NEW BRITISH BLOW TO THE NORTH-EAST OF YPRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16621, 18 August 1917, Page 7

NEW BRITISH BLOW TO THE NORTH-EAST OF YPRES.

HEAVY FIGHTING ALL DAY ON FRONT OF NINE MILES. LINE PUSHED HALF-A-MILE BEYOND LANGEMARCK VILLAGE OVER 1800 PRISONERS ALREADY BROUGHT fN. By Telegraph—Press Association— Australian ana N.Z. and Renter. (Reed. 1.10 a..m.) LONDON. August 16. A report from Sir Douglas Haig states: An allied attack was delivered at 4.45 this morning on a front of over nine miles north of the Ypres-Menin road, and it has been continued during the day in the face of strong enemy resistance. On the left wing French troops, advancing on both sides of the Noordschoote-Dixmude road, drove the enemy from a tongue of land lying between the Yser Canal and Marthevdaart. In the centre British troops rapidly captured their first objectives, carrying the village of Langemarck. They then fought forward a distance of half-a-mile beyond the village, establishing themselves in a German trench system, which constituted the final objective of the day. On our right wing fierce fighting has taken place for possession of high ground north of the Menin Road. The enemy disputed the advance with determination and made repeated counter-attacks. The result of these counter-attacks was that the enemy succeeded at great cost in pressing back our troops from part of the ground they won earlier in the day. Further enemy counter-attacks this evening were broken by our artillery-fire. The number of prisoners taken by the allies in the course of the attack has not been ascertained, but over 1800 have already been counted.

Langemarck occupies an important position on the Ypres-Thourout railway five miles north-east of Ypres. '