The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-27
VICTORY
ALL ALONG FRONT
Is DECISIVE One

British Front in France and Bel
GUM. Sept. 27-Once more the Brit
ish fighting machine has crushed its
way through the German trenches
along the Ypres battle front with
great success. The offensive, begun
in the gray dawn of misty morning.
had by noon accomplished virtually
all that had been planned for it, and
this afternoon the men of Australia.
England, Scotland and ireland were
holding positions which represented
a gain of from 1000 to 1900 yards
oTer large part OF the sector in
y olved.
They had secured the whole of the
Tower Han1lets ridge, which the Ger
mans had fought so bitterly to retain.
They were clear of the famous Poly
gon wood. whose eastern slopes had
been filled with concrete redoubts and
|sniping shelters; they had battled
halfway through Zonnebeke village of
immortal memory, and north of the
Ypres- -Roulers railway they were
holding many German strongto1ds. In
the valley Of the Hanebeke river hard
fighting still continued, especially
south of the Polygon wood, where the
Germans were trying determinedly to
regain the ground lost, and further
counter attacks were not unexpected
The advance on the extreme right
was not deep, but was in accord with
| the plan to drive the Germans from
Tower Halnlets ridge. The battle for
this position really began yesterday
when the Germans in an endeavor to
push back the British flank launched
a series of fierce counter attacks on
both sides of the Ypres-Menin high
way. The fighting here yesterday was
continuous and sanguinary, for the
Germans kept throwing infantry in
waves against the British position.
| The defenders were forced to give
way slightly. but with undaunted cour.
age they hurled themselves on the
enemy with such fierceness that they
were able to re-establish themselves
before the hour for the new advance
arrived.
lot of British troops in this sec
tor began the new-push this mornin.
under the fatigue of many hours bat
tling against a determined foe, blu
they did their work today and did 1
| well. The fighting about Tower Ham
lets was very severe and the Ger
mans were able to get heavy machin
l
tions to the south.
Along the Menin road the Englis]
made the slight advance called TO
under whitening machine gun am
artillery fire. North of the Ypres
Menin road the line of adance swun
out much further into enemy territor
in order to include the Polugon WOO
and other important positions.
The Australians, who negotiate
most of the territory between tn
Ypres- Roulers railway and the Ypres
Menin road, appear to have had com
paratively little trouble in gettin
ahead. with the exception of narro,
stretch Just south Of Polygon wood,
They had to fight their way throug
| a more or less intricate trench syster
to PoIygon wood and encountered
great number of CLOCK houses. whic
turned a vicious machine gun and riff
fire against them. Among the troop
opposing them were Poles The me
made a good start in getting over tn
top and swept through the easter
portion of Po1ygon wood The Ge,
i mans in redoubts on the easter
, slopes of this wood surrendered. an
within q comparatively short time tn
: Australians were surging across tn
race course on the level below.
II North of Polygon wood the Austrs
lians covered the ground assigned
) them in two hours and twenty mil
: utes, the average depth of their az
vance being 1,200 yards. The entiI
Australian operation was accomplish
3 ed with exceedingly small casualtie
It was a. proud day for those EngIis
1 troops who forced their way into tt
: western end of Zonnebeke village. ",
since the bitter period of April, 191
; when the British were compelled
> withd from this place had an a
8 lied soldier entered it. The woslr
Of this defeat was healed largely t,
day. In the sector north of Zonnebel
the offensive proceeded systematical
until the final line was rushed
The Germans were active through
} out last night and put down a hea,
!. barrage fire before this mornings a
tack, but it did little damage.