BEATEN FATHERLAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10110, 18 October 1917, Page 6

BEATEN FATHERLAND.

HUN PRISONERS CONVINCED. PRAISE OF AUSTPALIANS. LONDON, Sept. 28. Pouter's correspondent at British headquarters says:— It is worthy of remark that a year ago wo were, fighting day after day for objectives on the Sonimo ridges, and could seldom have said that a definite operation had really finished, whereas our recent objectives, tackled in the morning"",; are secured in the evening at latest. The officer prisoners last week were very depressed. They confessed their conviction t'hat Germany cannot eonr tinue much longer because of the serious shortage of man-power. A sumlar belief in the ranks is manifested by the readiness of bodies of men, especially of Saxons, to surrender, while it is Vonerallv f«H> that tue eirfcry ()l America will 1)6 fatal to "Tho Eather-la-nd." . , ,--..., The thoroughness with which the artillery searched the ground made the resistance of the blockhouses and shellholes less than anticipated. Sniping is increasing, owing to the favourable conditions'. THE IRRESISTIBLES. All hands sing in enthusiastic praise of the work of tho Australians. lho latest news is that this morning these irrpfiistibfes advanced afresh near the south end d Polygon wood., lie bomb is little used, the rifle being the principal weapon. Tho Anzacs, win e advancing in one part of their iront, encountered advancing Germans. Our creeping curtain-lire forced the enemy to fall back into his own, barrage, and he suffered severely. . S. The correspondent continues:— _ "Tho Londoners suffered the heaviest counter-attack of the day when yesterdav, at mid-day, they were temporarily'driven out at a couple of points on the left, one of which they re-took with the supports. ' _,, "Our barrages wero magnificent, the enemy's started late, and was comparatively ineffective. GALLANT ARGYLLS. "Details of a fine stand by two companies of Argylls show that they w'bjvj filling a. gap in the line in the course of a big German" counter-attack on Tuesday. The storming troops of at least lour divisions were employed, and' when they bent 'back our line, the Aiv j gylls were left well in the open, smoth-1 orod with Gorman shells, and cut off, bv'their own barrage. "Doggedly the gallant Scots stuck! lo the position: They seem surprised | at the suggestion that they have done anything uncommon. They could see how the front on botli flanks had been! pushed well back by the. weight of tho' German numbers, and might have

Judged that it was impossible that supports could roach them, although' their commander, with another company of tho battalion, was lying close up to tho barrage awaiting liis opportunity to penetrate. The Anzaes on their flank behaved wonderfully deploying and throwing back waves methodically in order to' restore the temporarilydisplaced lino, and before the brilliant British 'counter-attack launched in the afternoon, the Australians had repaired tho break. RESCUE AT LAST. | ''Although this counter-attack was splendidly successful in proportion to tho superiority of the enemy, tho former front was not" entirely reached, and at nightfall the Argylls were still "in the air." They might havo withdrawn in tho darkness, but they had been told to hold the position and meant to do so as long as possible. So, when in the morning .the whole line advanced; there were the valiant Scots in their place. The battalion boasts that despite the heavy attacks they did not lose a prisoner. "Enemy prisoners amply test l'y to tho disorganisation of then reserves, the result of our airvspotting and ai tillers work. Cur men's spirits are ain:izini'„ because they know as never before that they can drive'the Huns and the Huns cannot come back.