DETERMINED FIGHTING ON PASSCHENDAELE RIDGE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16670, 15 October 1917, Page 5

DETERMINED FIGHTING ON PASSCHENDAELE RIDGE

/ ATTACK MET BY PICKED GERMAN INFANTRY. | ; FIGHT INVOLVES GREAT AMOUNT OF BAYONET WORK. I Australian and N.Z. 'Heceived 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, Oct. 13. ?f Mr. Percival Phillips states: The fifth battle on the slopes of p. Passchendaele Ridge resulted in fighting as determined as any during I the war. The enemy made a superhuman effort to prevent our taking i more ground. He met the attack on a six mile front with an abun- % dance of picked infantry, supported by the heaviest bombardment | with which the British troops have yet been confronted in Flanders. P Though some of our men seem to have reached the edge of Passchen- § daele village the forward slopes of the ridge still bristle with strong I and reduced posts, while the houses in Passchendaele village shelter rf many machine-guns. The attack commenced at 5-25 a.m. The German batteries immediI ately redoubled their fire, and laid a curtain across our front, while j* other groups of German guns sought to break the infantry that was t'. storming the outer redoubts. Sharp fighting occurred in Augustus It- Wood, which was defended by young and well-trained Jaeger troops, | who stuck to their posts. We also had a hard time in trying to get It forward along the flooded banks of the Lekkerboterbest, which flows ft alongside the road from Poelcapelle to Westroosbeke. It stretched 4- ■■ through open country commanded by a few redoubts ahd a machine--1 . gun barrage from Passchendaele. We went easily through the village te" of Poelcapelle, retook the brewery ruins, and pushed along the road I;'. towards Westroosbeke. As I write the battle continues on the entire H front. We are everywhere attacking with unabated resolution. The jtt Germans are fighting better than usual. All the wounded state that It there has been a great amount of bayonet work.