ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1017, 9 November 1917, Page 5

ON THE WESTERN FRONT.

1 GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT. , another successful raid. Auatralian-New Zealand Canlo Association I (Renter’s Telegram.) 1 Received November 9, 10.40 run. 1 LONDON. Nov. 8. Haig reports the Welsh troops made n successful raid yesternight . south-east _ of A rmenticres. Our casualties were light. Wo repulsed two attempts to enter tinlines northward of Roenx. “IN THE FLANDERS HELL.” GERMAN PAPER’S VIVID DESCRIPTION OF THE BRITISH ATTACK. (London Times’ Telegrams). Received November 9, 10.40 a.rn. AMSTERDAM. Nov. 8. The Berlin Post describes the battle in ;m article beaded “In the Flanders Hell.’’ In the history of the world, the paper said, there bad not been seen anything more awful than the British artillery ing. the shells destroying the hinterland until nothing remained ; in fact, the defences were levelled everywhere. Smoke shells followed till Hi*' defenders saw nothing. Gas ensued, coating the German weapons with thick | rusk.. The drumfire created a pandemonium 1 such as Dante would bo unable to describe. ‘ The British used flame throwers, and tanks followed with invincible machine guns inside. Behind came the Scots and Canadians'. and murder broke out afresh, and the Germans were forced to retire over their own dead.

ORGANISING THE NEW POSITIONS

LONDON, Nov. 8.

Sir Douglas Haig reports:--We have continued organising our now positions on the Passchendaelc high ground. The neighbourhood is undisturbed. There has been no re-action, despite the great importance the. enemy attached to the locality. Out 400 prisoners yesterday included 21 officers. Our losses in’this highly successful operation were light. j ON THE FRENCH FRONT. Australian-New Zealand P»h'e Association LONDON, Nov. 8. A French communique says; There is reciprocal artillery activity- north of the Aisne in the sector Filain-Chavignon, and on the right hank of the Meuse in the region of Chanme Wood. We made, a successful attack on German positions north-west of Aitkirch, taking a number of prisoners. GERMANY’S LOST MANHOOD SET DOWN AT 1,200,000 ANNUALLY Received November 9. 8.40 a.m. WASHINGTON, Nov. 8. Reports from Switzerland state that Germany has lost on an average 1,200.000 men annually, and that number would lie at least equalled in 1918, The German Reserves were only one and a half million, including youths of the 1920 class. OPERATIONS IN PALESTINE. HOW GAZA WAS CAPTURED. Australian-New Zealand Gable Association. LONDON. Nov. 7. Reuter’s correspondent at hcadouarters in Palestine telegraphs to-day:—We attacked at dawn enemy positions north and eouth-west of Beershoba and captured ah our objectives. To-day’s offensive was on a twenty miles’ front. Thanks to the capture of Beersheba. we were able to outflank the main Turkish line, extending originally from Gaza to Beershoba and consisting of ' four elaborately organised defence systems t with connected trenches and scattered veI doubts. General Allenby’s plans entailed I a tremendous physical strain on all ranks, but their exceptional fitness has been proof against every call. The British troops opened the fighting on the right flank. After marching for the creator nartot the night they rushed the Kmvoifeh ridge, xll miles north-east of Beersheba. practically annihilating a Turkish battalion and capturing numerous prisoners and two guns. The Turks vigorously counter-attacked, but were beaten back. While many reserves were in the meantime being swung to the left the dismounted yeomanry attacked the trenches covering the station and bridge at Shevia. By one o’clock we were masters of the whole line in this sector and before the evening we had advanced over the intervening three miles and occupied Fheria, capturing four trims. On the left flank the other British troops attacked the Kawukah system one of the main features of the lino, and a veritable labyrinth of trenches, which, ho"<;' p r. speedilv succumbed to a dashing assault. Both the cavalry and the Camel Corps played a part in the attacx, and the yeomanry and Anzacs m some cases had co\- ' "red over 59 miles and been 40 hours with--1 out water. The weather, since the start of the operations, has been most unfavourable, „n exceptional heat wave greatly; mcreasing the strain on both men and animals. Ine water dipplv is below requirements. Yesday N.Z. Mounted Rifles had a sharp brush with the enemy, who attempted to attack with fixed bayonets, but the attack nip wl in the bud by the enemy sustaining 500 casualties. - I