FOR BOURLON WOOD.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12176, 27 November 1917, Page 5

FOR BOURLON WOOD.

A DING-DONG STRUGGLE. ALL GERMANY'S GUNS IN ACTION. TANKS LEAD THE ATTACK. MR GTBBS'S GRAPHIC ACCOUNT. Australian and N.2. Cable Association. (Received November 27, 8.40 a.m.) LONDON, November '26. 'Mr Philip Gibbs says that a great Initio, lasting two days, was fought for th-> possession of Bourlon Wood, which commands the country north-east and rortli of the villages of Inchy and Yreuvrrs. English battalions and the Highlanders fought with dauntless determination to make good the triumph of the first clay, when they broke the Kindenburg line. Some had been f girting for nearly a week without rest or sleep, except odd half-hours, and thov wore also on short rations. Tuesday's smashing blow was followed by a ding-dong struggle over twelve nvibs of open country, from Provide to JLixniores.

'lh ? capture of Bourlon Wood was necessary to enable further progress to be made. It rovers six hundred acres or high ground westward of Cambrai. "\Vha.t added to the difficulty of its capture was our loss of Fontaine Notre Dame upon the east, and the strong German defence by fresh troops at Mceuvrcs and Tnchy.

The deadly barrages proved the arrival of everv available German hattery.

Our gunners speak admiringly of the rapidity with which the Go-man gunr.crs got into action, and therefore the enemy was no longer as weak as when we attacked Bourlon Wood. On Friday morning the battle opened, all arms working together. There ..wa.s a. splendid union of guns, which had been galloped forward into new positions on the captured territory astonishingly close to the German lines. They opened a terrific, drumfire. Many of our regiments had fought on other battlefields, but came fresh and full of enthusiasm into the new battle, because of the new promise of victoryThe tanks again led the attack—single scouts ahead, the others following in echelon. Some- tank crews had the hardest nine days of their lives, and even during the advance, many of the tankmen were asleep, despite the noise of the engines and the bursting shells. PRINCE BUPPRECHT'S PERIL. \ CAMBRIA~EVACUATED. Australian and N.Z. CaWe Association. ■ (Received November 27 12.45 p.m.) i LONDON, November 26. The United Press correspondent at headquarters stiat.es that Prince Rupprecht's position around CatnbraiQueant is extremely wobbly, notwithstanding his sacrifices. The heights of Bourlon are saturated with German blood, yet Sir Julian Byng still holds them. The British are virtually m front, behind and on the flank of Queant's garrison, which is in dire peril, and with it those manning the unstable Hindenburg line as far north as the Scarpe. Cambrai is evacuated because it is useless as a distributing centre, and also because the Cambrai-, Queant railway was cut when tho British occupied Bourlon village, and other railways, highways and canrds became practically unavailable. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. SITUATION UNCHANGED. A. and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter, (Received November 27, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, November -28. Sir Douglas Haig reports:The enemy has not repeated the attacks against the Bourlon position since yesterday's failure. The situation 16 unchanged. '/If-* '"~~~" ■""." '"

A GERMAN VERSION. Australian and N.Z. Cabin Association. (Received November 27, 3.0 p.m.) LONDON, November 26. A wireless German official message says that obstinate enemy attacks at Inchy failed. Wo repulsed minor advances against Bourlon, and cleared rlie English nests which remained behind our lines near Bourlon. Wo made progress on the. south-west of Bourlon Wood and westward of Fontaine. Wo repulsed attacks nortliwards of Bantevk and eastward of Gricourt, and a French attack on a four kilometre, front between Samcgneux and Beaumont.