FIERCE FIGHT FOR LAGNICOURT.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14284, 28 April 1917, Page 7

FIERCE FIGHT FOR LAGNICOURT.

'' 7;K' V ' ENEMY 1 LOSES 12,000.. .. -/ ■,*.;..- --yi >LONDON, April 16. "Hie greatv defeat of .the Germans on the ; Australian front from Noreuil to Do'ighies has created general joy. 'M: Marcel Hutin (Echo de Paris) states tliat the Germans vised fresh divisibni", desiring at all costs -to prevent !aa7 -advance toward VCarmbrai. . . They threw a large number of units m the open against our line. The' battle raged for, three hours. .;..■'..' A semi-official commentator states that the • Germans' effort was extremely desperate and violent, and an absolute failure. Hindenburg is • calling np his strategic reserves freely -at 'vital positions. Mt Beaoh Thomas writes: "'•''The Germans penetrated half a. mile into; Lagnicourt, arid the German command strongly reinforced the ti'oops m an endeavor to deepen the wedge, but out oounter-atiack was too dashing, and the -enemy was compelled to retreat across the open. The Australians, iri elveiy attitude— kheeling, lying, and even * standing—fired at » full speed independently, "^he enemy fell left and right.; Such -slaughter by so few troops has* 'not been equalled during. the war. The f^hemy has lost hia tactical skill and jierVe." 'Other correspondents say that the attack, which was launched at dawn, was interesting, because it was a good example of old-fashioned field!, warfare, and it demonstrated that our troops have a gteat superiority. Indeed, the new German troops seem to be trained exclusively •', for trench warfare, regarding their lines as impregnable, whilst we ' have bean, rehearsing our men for open-fight-'W. ' V ARTttLERY CAUSES' HAVOC. wiA> very heavy bombardment preceded the7 attack, shomiig: that Fritz., has .brought 'up more guns. The infantry waves came over at 5 o'clock— a formidable force. We stood our ground every-where except at one spot. Our artillery, meanwhile, was playing havoc with the Huns, who wavered,' but the officers .rallied them, and again they advanced. Out steady rifle and machine gun fire proved more than they could be induced to face. Gaps were rapidly torn in/their ranks, and suddenly the attack melted into a haze of smoke— a costly failure. They gained an important spur, ; north of Boursies, where our posts were driven m by- the overwhelming weight of numbers. They, also; got into the edge of Lagpicourt, but the victory • was short* lived. ; At 7.30 our men, having rested, re--formed, and, stiffened witli supports, went forward under the cover of a barrage like a dust storm. They advanced by alternate companies, one halting and .firing whilst the other advanced, on the •principle of a flanking 1 fnsilade. . Thej spectacle was reminiscent of the field-day] manoeuvres, whilst as practical warfare In the open it was brilliantly successful. When the position was reoocupied, after three hours' absence, 1500 .German j corpses lay among a very much larger number of wounded. We t00k, 300 prisoners. ' t , A A most conservative estimate places the- Huns' losses at two-thirds of a division (about 12,000 men). X BROKEN ON WAY TO LINES. '.The Germans are generally showing hjore disposition to counter-attack, ' but (everywhere our superior gun-power ia breaking his concentrations! before he /reaches our lines.

J W« saw them massing m the woods m , the morning. In the afternoon a. gunner got them, inflicting very heavy losses. The correspondent of* the Petit Parisien states that four German divisions participated m the Lagnicourt attack. It was an ambitious programme. The entire line was re-established by the Australians. The Germans wanted fight and they . got it.

An authoritative explanation of thej retirement, of the Australians after pierc- 1 ing the Hindenburg line at Bullecourt on Wednesday, after advancing 2000] yards beyond it, states that a sudden snowstorm, prevented aircra-fk observa^ tion and artillery 00-opera.tion. Surgeon-General Sir N. RV Howse, V.C, who has returned from the front, states that the health of our boys is perfect and that their tails are over their ear*