VIMY RIDGE VICTORY.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15192, 12 April 1917, Page 2

VIMY RIDGE VICTORY.

THE GREATEST SCORED BY BRITISH. WONDERFUL WORK BY CANADIANS. LONDON, April 11. The brilliant success of the opening day of the offensive astonishes experts, but it would be a mistake to regard'the success as easily won. We had most valuable superiority in heavy guns, whose new shells are more devastating than the Germans expected, but much of the success is dne to the heroic Canadians. Experts pronounce the capture of the Vimy Ridge as the greatest British victory so far. The Canadians, during the night, won Hill 145, which was the last point on the Vimy Ridge where the Germans held out in a pocket with machine-guns. By morning, the whole ridge was in our hands. The Canadian attack on Mondav was astoundingly successful. It was carried out by high spirited men with joyous confidence of victory. They marched out at dawn, cheering and laughing, through the mud and rain. They followed close upon ihe artillery barrage, and by 6.30 had taken the first goals, including the front line systems above Nenville St. Vaast and La Folie farm to Thelus, where the resistance was fiercest.

GERMANS BUSH TO SURRENDER. HORRORS OF BOMBARDMENT ADMITTED. LONDON, April 11. Hundreds of Germans were hiding in deep tunnels pierced through the hill. As the Canadians surged up with bayonets the Germans screamed, running forward as from a landslip. Their chief desire was to escape the barrage of their own guns, which was falling fiercely on the trenches, though too late to dajnage our men. who were already beyond. German prisoners were glad to pay for their gift of life by carrying back Canadian wounded. The Canadian escorts had to guard such enormous numbers of men that the prisoners themselves directed late comers to the barbed wire enclosnres. The officers were bad-tempered because the men bolted and left them in the front trenches. Tho officers admitted the horrors of the bombardment. Some had been foodless for four days because they were boxed in, by our barrage. STAGGERING BLOW TO ENEMY. BRITISH GtJNS PLAY HAVOC. LONDON, April 10. Mr Phillip Oibbs, telegraphing on the 10th inst., says: The battle of Arras w tho greatest victory the British have yet gained. A staggering blow has been dealt to the enemy. As the Germans are retreating our guns are smashing them along all the roads. VALUABLE AERIAL WORK. LONDON, April 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Valuable aeroplane work was done in many cases. The airmen machine-gunned hostile reinforcements. Bombing expeditions against a large railway station hit three trains. TAKES DO GREAT SERVICE. LONDON, April 10. An extraordinary feature of the fighting was the use of a variety of new inventions, including tanks of a new model, which are considerably faster than thr» old, and they move in battalions instead of singly. FRENCH ARTILLERY BUSY. PARIS, April 10. French communique: North of the Oise there was reciprocal artillery fire. South of the Oise we destructively bombarded German organisations east of Coucy.