. STEADY RESISTLESS PRESSURE .

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2824, 15 July 1916, Page 9

STEADY RESISTLESS PRESSURE .

THE ADVANCE ON :THE SOMME ; GERMAN ONSLAUGHT AT VERDUN ■ The High Commissioner reports. London, July 13, 3.45 p.m. • ■ "General Haig. reports heavy artillery fighting at various points without change in the situation. "West of Wytschaete, southwards of the La Bassee Canal, an attempted raid by the'enemy was stopped. •'" .'Despite unfavourable weather, our aeroplanes are constantly working." Hostile machines over. German lines ha v# been driven off. One of our machines is missing/' . PRESSURE MAINTAINED, AND LINE ADVANCED : . (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). ' " Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. : (Bee.-July 14,.6:5 p.in.) • •- ■ ---."V--.-...-. . ' • London,"July 13.- r . .;iSir, I>ougla3.;.Haig reports;--' After sharp infantry fighting jve. have appreci- 1 ' ably :advanced at various points. .Th'.to'artillery.on both.sides is active. 'Wo'"" have"; not ..only '-maintained . the pressure on, the ohemyV-.but. appreciably ad 7 • -.vancetl. •■:' •' . "We'captured some howitzers in one : sector, and these wero used !against ■the!.enemy later." ...... • STEADY PROGRESS AMOUNTS TO A- GERMAN REVERSE (Rec. July 14, 11.5 p.m.)' London, July 14. * Though the British and French communiques studiously refrain from giving details; it is. unofficially known that a stern, battle is proceeding. The Allies' gains north of the Somme have been steadily -extended during "the last three days, and amount to a German reverse. The German situation at Pozieres is' serious,, ai. the British successes thereabouts enabled the French to extend their lines from Hardecourt in the direction of Maurapas. To-night's Paris communique -states:—"There has been no important event on the Somme." BRITISH CASUALTY LISTS NEW ZEALAND IN THE ROLL OF HONOUR. ■ ; , (Reo. July ' 14, 11.5 p.m.) . • . '" ' '■ London, July 14. The; British casualty lists covering the first days of the offensive include the names of 1800 officers, of whom 340.iwere killed. ' ... To-day's -list includes 161 names of New' Zealand -rank and- file.. : - WITH THE FRENCH ON THE SOMME : ' .AN INTERMITTENT CANNONADE/ The High Commissioner reports London, July 13, 2.55 p.m. . "On the Somma there has'been an i ntermitfent cannonade." ON THE EASTERN FLANK OF THE LINE INCIDENTS IN CHAMPAGNE, THE ARGONNE, THE MEUSE, AND THE VOSGES.. Tho High Commissioner reports: ,' /- London, July 13, 2.55 nm. "In Champagne, on tho borders of Prosnes, we penetrated a salient of tho German lines, bringing back prisoners. ; "In the Argonne, two enemy coups-de-main on part of the north-east salient at the Bois de Bolante failed under our fire. "At La Fille Morte we exploded a mine and occupy the edge of tho crater ' • "To tho right of the Meuse there has-been no infantry action.. During the night there Ims been intense bombardment at. Souville, Cnenois, and Laufee. "In the Vosges, an attempt,by the enemy ou ono of oup trenches southwards of -Carspach 'was repulsed after lively eronade fighting." SLAUGHTER AT FORT SOUVILLE Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. ' ' (Rec. July 14, 11.5 p.m.) London, July 14. The Crown Prince, during the last two days, has launched 50,000 troops in the direction of Fort Souville, and ground has been gained at a terrible sacrifice. Hundreds of French machine-guns, lining the slopes of the fort, have wrought frightful havoc during" the Inst eight days. ' " THE LATEST ONSLAUGHT AT VERDUN The "Petit Parisien" states that tho Germans, hopinf to surround "snunilo Fort, subjected the whole Verdun, front to a thirty-six hours' bombardment. The infantry attack began at 10 o'cloi 1 k ou Wednesday morning, 18,000 men being employed over a front of ono and three-quarter miles. Southward of the village of Floury they faced a rapid curtain of fire, but, regardless of losses, the.v crossed tho barrier of fire and advanced toward* Souville, and, after a hard struggle, were compelled to halt by a storm of bullets from hundreds of machine-guns on the slopes if Somille"Plateau. The nearest German line is eightei: n hundred yards from the fort. Tho German front at somo other points advanced five hundred yards, but this does not give cause for uneasiness. GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE London, July 13. A German communique states;--"North of the Somme the English succeeded in taking Contalmaison. "South of the Kommo the French hare not met with success.. Attacks on both sides of Barleux and west of" Estrees were driven back with sanguinary losses. "The artillery is active east of tho Meuse. The infantry positions we havo won ha co been consolidated."

GERMAN WRITER ON THE ALLIES.' OFFENSIVE. (Rer. July 14, 8.25 p.m.) New York, July 13. A report from Berlin states tlint Dr. Max Osborn, of the "Fossischo Zeitung," in a special cablegram to the "New York Times," says that the fierceness and bitterness of the fighting oil the Komme is increasing, and lias a counterpart only in the horrors of Verdun. "This time we cannot reproach England with holding back men. They aro driving them forward in vast, continuous ninsses, and fresh waves. The French south of the Somme are attempting an almost continuous chain of drives, but the enemy has found that our infantry is unshakeable. The Allies' charges Tiave still great power and tenacity." MORE AMMUNITION MEANS MORE VICTORIES, AND FEWER CASUALTIES MR LLOYD GEORGE REVIEWS THE WORK OF THE WAR ■ ■ . FACTORIES. (Rec. July 14, 7.30 p.m.) London, July 13. Mr. Lloyd George (Secretary of State for AVar), addressing the Munitions Conference, at which France, Russia, nnd Italy were represented, insisted on the changed complexion of events since their last Conference, in 1915, when the Champagne offensive had just failed in its objective, and (Tio Russians had been pressed back for hundreds of miles. Now the Russians, with overwhelming victories, had struck terror into the heart of the foe. The immortal defence of Verdun, the brave resistance by the Italians, and the combined offensive East and West, had wrenched the initiative from the enemy's hands. The Allies' prospects had improved, because the equipment of the armies had improved, enormously. Then, the Russians had faced a hnilstorm of . iron with their flesh, the British had been oondemned to inactivity because their munitions were unequal to a sustained attack, and the Navy had absorbed more than half tlio metal workers in the country, occupying the energies of a million men. . We had to create an army and arsenals out of nothing. "We are now turning out hundreds of guns and howitzers . every uiontli, twice as much ammunition in a single week, and threefold the number of heavy shells, as was fired at tho grand offensive of September last, ihough that supply was the result of many weary weeks of accumulation. The new factories nnd workshops have not yet attained one-third of their full capacity,- but the output is increasing with great rapidity. The many difficulties of labour supply and readjustment have been solved, and our supplies -will soon be an overwhelming ssccess. ■ -French munition-making has improved. The present offensive, lie added, "lias followed an appalling expenditure of ammunition at Verdun. The lesson of the present war is that more ammunition means more victories, and fewer casualties."