ALLIES TAKE INITIATIVE

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XLII, Issue 11613, 12 August 1918, Page 8

ALLIES TAKE INITIATIVE

THEIR MORALE STIMULATED

THE AUSTRALIAN ATTACK

ARMOURED GARS FIELD DAY

Received'August 12, ,1. p:m, London, August 11. Mr Gila-sour, writing on Friday evening, says: Since iooli countGretl the Grown Prince at Rheima, the morale of all the IS n ten to troops receiver,! such a stimulus that it became certain tbat'the initiative on other parts of the front would not be allowed to lemaifi with the enemy. Our troops are now fighting with much impetuosity. Referring to the Australian attack, be says: ‘‘They went over the top in two waves, one wave going through the other and thus expediting an unusually deep advance. Tanks accompanied the troops, who after a four minutes bombardment quickly broke the piecrust of the first German defence, and we had all our own way behied. The great feature of the Australian sectors was the advance of armoured motor cars, whose officers had a field clay. Bowling along eastward they found trees down acioss the road and requisitioned a tank to haul them "off. Armoured cars reaching a certain village found the enemy transport ready to move hack, and fired three thousand rounds into them, causing complete confusion. The cars had lively moments in other villages, where they tackled a collection of steam waggons, causing an impassable block. They encountered a German gun, and blew the wheels off one car and damaged three others, which however", escaped. Two cais penetrated the iimin strett of a town, firing < into ;billots where German troop were lunching - . The carsjiad quits a battle with Germans in resibillote in old trenches, and killed manys One car penetrated beyond Latin, qne, where ?it secured many prisoners round a big dump. United Service.

London, August 11. Mr Murdoch, waiting from Aus- ’’ tralinn Headquarters, says:—The surprise of the Germans was so complete that the fighting of the Austrraliens so far is comparatively easy. Thousands of the men have not used a weapon,jand have simply walked forward through the shattered thin crust of defences to their objectives sight miles away, carrying rations , and sufficient am munition for several days. They -secured village after village, and passed deep into the German territory. The Canadians, whose overflowing battalions were at top form broke the enemy crust like thin ice, tnen swept forward. Large bodies of cavalry secured the furthermost objectives. The examinations of prisoners and dead show that the Australians sloue wiped out three divisions of the Westphalians reserve, Prussian Guards, and mixed East Prussians. Saxon and Prussian divisions The booty is unlimited, and prisoners include battalion and regimental commanders.