TO-DAY'S NEWS. THE WESTERN THEATRE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3572, 5 October 1916, Page 5

TO-DAY'S NEWS.

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE RECENT FIGHTING.

SHI DOUGLAS HAIG'S REVIEW

BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENTS IN THREE MONTHS.

TRIBUTE TO OVERSEAS TROOPS

27,000 PRISONERS CAPTURED

(Received October 5, 11.40 a.m.)

LONDON, October 4

, In a despatch, • Sir Douglas Haig reviews the recent fighting. He pays, a tribute to the English overseas troops' -unrclaxing pressure, and states that they behaved with discipline and the resolution of veterans. Ho continues: —"It is now possible-to give ' a fulter account of the fighting succeeding the advance, of September 10. That advance, which • won Courcelotte, Martinpuieh, High Wood, Flers,- and Bouleaux Wood, created several minor salients in our front, and it became necessary to advance our line, between them. : This was- the task for the succeeding week, and we carried the Quadrilateral work ou September 18. | The redoubt, which was of considerable i strength and tactical importance, successfully resisted attacks on the 15th, thereby limiting the esient of the successes on the right bank. The weather was wot and stormy between September 19 and 21. Wo captured two lines of trenches on September 22, enlarging our advance between Flers and Martinpuieh. We gained ground eastward of Courceletto on September 23, and by •the. evening, of September 24 wo had completed ail p.reHminaries for- the next stage of the general advance, on September 25; from Combles ami and Martinpuieh. ■'.

"The country is gently und\ilating, and the villages in this area are surrounded by trees, -with natural strongholds fortified, by every resource of modern engineering.

'""We carried Los Boeui's and -Moryal on September 25, advancing our line over a mile. The capture of Morval, combined with traich pressure in the south, virtually isolated €omblcs, which foil next day as a result of .a combined Anglo-French movement. «< The capture of Gueudecourt, Thiep- N val and the ZoUcrn Redoubt followed, and we secured several. thousand prisonors and a large aanount of .war material.

"The Germans fought stpbbornly, hoping to check our advance. They have brought against us, since September 15, seven new divisions, and against tbo French five. The severe and prolonged struggle demanded great determination and courage on our paxt. "Since the opening of the battle on July 1,/ wo have token 26,735 prisoners, and have engaged 38 divisions, of i which 29 have been .withdrawn exhausted or broken. "We hold. the upland giving direct observation northward and northeastward. The Germans ha.ye fallen back upon their fourth line, behind a low ridge westward of the BapaumeTraiifsloy Roadi ■ VTho' importa.n«V' v of tho three months' offensive must not bo judged by the distance advanced or the number of tranches token, but by the effect upon the enemy's strength in numbers, material, and morale. " Our aircraft have shown in the highest degree the spirit'of the offensive. Thoy baW patrolled .regularly far behind |he enemy's lines, and taken past in many air battles. For every enemy machine crossing outlines, 20® BritieSi cross tho... German front. A ca^feHjrt'/l Gorman corps report describee our aeroplanes as surprisingly tnjW, ami their work as

' conspicuous for skill, judgment, and daring.'" .. :' .. „,., ... „.-■ . ,_.</. '■ '