THE WESTERN FRONT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3314, 19 September 1917, Page 15

THE WESTERN FRONT.

Though no major operations are being carried on on the British front, local fight tog continues. The Morning Post's correspondent describes a typical affair arising out of a German attempt to retake Inverness Cop by means of " storm troops." The Germans are no longer able to rely upon ordinary line regiments to assault the British line, and the necessity for " storm troops" is a striking proof of the decadence of the army.. The bulk of the Germans are fit only to hold a multitude of concrete forts with which the Hindenburg lino and the farms of Flanders are studded. While picked "storm troops" enter the barrage, the infantry remain idle in their trenches and craters.

The attack on Inverness Copse was carefully planned and rehearsed by Bavarian stormers - and flame-machino men. The ground had been accurately surveyed by means of aeroplane photographs. The Bavarian charge secured a few small trenches; but our ordinary troops, counterattacking a few hours later, quickly flung them out. Such incidents convince our men that they are more than a match for the best of Germany's infantry. General von Arnim is industriously training a fourth army opposite Ypres in the new open warfare which has developed from the shell-hole system of defence, the Germans being accustomed"to live on a naked battlefield, with only a strip of canvas cloth across a shell hole to screen them from aerial observations.

The Petit Parisien's correspondent states that in the Lens region the British artillery in the past months has inflicted "Josses totalling one-half of the German effectives." The Germans have now brought Alsatian troops from the Russian ::ront for service in exposed positions against the Canadians. The Handelsblad states that the civilians have evacuated Roulers, and are now evacuating Ostend. Two thousand people have left Courtrai.

. BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORTS. Sir Douglas Haig reports to the following effect: —Wo consolidated the positions which we captured south-eastward of Hargiconrt. We took a few prisoners in the neighbourhood of Lagnicourt and also south-eastward of St. Julion. The enemy raided an advanced post south-eastward of St. Janshoek ; but avo re-established the position. Tho Northumberlands gained a further 400 yards Of trench in the neighbourhood of Villoret. We drove off enemy olose-formation attacks against the new positions, which wo are consolidating. We repulsed bhe enemy, who attacked eastward of Hargicourt. We made successful raids north-eastward of Bullooourt and southward of Lombaertzydc. Enemy raiders entered trenches eastward of Bullcoourt, but were driven out. We repulsed a strong attack northeast of Langemarck with heavy enemy losses. We successfully raided in the neighbourhood of Oppy. We. improved our position eastward of Westhoek. An enemy attack on the ground gained by us north-eastward of St. Julion failed. We progressed and secured prisoners in the neighbourhood of Winnipeg crossroads, north-east of St. .Tulien. Londoners carrier! out successful operations northwards of Inverness Copse and captured an "ncmy strong point at little cost. The Dr.rhams successfully raided westward of Oherisy. Our casualties were slight. Portuguese repulsed raiders in the neighbourhood of Neuve Chapolle. and the enemy left a number of dead and wounded. We repulsed without loss raiders southward of Armenticros. Wo again raided Cherisv (north-east of Croisilles). and penetrated far into its western outskirts. We drove off raiders northward of Lens, and repulsed a counter-attack northward of Inverness Copse, a German offbrt being made to retake tho stronor point we captured tho previous day. The enemy raided in the neighbourhood of tho YpresOommines Canal and eastward of Messmos. The enemy heavily bombarded northward of Langomarok. Their infantry attempted to advance, but our counter-barrage prevented the attack from developing. A CALLANT NEW ZEALANDER. Sir Doncrlas TTaic's despatch mentions, hmonrr others, the following incident, indicating tho general nature of the work at the front: —A Now Zealand non-commis-sioned officer on August 24 swam a river, and. after reconnoitring for five and n-half hours, found a raft, upon which he returned. Later he led a patrol aoross fro river, surprised a German post, killed the occupants, and returned safely. -FRENCH OFFICIAL RET'ORm French communiques state: Wo completed pur success, begun, on September 8. in tho sector between Fosses and Caurieres Woods (cast of the Meuse). Wc overcame the resistance of isolated groups, and took more f' irisonei"3. Tho enemy launched several ounter-attacks in succession with great fury, tfespito their extremely heavy losses caused

by our fire. We repelled at several points as many as five successive attacks. In the Champagno "wo made two successful raids north-east of Auberive and east of the St. Hilaire-St. Souplet road, where we penetrated tho enemy's third lino and killed or captured the whole garrison. The enemy, in an attempt north-east of Tahure, failed with serious losses. ' East of the Mouse we repulsed two attacks on our advanced posts north of Caurieres Wood ■ and north of Ronvaux. Our artillery north of tho Aisne is dominating the Gorman batteries, which are very active. After a violent bombardment the Germans at dawn attacked Casemates Plateau (on the Aisne heights, near Craonne). The enemy were driven back .with heavy losses after hand-to-hand fighting. On the right bank of the. Meuse, after a violent bombardment, the Germans attacked a position recently cantured north of Caurieres Wood, penetrating our advanced line on a front of 500 metres. We subsequently drove them out. Wo successfully raided Gorman trenches at Monthaut, destroying observation posts and dugouts. A fresh German attack on the right bank of the Mouse, north of Caurieres Wood, was repulsed. GERMAN" OFFICIAL REPORTS. Gorman official messages state: —Tho English pressed us back at Hargccourt. At Villenet we regained our former position. We repulsed English advances south-cast of Langemarck and northward of Frezenberg. Fresh fighting near Villenet ended in our favour. We drove tho British out of the wood section north of Langemarck and took numerous prisoners. Our counterattacks frustrated British attempts at St. Julien. Northward of tho Menin-Ypres road tho English forced our foremost trenches over a company's width. The English attacked on a 1500 metres front at Chisy (? Cherisy), and used flame-throwers and armoured cars. We threw them out of our trenches after hand-to-hand fighting. A second attempt also broken down. The English pressed u® back at Hargecourt. We penetrated tho French lines east of Samogneux (cast of the Meuse). Our counterattack repulsed tho French, who had penetrated southward of Wastrcllo Wood. We repulsed a French advance astride the Somme-Pys-Onain road. We penetrated the French lines westward of Ouignicourt, taking some prisoners. We ejected the French who had penetrated positions on the Som-mery-Sonain road. Wo stormed a height eastward of Chau.lmo Wood.