STIRRING NEWS FROM THE BRITISH FRONT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2819, 10 July 1916, Page 5

STIRRING NEWS FROM THE BRITISH FRONT

j. POSITIONS CALLANTLY STORMED , < STRONG REDOUBT CARRIED BY ASSAULT (By Telegraph—Pross iVsrfooiatioffl-Copyright). Australian-New Zealand Cablo Association. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— ■ London, July 7. J "The; enemy during the night heavily bombarded our new positions in the Bernafay Wood, at Montauban, and at La.Boiselle,.using lachrymatory shells'- , The enemy suffered heavy casualties in sovere fighting eastward of La Bois--clip, and we captured a trench on a front of one thousand yards, in which we aro now firmly established. ThiPval C ° mpletel -y crnshotl s a determined attack on our new lines soutLwest of j enemy's artillery is .particularly: active in the Loos salient, at Hulluch Albert Te ""^' e a VJ S orous offensive this morning at certain seotors cast of D . " Th .° G«nuans. simultaneously lannohed heavy, attacks in the'vicinity of the River Anoro, and north orFricourt, with the result that violent lightin- is in progress on the whole front from the Ancro to Montauban infantry, have already had important tactical euccesses in the vicinity of Ovillors-La Boieelle (a mile north-east of La Bo sella) and Contalnmisnn Tim enemy regained 250 yards northward of Thiepval." ' wnmimaison. iho ; The' High| Commissioner, quoting Gnneral Haig's reports, says that in the kws.salient our/artillery shelled tho onomy's communication trenches and bi! ets. in .various places. Two mines were successfully sprung at Auchy and Hul' Kimporary enemy's gam of ground north-west of Thiepval " ' HARD FIGHTING ON THE BRITISH RIGHT LINE OF TRENCHES STORMED, AND WOOD TAKEN. ■, ... * " ; (Rec. July 9, 11 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The fighting to-day has been principally "on our extreme light flank, whero we have had furthijr important' successes We stormed a line of trenches eastward of Bernafray Wood, and gained a lou"ment in tho strongly-defended Trenos Wood. The enemy's losses were severe A strong counter-attack in mas 3 ocross tho open was Broken, and the enemy rc. i tired in disorder. ■■■■.'•;■ ' "Hand-to-hand fighting continues among tho ruins of Ovillers where wo have made au appreciable advance. ' "Our aeroplanes exploded an ammunition depot, and bombed the enemy's billets." HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORTS ' The Higli Commissioner reports: - London, July 7, 11.30 p.m. On the British front, despite the stubborn resistance of the enemy, our in, lan try, well assisted by the artillery, pushed their advance with tho utmost gallantry throughout the fighting this morning, gaining several important successes. "South of Thiepval, after a fierce preliminary bombardment, we' carried by assault.a further portion of an iinmensly strong work called tile Leipzig Hedoubt. This redoubt is situated in a salient of the German line, and the enemy had exercised all his ingenuity over its fortification during the last twenty months. "il'urther south, one of our brigade", attacking from the west, forccd its way across 500 yards of the German front-line trench into the defences of Ovillers.Jierce fighting is now in progress for the possession of the village.' "Following up our success last night, east of La Boiselle,- wo advanced omline over a mane of German trenches on a front of nearly 2000 yards and a depth of 500 yards. , ' ' "North of Frieourt, linking up with this attack, we drove the enemy from two woods and three lines of trenches. About 10 a.m., the Prussian Guards were thrown iiUo tlie fight east of Contnlmaison, in a desperate effort to force us back, but the attack was crushed bv our fire. The enemy subsequently fell back northwards, leaving 700 prisoners of various regiments! About noon our infantry carried the village of Contnlmaison by storm, but was forccd out by a strong counter-attack. ° "The enemy's casualties to-day were very sovere. Large numbers of his troops, retiring, over tho'open, wero caught by our artillery fire. The village of Bazentin-Ic-Petit was heavily shelled at a time when it was seen to be full of German reserves. Ono German officer who was taken prisoner, states that his battalion came under a strong machine-gun fire from one of our aeroplanes at an altitude of .'IOO feet, when marching to tho battlefield, and shortly afterwards the same battalion was shelled heavily by our long-range guns. Heavy rains have been falling throughout tho day, and the sodden ground and flooded state of the trenelies has added to-tho difficulties experienced by our troops."

London, July 8, 2.30 p.m. General Haie reports: "Heavy rain yesterday afternoon and evening impeded our operations between the Ancre and the Somme. The night was chiefly spent in improving the positions we pained in yesterday's fighting. "In the neighbourhood of Gomineconrf we bomboi'ded the enemy's trenches with field guns and trench mortars. "At Neuville St. Vaast and northwards of Roelinconi't Hio_ enemy is active. The Germans exploded a mine uorth-eastwa.rds of the ibrmor without damage. "The enemy exploded a mino in the existing craters at the Hoheiizollern Redoubt without gaining any advantage. e "North-eastwards of HulUich a British mine destroyed a hostile mine gal-

""Despite the unfavourable weather our aeroplanes did valuable servico in actively co-operating with the artillery in important reconnaissance work. They bnml>ed\ a hostile aerodrome at Donoi, completely wrecking the hangar and doing other (Minage. "During the last few days we have wipl.rjrwl twenty guns, fifty-one ma-chine-guns, and numbere,of automatic rifles, trench mortars, niinenwerfcr and . other war material."

WITH THE FRENCH SOUTH OF THE SOMME HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. Tlio High Commissioner reports:— London, July 8, J. 20 a.m. ' A. trench official report, states that between the Oiso-and tho Aisne a sudden attack on. Wednesday night on one of pur trenches eoroplotely failed." London, July 8, 2.55 p.m. "On the Somme front bad weather interfered with operations. We effected a coup-dc-main yesterday afternoon in the neighbourhood of Bolloy-en-Santerre, taking 350 prisoners, "Eastwards of Estrecs we made progress with grenades in the enemy's communication trenches. "Northwards of Lassigny ono of tho onomy's detachments which attempted to take a small post was dispersed by our fusillade." ' (Renter's Telegram.) (Rec. July .10, 1.15 a.m.) Paris, July !l. A coinmuukiue states "Notwithstanding the persistent rain and fog, the French this morning assaulted the village of Hardeeoiirt und the hill to the northwards, in conjunction with tho British, who attacked tho Trones Wood and the farm south-east of the wood. The I'rench gained their objectives in thirtyftvo minutes. Two German counter-attacks en tho hill during the afternoon, were shattered." ' FIRST STAGE OF THE SOMME BATTLE ENDED SECOND STAGE HAS NOW BEGUN. , (Rcuter's Telegram.) Paris, July 7. The first stage of the. Battle of the Somme lias ended, and the second has begun in at least one sector of the British front, where, according to a semiofficial report, a methodical bombardment of the enemy's lines has recommenced. This great, battle may last for weeks, or. even months, if • accessary. We i have both the men and tho material. Meanwhile it is reported that the Ger- | mans are withdrawing, troops from Verdun, GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS HURRYING UP. . Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. Amsterdam, July 7. . Various reports from tho frontier state that tho Germans are rushing up reinforcements, mostly Bavarians, numbering 110,000, via St. Quontin. Twenty-six train-loads of wounded traversed Liege on Thursday. , STRAIGHTENING THE LINE FOR THE NEXT BLOW (Rec. July 9, 5.5 ( p.m.) . Paris, July 8. Semi-official: "Boforo the battle can resume its victorious course the British and French sectors must be brought into line. Tho successes of ilio British yesterday ended in the formation of a sinuous line, but this will be rectified by the subsequent advanco, for the action continues to be completely in favour of the British, and in conformity with tho general plan of tho Anglo-French command." IF PERONNE GOES, THE GERMAN LINE BREAKS (Rcc. -July 0, 5.5 p.m.) ' - . ' London, July S. ■ Tho military authorities believe that: tho German line will bo broken if the French seize Peronne, behind which tho Gormans arc unprepared. Peronnc itself, however, is hoavily fortified, also defended by a wide canaliscd river, a lake, and a marsh half a mile wide. "THE SUPREME MOMENT IS AT HAND" (Rec. July 0, 5.5 p.m.) London, July S. Viscount Esther, writing from France, urges the people to "throw every ounce into tho scale. The game," ho says, "is going fast in favour of the Allies, and the ball has now passed to us for tho final rush. Tho supreme moment is at < hand when every man, every shell, gun and ship, should be concentrated. The mighty Gorman effort is dying away, and. there are manifold signs of their dis- ' integration and lowering morale." MORE FIGHTING AT THIAUMONT VIOLENT ARTILLERY ENGAGEMENT Paris, July 7. . Official: "There was a very violont artillery struggle at Thiaumont work, in' the Jlleury. and Chenois sectors, and a small attack on La Prctre Wood. "German aeroplanes bombed tho open town of Lure. Eleven women and children were killed. A note has been,taken of this with a view to reprisals." HIGH COMMISSIONER'S REPORT. The High Commissioner reports:— ' . • London, July 7, 3.55 p.m.' At Bois lo Pretre, at 8 p.m. yesterday, tho enemy made a small attack on one trench; he was immediately thrown out of tho element he had reachcd. In the same sector a French coup-dc-main was entirely successful. On a front of 200 yards the Grenadiers destroyed the enemy trenches and took somo prisoners. Yesterday a bombing aerial squadron dropped forty bombs on the railway junction at .Lainlcsmoinos, westward of Chalovillo. ■ London, July 8, 1.20 a.m. "On the right bank of/the Meuso there was a fairly lively struggle during the day in tho region of Thiaumont. Tho Germans launched several successive attacks, preceded by a bombardment, on our positions.. In 0110 of these the enemy gained a footing in our advanced elements, but our counter-attack euabled us to re-ostablish our lines. All other attempts by the enemy were repulsed by our machino-gun fire, with serious losses'to the enemy." London, July 8, 2.55 p.m. "Northwards of Verdnn there has beon violent artillery fighting, notably at Hill 304, in Esnes, Souville and the Dainloup battery. There 'was no infantry, action. , "In Lorraine, grenade attacks are proceeding. We destroyed a German post at Bezanges, and captured the occupants.". ,