ALLIED GAINS ON WIDE FRONT.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LX, Issue 17066, 20 August 1917, Page 5

ALLIED GAINS ON WIDE FRONT.

ENEMY SUFFER TREMENDOUS

LOSSES

LONDON, August 17. Mr Philip Gibbs states:—Our gain of 1500 yards on a wide front includes (Langemarck, and thence runs south towards the French. We advanced along a swampy neck dubbed "The Peninsula," which is bounded by deep floods' on three sides. The fighting on our right was most violent, the enemy repeatedly coimter-attackina over all the high ground between Nun's Wood and Glencorse Wood to the Honebeke River. His losses were high, for ' although the weather was stormy, making the ground bad for us, there was light for- our fliers^ and any assembly of enemy troops was quickly signalled, our guns smashing the formations with great slaughter. The enemy's newest method of holding the front lines lightly and concentrating the best troops behind for counter-attacks saves his man power and reduces his casualties, but Tfv-hile .sound, it is the policy of an army fighting a retreat, relinquishing ground at the highest cost, and not returning by counter-attack to quite the same line over which its assailants flowed. Moreover, its success in life-saving is not great, because the Germans suffered hideously by shell-fire, and their counter-attacks against the Canadians at Lens, "where successive waves were broken, in which mere boys, marching shoulder to shoulder according to tradition, were destroyed in srreat numbers.

The fighting at Langemarck was greatly inipeded by the flooded ground. The Irish, on the extreme right, were engaged in a most fierce fight towards. Polygon Wood, over frightful groundThe enemy was in great strength, hut the Irish made headway before they '"tp facud by musses of fresh German troops advaitcing in the wake of infernal shell-fire.

The battle continues, and the result is uncertain. Many battalions on both sid?s are heavily engaged. The enemy is prepared to sacrifice thousands rather than, lose these defensive positions. The French progressed rapidly, their only trouble being at Oh amp Aubert Farm, which has been transformed into a stronghold. They turned all their guns upon it, and ultimately a white flag appeared above the ruins, and 60 survivors surrendered. The frightful gunfire demolished the enemy. A German colonel who was prisonereS was in f>. dejected and nerve-shacksn state. He spoke freely of his men's prrpfit losses. They belonged to a reserve division which was hitherto holding Langemarck. The greatest sufferers were a battalion of the 262 nd JRernmont. which was broken to pieces by the British attack across the Steenheke.