CONFIDENCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14714, 20 September 1918, Page 5

CONFIDENCE.

(Australian ana N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received Sept. 20, 9.30 a.m.) LONDON, Sept. 19. Mr. Philip Gibbs states : — The primary object of the English.. Scottish j Irish, and Australian : attack Avas to regain our old outpost line, run,ning along the ridge from! which spurs-, strike down to St. Quentin CanaL . . . -„ Tlio enemy had already Avithdrawn his artillery behind the. oanal, • relyin_ mainly, on. long-range high velocity shells to harass our position. He is now strong m ••gun-power, for the protection of the Hindenburg line, and. has a most unusual number of lorig-rauge guns. The enemy Avas holding the outpost line Avith troops Avho, had borne the full brunt of' the recent battles, avliosi spirit Avas loAvered to gloomy depths, less mauled divisions; being, reserved tc. defend the Hindenburg line itself. The enemy .is now giving hjs troops no rest or support. They Avor.k theni until they are thoroughly Avorked out. when they stiffen them with ..material' of .better class. The method is -merciless, but it is necessary. Among the' men fighting to-day were the remnants' of the Second Guards Division, avlio were routed like rats from Mont St. Quentin and P.eronue. -, A rainstorm early m the morning made the ground bad for tanks, the slimy chalk giving no grip, but .after a brief hurricane fire our troops, Avent for. ward m perfect confidence. Tho Josses m the first, assault Avert light, the men being mostly hit by shell splinters, not by machine-gun bullets, showing a temporary erid to open Avarfare.. .... „. , „: The English troops met with veryhard. resistance at Epehy 7 , where thi GeVnian Alpine Corps put up a hare fight. , ..„--•■ It is too soon to sum up results ol th© day 's* fighting. It .is uoav. raining again, Avhich. do.es riot, help pur troops, but it may prevent night-bombing ovei our Hnes. „ . . . . ... ; . Lately tho enemy has been flyiii£ giant planes by niglit, the iri6nster.< carrying crews of eight and bomb? thirteen feet long, containing two thousand pounds of explosives. We destroy, ed several during the past weekl