TOPPING THE RIDGE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10114, 23 October 1917, Page 8

TOPPING THE RIDGE.

CROWN OF THE BATTLE. ANZACS 0\ KIM.OOK BELGIUM. Ton don. Oct. c. Mrßcacl.TboniasXßailyMajlcorrcspondent witli the British forces) wiita on Friday: . , . ~. The crown of yesterday 8 battle a the topping of the ridge beyond /on. e bekcalJngtho Bioodsomde Road. Our hoops were visible against the iky Uu-, and as soon as they overcame the itsistanco along the road they could ,u eastward for many miles. Uose 1 « front were flying Germans, farther back the retreating guns. On the o.stein ~,h . of t | lo roai | the dumps pi blockhouses and Dill boxes cca.se- beyond tlie ridge. All is level country, descending on the rib-; to marshes, .now tiio s " traliuns face the Germans at about IoU vards distance along the rage. Alreacp the new trench system is being established. The Anstralians hero have done astonishing teals of digging. Some oiliccrs who went up to the new front tins morning scarcely believed we had not established tho ground for weeks. GERM AX COLONELS CAPTURED. We won the Liidge at 9 o'clock, and tlie Australians advanced over the crown of it before 10. I ndiscoyerec Germans wort' still lurking behind and between our first and second objectives hidden in a hole. When discovered these proved to be the Battalion Headquarters. Seven officers, including three Battalion Commanders drawn horn a neighbouring division, were captured. One battalion commander of the Fourth Guards asked at once how soon he could write to his mother. He said that lie saw iiu sign of the end of the war. bill the war did not interest him any longer, lie was 100 anxious to write home to his mother. Another prisoner said that the war would he over soon. Germany was done •lor. She would offer to give, up Belgium, and would oliVr Alsace before the end oi the winter.

AUSTRALIAN AIRMAN PEPPERED. The nijjlit was undisturbed by coun-ter-attacks, though the shelling was, considerable here during tl'tf day, The Australian airmen, despite the rain and n halt gale ol wind, flew over tlie German lines for hours, flying low*. The enemy were terrified, and an angry firing oi every kind ol explosive engine they possessed —rockets, rifle*-, machine guns, anii-aireraft, Held ■juiis, and heavies. Oue Australian plane was riddled. Some of the controls were shot away, and bits ol metal lodged in the body of the maeliine. Jt was tossed up and down by the force ol the explosions, and at last the engine being hall out of art ion the airmail .slid down behind our lines, crashing ai the end. He and the observer were unhurt except for bruises ami a broken nose. Tliis morning he asked leave to go out again. . Hl'N SHOT DOWN. Our airmen mastered the enemy all day. One of the few enemy machine.comiiig over our lines was shut down by the Australian infantry. The. Auzaes, filling the centre ol the battle, had the longest uphill.objective, but the greatest dffliciilties and dangers were met by English county troops <.n the Hanks. Some ol Lie- most famous troop- of Britain begged leave to light next the Australians, as on previous great days they had kept this company in gallant fashion. The stretcher bearers alone desei vo an epie of praise, suffering much and .saving many. ENEMY REGAINS GROUND ON W INC. After our objectives were won the German storm troops furiously attacked our wing -1 after a furious bombardment. Kadi onslaught was heavier than the previous one. Kleven times they came on against the wings, and were beaten back, till after (j o'clock, a fresh force attacking, regardless ol loss, recovered |xisscssioii oi a little ridge. The result of this local recovery is a dip in our line from lleutel southwards, the enemy filtering into the woods ahum this point. A further counteroffensive is likely, but the dent is not serious. An English subaltern wont up from headquarters to get information with two orderlies. A shell killed both his companions, ripping off the officer's puttees. He returned smiling with the desired new-, and had not lost Ids nerve. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES.

Qui- artillery wrecked both counterattacks and the infantry lire punished the survivors. It is certain that more attacks will follow. Southwards the ground is very thick with the German dead. Desperate onslaughts across swamps mi the left were also repulsed. The enemy had filled t'ii front system with support troops, six battalions <l which awaited our attack. All of them were killed or taken prisoner. Two tanks', with two casualties, captured two forts that had held us up tilt o o'clock. Our infantry describe most of the counter-attacks on the left us contemptible and broken lip easily. The others, which canto down the n«gc slope, od'ored exceptional targets to our artillery. NKW ZKAI.ANDKIIS IMI.USKI). Tiif battle was the very deadliest i'oi the enemy. Hast ol 'our lorward line ;'. gi ini shambles was .seen. Our losses were heavy only in the English battalions on the wing. The New Zealanders never did better than yesterday. With another division they took 200(1 prisoners, going beyond their objectives wherever ihe Germans were troublesome. Meeting double their force ol the enemy preparing to counter-attack they played havoc with them. They have already dug their defences, and are earning the highest praise for their rapid movement 'it the various engines of war. Tins was a one-day buttle, complete in itself. Like its predecessors, the beginning, middle, and end went exactly as Lhe most .scientific' brains had designed. What follows ilii- battle depends upon the weather. The campaign already savours of winter.