"BEST BLOW YET."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3559, 20 September 1916, Page 5

"BEST BLOW YET."

AN OFFICIAL SUMMARY

NEW ZEALANDE.US .PARTICIPATE

, , LONDON, September 18. Sir Douglas ifaig .reports: — Friday's attack. was .launched at 6.20 in the morning on a tront extending from Leuze Wood to PoziereSj against a treble line of entrenchments connected by strong subsidiary trenches. The enemy ; besides, held some advanced «\pq'situ>n9, and „ had machine-guns in trenches, works, and shell-holes behind these. At a distance of 7000 yards from our front., the enemy had recently constructed and wired a fourth main line of !trenches', fronting the le Transloy-Bapanme Road.' The defences were formidable, and were , supported by upwards, of 1000 Runs of all calibres. Punctually to the time our 'infantry,' accompanied by,heavy armoured cars, advanced in close order under cover "of a field artillery barrage, and everywhere carried the ! first line except at two points, -namely, the high" ground between Ginchy ami Leuze Wood, and at Fourenux Wood.

Neglecting these, the infantry swept forward and round them; and by 10 o'clock had captured the whole of Flers, with its strong points, and advanced beyond it.

The outskirts of MaHinptueh and Courcelette were, reached at the same time. Theso villages weiv ciiptuted in the afternoon. ',",', . '

The Northumbrian and London Territoriab., the Seotiiiih -and English new army divh.ions, and., the troops •of Canada anil NVw Zealand shared with our Guards the credit of -these successes,. ' i ' - > '' , ,0n our- right the. enemy maintained his hold on- tho high grountl northwestward -of Leuzcr Wood, and our efforts to dislodge, him were unsuccessful- - ' . ,'<>,'■ The enemy in Foureaux Wood, however, surrendered' when- their flanks were turned, and by 11 • o'clock the whole of the wood - was ours. ' .

We -thus giutied, practically the whole of Uu» high'ground,between, .Comblcs and the Valley of Ancre, and are now well down the forward slopes. Thanks -to the .'.excellent artillery observation popitions. thus afforded, we aro able to inflict' ■ heavy punishment on the enemy. , ■» . '

The iirmmirocl ears gallantly, led the action. knocking out maehirierguns and inflicting heavy losses by thfir own machine-sun fire, which- enfiladed the German trenches, causing - indescribable demoralisation in the enemy's ranks. - On the night of September 15-16 the enemy ma do counter-attacks with forces hastily brought "from all directions. These were continued throughout' Saturday, but all were' repulsed*. with heavy enemy losses. ' ' ■ "i The Now ZealamWs. after qainin^ thoir o!>io"tiws'on 'suffered a narticulwrlv heavy rorrnW-flttacfc, but, beside tTinrlin<y their cr^nnd. they nuni&hi'd the micmy severely, and even m;ule pro^ro-s. We Diorio *"vfiini- ►>vnrr> >(> s e on Satnrdnv. pwermlly f-^vsmls Le^bonnfm." Bnn'nrr the it-ore ni>er.ot.inn«:. and in clo^p ennn*»"tin" ■*I"">"wrfTi. -t.Tv> hot array troop, <>lt»rr«!ly and ■ gallantly

,•1 extended our gains southward of iiiiepviil, seizing trenches and talcing pi'i&onur home hundi'cds of men. ■

| Thej-i'sult of the fighting on September I.VJG is of groat importance, and 'is probably ihe most effective blow yot dealt to tho.enpTiiy by British troops. The darruige to their -moral is probiibh- °'. v creator consequence than tlu» sei/.itii> of the dominating positions W took.

~rJsL° ]l}lve caPtured'between '4000 imrf 0000 prisoners since - July 1. The flntish forces alone on the Somme battle front have engaged 35 German divisions, of which 29 have already boen defeated and withdrawn, exhausted. .

the pnst week only 14 hostile aeroplanes crossed our lines, but ours made between 2000 and 3000 flights across the enemy's lines