"PRUSSIAN TOMB"

North Otago Times, Volume CVI, Issue 13968, 27 August 1917, Page 5

"PRUSSIAN TOMB"

.■■■'■'■' ) 4 TERRIFIC STRUGGLE FOR POSSESSION OF "' ■ ■ , LENS. ENEMY'S COLOSSAL LOSSES. t ■ . , DIMINISHING MAN-POWER OF GERMANY. SIGNIFICANCE OF VERDUN VICTORY. VICTORIOUS TRICOLOUR FLOATS ON Y ' MONTE SANTO. '.'''■' . ! ' ' GLORIOUS VICTORIES OF ITALIAN ARMS. / ' ■' ■ ; AUSTRIAN DEFENCES TOTTERING , * l■- r ■ i .ir ANOTHER POLITICAL CRISIS IN GERMANY ■ ■■.■;.." PONTIFICAL PEACE.PROPOSALS ■ EXPLAINED.

(fw Cable—Presi Association—u*,- ~-•) HOLD LENS AT ALL COSTS. ~ ;GERD([AN ORDERS TO ENEMY'S "'■ CRACK TROOPS. DESPERATE FIGHTING FOR POSSESSION OF CITY " FRENCH RETAIN CONQUERED GROUND AT VERDUN/ (Australian :,n<} Mow island Cable Association and Renter.) LONDON, August-24. A French communique states : : We dashingly attacked this ■ morning between Avoeourt Wood and Morte Homme, and went -' considerablybeyond our objectives. Wc carried the formidable Hill 304, in a single rush, also Bois Camnard, westward of the line of the fortifications. Northward of the hill wc reached the ■ south bank of .the Forges Brook, between Baucourt and Bethin- . court. The average depth of .our advance is over two kilometres. A vigorous offensive oast of Esnes and Bethincourt road enabled .lis to widen our positions north of Mort Homme, to a depth of ■ a kilometre. Sir Douglas Haig reports: There is fierce fighting southward of Lens. We hold the German trenches north-westward of Green Cassier. The enemy's losses are particularly heavy. The Portuguese repuised two raids north-west of La Bassee. The German / artillery is active north-westward of Ypres. (Australian and Sew Zealand Cable Association and Iteutcr.), LONDON, August 24. ' A wireless German official message says: We captured the • trenches southward of the Ypres-Menin road. We destroyed twenty-one tanks on Wednesday, and repulsed the Canadians in attempting to enter Lens. Therte is intense artillery lire on both sides of the Meuse, and have evacuated Hill 304. The High Commissioner reports : LONDON, August 24 (3.15 p.m.) A French official report says: To the left of the Mouse af ■ 4.50 this morning we attacked between Avoeourt Wood and Mort Homme. All our objectives were reached and largely exceeded. > formidably organised, was captured,'also Camadad Wood 'and the line of firmly-fortified work to the southward of Forges. . ; . The average depth of pur penetration is over two kilometres. . - (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.) ■ ' ' ' PARIS, August 24. The Petit Parisien's correspondent says that the Germans were ordered to hold Lens at all costs. New trqops are arriving. German Headquarters fear that the fall of the town will weaken the ■ army's morale, but its fall is inevitable. A shell from one of the French guns on the Verdun front blew up a German gas shell dump, asphyxiating three battery crews. KAISER'S RHETORIC, ON YSER -FRONT. - • "ENGLAND OUR BITTEREST ENEMY MUST BE STRUCK / • DOWN." . .... > ' ————. . (Renter's Telegrams). - : ,--. K • ' ' COPENHAGEN, August 24. . . A Berlin official .message says that the Kaiser, addressing the troops on the Yscr front, said: "Wc will fight till the enemy has had enough. Our chief and most hateful enemy is England. - She spreads hatred of Germany world-wide and is steadily filling our ..Allies with eagerness to fight.' Therefore England is particularly \ " an'enemy ~we must strike down, however difficult the task."

QANADIANS' WONDERRUL FIGHTING AGAINST,.HEAVY o /'ODDS., ' ' > '*,' ' ' ' ° . ' 1 LENS BECOMES'A PRUSSIAN TOMB-A CITXOF abomination. (Australian anil New' Zealand Cable Association.) | " Received August 26, at 5.5 p.m. / .'"' < ; x {LONDON; August 25. ' Mr Gibbs, writing to The. Daily Telegraph, clcscribing i the' Canadians' Wonderful fighting against heavy ■ odds- at" Lens " states that six Guards Divisions attacked and the shattered' portions ,of other divisions were also engaged. ; The Germans used over , fifty battalions and their losses are estimated at between 12,000 and 15,000. After ten days' furious attack and counter-attack the Canadians seized Green Crassica, but the enemy came in strength and thrust them from the. crest, but the Canadians still clung to the western side. Thcfighting consists of an uninterrupted series . of fierce and bloody encounters above and below ground, for redoubts, emplacements, houses, slag heaps. It is mostly .hand to hand fighting with every weapon. The shell fire .Is indescribable ' and the men coming out of the inferno seem stricken as if in a nightmare. Lens has become a Prussian tomb—a city of abomination. (Australian and Eeuter.) Received August 2G, at 5.5 p.m. LONDON, August 25. Sir Douguas Haig reports: Fresh enemy troops counter-attacked against our positions in the neighbourhood of the Ypres-Menin road. Repeated assaults forced back our advance. Fierce fighting ill Inverness Copse and Glencorse Wood continues. Our artillery dispersed concentrations in this area, and the enemy's losses were ■heavy. We advanced slightly south-oast of Saint Julien and captured a length of German trench westward of Lens and an enemy . post injhe neighbourhood of Lombaertzydc, securing many prisoners and our artillery is active. A French communique says: In the Champagne there is a rather lively artillery duel in the region of Teton on the Vcrdnn front, hostile nrtillerying bombarded our now first line especially north of Hill 30-1 and between Samogneux and Chambrettes Farm.'

VERDUN BATTLE REVEALS GERMANS' -DIMINISHING ' MAN POWER. * GERMANS TRIED AND FOUND WANTING IN THIS TEST, v (Australian and New Zealand Calde Association.) Received August 26, at 5.5 p.m. LONDON, August 25. Mr Warner Allen states that the Verdun battle reveals material evidence that the enemy'forces are becoming inadequate to maintain the existing line. In one tunnel at Morte Homme six hundred prisoners were taken. One division lost 2500 which were taken prisoners. This division must lie regarded as wiped out, . General Pershing (commanding the American Army in/France) .'v.".\./.•.'! '!u' asiiult. and.'Reutcrl \r--'2r:! 5.5 p.m. "'""V '-.--* .LONDON, August 25. ATr/.f'' rr-—nv.iique says: We made further progress on i'iv! hill north of Hill 304, and carried last night three fortified wo'fks south of Bcthincourt. We captured 450 prisoners, all niion the left bank of the Mouse yesterday, making our total captures 8100. (Australian and New Zealand Cablo Association.) Received August 2G, at 5.5 p.m. " • • LONDON, August 25. After capturing Hill 304 the French advanced two-thirds of a mile beyond the northern front- This success rounds oil 1 the crescent of the new front, and leaves ihe French established in advantageous position-; on the heights of the Mouse. Excepling in gas and ether infernal tricks, the German army has shown itself, in every respect inferior in this test battle. (Australian and Renter). Received August 20, at 5.5 p.m. LONDON,%ugust L 5. A wireless German official report says: The English attack astride the Ypres-Mcnin road pressed us back to the north-western fringe of Heronthage Wood. Wc surprised and captured Guillemont Farm. Southward of Vendruallo we completely repulsed an attack on a three kilometres front. Southward of St. Qncntin thero is increased fighting. At Verdun, the French attacks on Forges river and.Hill 304 were successful. '.

POLITICAL CRISIS 1 GERMANL «- ' 1 / NEW CHANCELLOR SHUFFLING BEICHSTAG- . RESOLUTION. s -POLITICAL WAR BETWEEN DEPUTIES ftiND CHANCELLOR INEVITABLE. v i > (Australian antf Neiv Maud Caulc. Association nud Keuter.) LONDON, August 24. The Rotterdam correspondent of Th(\ Daily Telegraph says that ! a fresh political crisis in Ccrmany threatens DrjMiehaelis' position. The majority which passed the peace resolution in July dispute the Chancellor thereof. The Social Democrats denounce him as an,adherent'to the Annexationists. The fact that Dr Micliaelis is playing a double game. < lie now explains that the Reichstag's peace formula is ambiguous, and that lie " never absolutely adopted it. ; The Reichstag majority'is furious, and conferred with Dr 1 Micliaelis on, Wednesday night in secret, but the papers next- morning significantly warned him that he had better ehange-his atti- ' tude. Some plainly teil Dr Micliaelis that tließcichstijg.was tricked and in any case a war between the Chancellor and the Reichstag. ' majority is inevitable. , , • •' (Australian and No'.r Zealand CaMe Association and Reiner)'. •; ; AMSTERDAM, August 24. . The Berilner Tageblatt says that Hen* von Payer, the Progressive leader, lias sent an ultimatum to Dr.Micliaelis that the Chancellor must unequivocally adhere to the basis of. the Reichstagpeace resolution, otherwise lie will lose tli6 support of a majority of the parties. This led Dr Micliaelis to make his second declara-H.ion,-adhering.to the resolution.' : . Many of the newspapers assail him as a \yavereiy not knowing lib own mind. \ The Berliner Tageblatt says that the crisis is merely postponed.