GREAT COMBINES OFFENSIVE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLI, Issue 11365, 11 October 1917, Page 5

GREAT COMBINES OFFENSIVE.

A WISE FRONT ASSAILED.

THE FRENCH KEEP STEP.

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received Wednesday, 9.15 p.m.)

LONDON, Oct. 9

The United Press correspondent, writing at noon, says: The English, French, and Overseas troops attacked on a wide .front the Passchcndaclc ridges. Despite desperate counter-attacks, wherein hurricane lighting developed, tho fifth battle of the summer campaign in this area went well from the start.

Prisoners frequently without escort, were apparently eager to reach a haven, coming in in large numbers. Despite the gale our airmen wore observed fighting like taunted eagles in the storm. Last night’s rain had made the Flemish plains and cvhn the ridges like a bog, but the officers and men would not hear of any postponement; moreover, the British weather man had promised clear weather witli high winds from midnight onwards. He hit it exactly. The troops got away well from the shell hole positions wherein they had assembled under cover of the pitchblack night. The British foughLgtiffly in the region of Routol for a chateau from whence a heavy machine gun fire issued.

One company rushed and took the chateau shortly after daylight, but were ordered back and dug in twenty yards westward in order to conform to the general; tactics. Later reports show the situation about the chateau is not cleared.

Daisy Wood was bristling with all manner of German defences and heavily garrisoned. The Australians quickly overcame all difficulties and surrounded the wood. They left, a detachment to clean up'while the rest went on. The British at the time of writing are dealing with a heavy counter-attack astride the Poolers railway. The German waves are breaking under our strong shell fire. The visibility being good, our guns arc able to score bull’s-

eyes. ' . x , The French kept going strongly, keeping shoulder to shoulder with the British left. They report several hundred prisoners. The German artillery replied raggedly. They were obviously busier pulling back their guns than in firing them, although they were fairly busy at that an certain spots. The Germans arc fighting hard for the possession of a brewery in Poelcapcllc, the rest of the town being in British hands.