THE EUROPEAN WAR.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 5853, 28 September 1917, Page 5

THE EUROPEAN WAR.

I SECOND EDITION.

BRITISH LINE ADVANCED. AGAINST STRONG DEFENCE. HEAVY LOSSES INFLICTED. Electric Telegraph—Press Association. Copy right . (Received this day at 11.5 a.m ) London, This Day. j Sir Douglas Haig continues: On the Australians’ left. the English, Scottish and Welsh battalions, penetrating the defences to a depth of nearly a mile, stormed Zonnebeke and gained their objectives. A counter-at-tack eastward of Polygon Wood was repulsed. The North Midland and London Territorials, attacking on the left of both sides of Wieltje Gravenstafel, St. Julien and Gravensia el roads, captured their objective- and beat .iff counter-attacks. Our line here was advanced to a depth of half a mile across country defended by many fortified farms and concreted redoubts. The enemy in the afternoon launched a second counter-attack with larger forces and preseed us back a -hort distance on a narrow front. Our counter-attack re-captured the bulk of the lost ground. Over one thousand were jirisonered. Very large numbers of German dead were left, and the enemy’s los-es were again heavy.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST DAYS

IN FAVOUR OF BRITISH

THE ENEMY DESPERATE

(Received this day at 11.5 a.m.) London This Day. Mr Philip Gibbs says: Wednesday will be counted as one of the biggest days in the fighting of this war. A decision is of vital importance both to the enemy and ourselves. and thus far it has gone in our favour. Battalions of Australians on the right had the hardest time. They were under incessant fire and attack from dawn on Tuesday, but othe- Bri tish troops on their right, who were also sevtrely tried, swept aero-- to a ridge towards Gheluvelt. It was rullv expected that any attempt to advance beyond the ground gained in the battle of >fche twentieth would meet the fiercest opposition. The capture of Polygon Wood -eriouslj lessened the value of Passcheudaele Ridge, which forms the enemy’s great defensive barrier. The enemy showed signs of desperate anxiety to check us on the Polygon Wood line and on the ground southward to Gheluvelt Spur. They made great efforts by massed artillery to smash the organisation behind our line- and bv a -cries of thrusts to break the front. They launched a fierce attak on Tuesday morning against the Briti.-h troops immediately to the right of the Australians at Polygon Wood. Through losses the British were obliged to ' all back a little way in order to organise for a counter-assault Several British units did htroic tningMeanwhile the Australian.- were fighting on high ground this side of a racecourse. The enemy failed to pierce the line though a second thrust wa. attempted at mid-day.