THE WAR.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10104, 11 October 1917, Page 6

THE WAR.

THE CAMPAIGN IN FLANDERS. ON THE PAS'SCHENDAELE RIDGES FIFTH BATTLE WENT WELD FUDK THE START. PRESS CORRESPONDENTS' STORIES (Pib Press Association.) (Br Electric Telegrami—Copyright.; &ustralmu-Now /jeaiand Cable A&Boo;ssi\.-e LONDON. Oct. 9. The United Press correspondent, writing of. noon, says:—The English, French an< Oversells troops attacked r qn n wide front the Passcltendiiele ridges. Despite desperatt counter-attacks wherein hurricane fighfcinj. developed, tho fifth buttle of the summe. campaign in this, urea went well from litstati. Prisoners, frequently without escort were apparently a cagcr to reach a haven coming in in large numbers. Despite tin gale our airmen were observed fighting Kki taunted eagles in the storm. Last night", raid had made the Flemish plains and ever the, ridges like a bog, but the officers and men would not hear of any postponement; moreover, the British weather man hac promised clear weather with high windi from midnight onwards', lie hit it exactly. The troops got away well from the ehell hole positions wherein they had assemble* Under rover of thp pitch black night. Tin British fought stiilly in tho region <>( | Route] foi; ty chateau from whence a heavy I machine gun' lir% issued. One company rushed and' took the chateau shortly tiftei daylight, but were ordered back and dtig in twenty yards westward in order to eon form to the general tactics. Later reports Show the situation.' about the chateau 1(. now cleared. Daisy wood was bristling with all maimer of German defence:; and heavily garrisoned, The Australians quickly overcame all difficulties [and surrounded tie wood. The V left a, detachment to clean up while the rest went oh. The British at tin time of writing are dealing wiih a heavy counter-attack astride, the Bottlers railway. The. German waves aiv breaking under our strong .shell tire. The visibility being good, our guns are. able to score bull's eyes, the French kept going strongly, keeping shoulder to .shoulder with the British loft. The;, report several hundred prisoners. ihe-Gcr-'inu.ii- artillery replied ruggedly. They were obviously busier pulling back their guns than in firing them, although they wen; faii-lv busy at that in certain spots. The Germans are fighting hard for the posse--; -.ion of a brewery in Po.'icapelle, the rest of the in British hands. "MOST WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENT OF THE WAR." Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, Oct, 9. Mr Philip Oibbs, .-ays: The French gained 1200 yards in two strides, inking hundreds of prisoners, two held 'guns, and many machine guns; they also killed many. We are within a. hundred yards of Iloutliul.st Wood. The Allies advanced to a depth of 1500 yards along a line from Poelcapelle ncrbi-s" the Ypros-Gholuvelt road. It-is the most wonderful achievement of the war since the Highlanders and Naval Division captured Beaumont llaincl in mud and fog'. but this, the latest, is even more wonderful because it was done, on a greater scale and in fouler weather. A French communique states: 111 Belgium, in. conjunction with the British, wc attacked at 3.30 this morning the Gorman positions south of the forest of Ilouthoulst, between Draeibantk and Wydeiidreft. Fighting continues, and is developing in our favour. On the Aisne front there is marked artillery activity, notably in tho region of the 'Parthcon redoubt. On the right, bank of tho Mouse on artillery struggle is in progress on the sector north of the Chnumo Wood.

ENEMY SUFFERS GREAT LOSSES

LONDON, Oct, 10. Mr Philip Gibhs write.-: The enemy again suffered great; losses. Two new divisions (the 227 th, straight from Rhc.ims, only getting into line during the night, and the 195 th, from the Russian front), received a fearful baptism of lire. Three other diyiions were hard hit. and arc now bleeding from the many wounds given by us. There were many prisoners.

FRENCH GUNNERY SCIENCE A GREAT ASSET. t; ,i GERMAN RESISTANCE QUICKLY 5j QUELLED. .'Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. . i LONDON, Oct. 9. . | Tlic Daily Chronicle's Paris oorrespon- '. dent says':. General Anthoine's army, co[operating with the British, pushed on and '■ occupied half the ground befcvyecn the lines I secured on July 31 and Houthulst Forest, j To-day's plan wa» to swing the French to . tlio right,, thus I semi-circling Houthulst . Forest, which had become u formidable enemy fortress during the last three years. although our guns had greatly reduced the value of this lpwlving woodland and the Get- ' man's had already withdrawn their heavier '. Runs, hitherto secreted in the forest. However, even the bare stumps- of the former forest trees made a dangerous host for machine guns, Tho forest covers an area of three miles by two. In overcoming this ob. ; slacle General Anthoine's mastery of tho ■newest gunnery .science was a. great asset. The French osault troops went over the top at 5.30 a.m., the country being still buried in fog and gloom. Preceded by an 1 effective barrage, the troops quickly cleared out the centres of Gorman resistance rast ' of St. Jeansbcck and Droonbeek within two ' hours. Three hundred prisoners and ;< ' number of guns were captured on a. mile front. The French luckily caught an enemy division while relieving another. The for- . nier had just come* from the Russian front. ' and being new to the sec-tor, the. Germans 1 were in no condition to meet, the dashing French onslaught.!: liy ten the French were before the ruins of the village of Mangelaere. The whole success won was practically with no loss; of French lives. I FRITZ FIGHTS BITTERLY, j NEW ZEALANDERS TAKE LARG-, I EST NUMBER OF PRISONERS'. (United Service.) LONDON, Oof. !). Mr Murdoch (war correspomlenlK writing form the Anzitch' 'heudejuarters, referring i.. last Thursday's battle, hays:--It i* noticeable that the men speak very differently, of Flit/ sine, this battle. They saw many Germans rush singly from redoubts and din lighting. There' wore thousands of eases of catty surrender, but there were also thousands <>f tho bitterest opposition. Among nine Runs captured by the Australians. there were two antitank guns. Tho New Zealanders struck some heavy marshy ground, where they sank to their middles. • but they achieved the largest total of pari-j 1 -oners in the whole bailie. The Australians' vovtordav cttptiirod a most important German ouier reversing the shell-hole defence policy as a. result oi a moisting of enemy iivmv commanders, at which it was admitted thai all known methods had been of no avail against the British. Prisoners in' the-i Australian section of the battle were so numerous thai guards could not bo spared to take them to the rear. Australians painted iho way, and the Germans started running and did not stop until they wore stiff'' in the cages. A battalion commander and hi-. stall' were captured under Strang: circumstances. A brigadier saw. upon a captured map.,two hours after the commencement of the battle, u. mark indicating an enemy battalion neadquarters just outside our furthest, objective, lie sont put two bergoailts and liiree men. When the bairago lifted they returned with a colonel live officers; and seventy then, j ARGENTINE'S ATTITUDE. I Australian-New Zealand fcnble Association I ni'K/XOS AYRKS,-Oct. 'J. The Foreign Minister, interviewed regard; ing Argentine's attitude, stated that Iho Goyornment would/mot hesitate to sever relations" with Germany, if any act was com miffed interfering with the principles oi International Law. It now appears that Luxburg hits not sailed, but has temporarily withdrawn to an unnamed place in iho m tenor, as he was unable "to embark with a safe conduct, and his presence would be dangerous and exciting to (ho population. A neighbouring Government objected lb hi • crossing its frontier. There is no pvo-pe-t of a ivltrvffiwu yi Iky j-uilwjjjr tUlke,