho guns and shooting down the gunners with machine-guns. Somo of the tanks broke down through mechanical difficulties, and wore utilised as stationary strong points, proving superior to the German "pill-boxes."

THE ENEMY'S REPORT. THIRTY TANKS SHOT TO PIECES. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reutcr. (Received November 25, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 24.

A wireless German official message states:—There are great violent waves of fire between the railways from Boesinghe to Staden and from Ypres to Holders. A strong English attack on Inchy collapsed. We stubbornly defended Moeuvres against many assaults. English thrusts against Bourlon. Fontaine-Notro Dame and La Folio 'Wood, with a wave of tanks in close formation, broke down. Our counter-thrust ejected the enemy from Bourlon and Bourlon Wood. We shot to pieces thirty tanks before Fon-ta-ine-Notro Dame. HEADQUARTERS REPORT. ADVANCE SOUTH-EAST OF YPRES LONDON, November 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— We slightly advanced our line southeastward of Ypres and repulsed attempted raids north-westward of Pontruot, north-westward of St Qufentin and southward of Neuve Chapelle. The position* is unchanged south-west-ward of Cambrai. A GERMAN CLAIM. A. nnd N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. (Received November 25, 0.0 p-m.) LONDON, November 24. A wireless German official message states—A renewed English attempt to break through south-east of Cambrai was shattered with most severe losses to the enemy. FIGHTING CONTINUES. EXPERIENCES OF FRENCH CIVILIANS. LONDON, November 23. Mr Philip Gibbs states that cavalry, infantry and tanks aro still active in the break in the Hindcnburg line* There was heavy fighting in the morning at Bourlon Wood and at Fon-taine-Notre Dame. The French civilians were overjoyed at their release. They surrounded the tanks, at which they gazed with the utmost astonishment. They say that they havo had no property or liberty since 1914. The Germans requisitioned everything. Tho people were fed by the American Relief Committee, and the Germans comSelled the women to wash the soldiers' irty linen. One Frenchman had been hiding in a cellar in his own housio since 1914. German officers wore billeted in the house, hut the man was fed by his wife from an extra ration given when her baby was born. During the war the house Vas searched once a week. Had the man been discovered both ho and his wife would have boeu shot.

When we smashed through tho Hindenburg lino on Tuesday tho German High Command, as soon as they knew what had happened, hurried reinforcements in omnibuses from camps near Cambrai. They were so hard pressed that they actually oloared the camp of cripples and convalescents and hurled the patients into the fighting line. It was a brutal, stupid assault. Tho men were too ill to fight and aro now too iB to stand in the prisoners' cages. Mr Gibbs adds that ho conversed with one of these men, who was on a stretcher, in the last stages of consumption and who had been sent to an isolation hospital. The reinforcements included tho First Guards reserve, from Lens. The Germans are rushing all availablo. troops to make a stand round Cambrai. Our men had no walk-over after the first surprise. The Germans Holding the woods nnd villages behind the Hindenburg 'line fought hard and well and endeavoured to beat us back in many counter-attacks. Our gunfiro mowed down a heavy counter-at-tack north-east of Masnieres, where tho Germans advanced, as during 1914, in massed formation, waves appearing shoulder to shoulder. Another similar attack was attemptted at Marcoing, but the Germans, meeting our fire, dropped into trenches and never reappeared. Noyelles thrice changed hands. There was fierce street, house and cellar fighting. German snipers were posted on, the roofs and in trees. The Northumberland Yeomanry, skirmishing at Crevecceur, discovered

a belt of wire. They dismounted and crawled through it and captured guns. Troops on the BuMecourt sector captured a great tunnel at Queant. GREAT GERMAN EFFORTS. BRITISH CAPTURE TADPOLE COPSE. . LONDON, November 23. - The Germans are rushing lip troops from all directions, and their resistance is stiffening at Cambrai. Tlio British have, consolidated the positions won in some places and fallen back in others. They have captured Tadpole Copse, westward of Mceuvres. Street lighting is going on in Cautaing. . .■ ENEMY ARTILLERY ACTIVE. LONDON, November 23 Additional German artillery, machine guns and aeroplanes have arrived on the scene, and heavy fighting lias developed in parts of the new battle front. Civilians evacuated Cantaing in the nick of time. German low-flying aeroplanes have been busv over tho British advanced lines, while heavy machine-sun fire opposed the advance in the direction of Urevecoaur. The bulk of the enemy artillery is directed against the British in the region of Cantaing. At Bourbon Wood the work of the British engineers was liltlo short of miraculous. ENEMY WIRELESS. •A. and X.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, November 23. A wireless German official message states i that the enemy yesterday repeatedly, but fruitlessly, attacked Aiocuvres. t We retrieved slight initial successes. In desperate hand-to-hand fighting around r uiitanic-Notro Dame we threw back tho enemy, stormed Fontaine, and cleared La Folie Wood. English attacks against Runuliy, Banteux and Vcndhmlle collaped. rresh fighting has been progressing sinco early morning on the southern edgo of Mceuvres. A GERMAN COMMENT. Reuter’s Telegrams. t AMSTERDAM, November 23. The \“ Lokal Am.iegcr ” says that 150 to 200 tanks were employed in tlxo British attack. It goes on to deciaro that this abortive offensive will not divert the Germans’ attention from Flanders, where tho British are certain to reffew their efforts, in order to get rid of dangerous submarine bases. SIR JULIAN BYNG. HERO OF CAMBRAI PROMOTED. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, November 23. Official:— Sir Julian Byng, the hero of the Cambrai offensive, has been promoted to the rank of general. (Sir Julian Hedworth George Byng, who has been raised to the rank of General in recognition of his services in connection with tlio recent successful offensive near Cambrai, was born on September 11, 1862, and is the second son of tho seventh Earl of Strafford. He joined the Tenth Royal Hussars m 1883. He became a major in 1898, and a colonel three years later. He served in tlio Soudan expedition of 1884, and took part in the engagements at El Too and Tamai, for which he received a medal with c-lasj). and also the Khedive’s Star. lie was in South Africa from 1899 till the close of the war. Ho was several times, mentioned in dispatches, and was tho recipient of tho Queen’s medal with six clasps, and also tho King’s medal. From the Cutset of the present war lie has been an active participant, and was created a Knight Commander of St 'Michael and St George early in the campaign. He took part in the Dardanelles _ campaign in 1915, being mentioned in dispatches, and promoted to the rank of Lieuten-ant-General. Ho commanded the Third Cavalrv Division from October 14, 1914, till May, 1915, the Cavalry Corps till August, 1915, the Ninth Army Corps till February,, 1916, and later the Canadian Corps.)

A FRENCH COMMUNIQUE. A. and N.Z. Cablo Association and Router. LONDON, November 23. A French communique says:— In the region of Cerny and Juvincourt our fire stopped the enemy attack on the left of the positions wo won on Wednesday.

ENEMY ARTILLERY ACTIVE. A. and N.Z. Cablo Association Ro.-it-oir. (Received November 26, 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 25. A French communique states:— There has Been intense artillery fire on the right bank of the Mouse in :he region of Bezonvaux. s Intermittent artillery fire is reported elsewhere.

FRENCH POLITICS. M. JONNART RESIGNS. Reuter'a Telegrams. (Received November 25, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS, November 24. M. Jonnart, Minister of Blockade, haa resigned, owing to ill-health.