PROGRESS OF THE WAR
An' attack by Australians and New Zealanders and somo other troops, on the northern section of the Somrao front, has resulted in tlie capture of a very strong section of the enemy's Mefences—his secondline trenches for a lateral distance of more than a mile, north of tho village of Pozieres. In this area and for some miles on either, side the Gorman lines' extend across a plateau. The latest advance should mean that tho attacking troops are now well forward on the plateau, though the .Germans still everywhere hold its highest elevation. The enemy third line was recently described as being situated below the summit of the plateau, about a mile ahead of tho British line as it was then locatcd. One result-of the advance is. to further weaken the enemy's position at Thiepval, a fortified village about two miles west of Pozieres, which roughly marks the point at which the- present line leaves that on which the battle began. As tho lino is now taking shape, Thiepval- is exposed to attack on three sides.
A late official report states that including the advance in which the Australians and New Zealanders participated, this section of tho enemy's front was pcnctaatcd in two
days of fightiug to a depth of from 400 to COO yards, for a distance of l! 000 yards. This is vujy notable progress considering that the Germans aro fighting with every advantage of position. Convincing evidence is afforded that tho British artillery is coping successfully with the problem of effectively bombarding oneiriy positions located on higher ground, and therefore not' open to direct observation.
Reports tell of a tremendous storm of battle on tho narrow Verdun front east of the Mouse, but as yet no very definite result is disclosed. So far as gain of ground goes the honours are with the French. After capturing tho village of Fleury and losing it thoy have again captured tho southern half of tho place, and at latest repoits aro making head against attacks. The present battle marks a complete departure from, past conditions at Verdun, for both sides aro attaokmg freely, and both must bo suffering considerable loss. Tho position seems to bo that tho French have set out to subject tho enemy, to a strain, and that their present activity at Verdun must b& regarded as a' definite development in tho Allied offensive.
The only pronounced movement disclosed at time of writing in tho main Eastern campaign is a considerable extension of General Sakharoff's advance from Brody against the northern flank of the Austro-Gorraan forces in Galicia. Since Brody was captured, little moro than a. week ago, the Russians have made remarkably good headway. Thoy now report that they are heavily engaged on tho line of tho River Sereth, about a dozen 'miles south of Brody. Tho enemy is offering an obstinate resistance, but tho latest news in hand is that Russian detachments have crossed tho river and repulsed counter-at-tacks. Tho Soretn does not afford tho enemy'a very good defensive lino in the area of the 1 presont fighting. It rises south and a little west of Brody, so that the Russians are in a position to outflank it on the west. Such a movoment is facilitated by a road running south, a mile or two west of tho point at which tho, river riscß, as well as by the railway, which runs south-west from Brody to Lemberg. As a result of .General Sakharoff's continued advance, tho enomy forces in Eastern Galicia stand in a position of increasing poril. Their prospccts of a safe retreat diminish .with each mile that the Russians advance.
Two other items in the news command attention. On the Eovel front, in Southern Russia, the Russians admit a minor set-back. Fighting their way forward from the River Stochod, .apparently considerably to the north-east of Kovel, they captured a series of heights and a village, the latter situated on a tributary which enters the Stochod from the west This village tho enemy has contriveH to regain. A long way further south, in the mountain passes which lead into Hungary from north-western Bukowina, Russian detachments have given ground slightly before stronger Austrian forcos. At worst these incidents represent minor checks in generally victorious fighting, and there is no suggestion that the general trend of the campaign has been adversely affected.
At tho moment interest centres in the southward drive from Brody. If the heavy fighting which was lately reported to be general along the Stochod front is still in-pro-gress, the fact is not disclosed in current r.omvmiiques. Apart ■ from the incidents noted Russian reports in land tell of little more than "mutual artillery action." The tendency of the news thus is to' indicate that tho Russians are, for tho time being, fighting a holding battle in Southern Russia and concentrating on the movomenfc which threatens Lomberg and also places tho enemy forces in Eastern Galicia in increasing danger of envelopment. At best, however, the news is fragmentary and inconclusive, and very possibly it leaves vital developments unreported. Tho Russians are in a position to striko with effect at any one of 'a number of points, and for that very reason reports are not likely to be particularly illuminating until the operations have developed considerably beyond their present stage. It is, of course, quite probable that the development may be rapid. General SakhaKoff's continued advance from Brody means that tho position of tho enemy is being progressively and rapidly'undermined, not . only in Galicia, but in Southern Russia, where the lines now held by the Austro-Germans would become untenable if disaster overtook their compatriots in Galicia.
Hopes expressed by some German newspapers that the elevation of Von Hindenburg to supreme command of the enemy Eastern armies will lead to a collapse of the Russian offensive may very well be left to the test of events: There is interest, however, and ; possibly some real information, in the news that three newspapors in the Hungarian capital have been suppressed for adversely commenting on the appointment. . It is hardly likely that the Hungarian opposition thus indicated is dictated by any very keen sympathy for tho Austrian offioers, some of them of high rank, whom Von Hindenburg is reported to be displacing in favour of Germans. It seems i rather more likely that Hungarian protests, made in such pointed terms as to lead to the suppression of newspapers, have been inspired by a fear that Von Hindenburg, in taking his measures against the Russian offensive, will pay scant regard to the special interests of Hungary. Such an explanation at least fits in with current events. An extended retreat seems to be the enemy's only hope of staving off disaster, and Von Hindenburg is not likely to be deterred from ordering such a retreat by the consideration that it would lay Hungary open to invasion, I
The long-deferred Turkish attack'! on tho Suez Canal defences has taken shapo at last, but it does not seom likoly to attain very formidable dimensions. ' According to an official message 14,000 Turks are attacking the British positions east of Port Said, in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, but havo failed to mako any impression on the dofonccs, and have already lost about a thousand prisoners. On p'resent information the attack docs not seem to havo been any better organised than the futile raid on tho Canal in February last year, and at tho present season the Turks will labour under a maximum handicap in regard to water supply and other transport problems. Somo motive other than a hope of success against tho army defending tho Oanal must
no doubt have inspired the. expedition. The Turks are, of course, anxious to tic down the largest possible forco on the Canal, and prevent tho troops being used against them elsewhere, but their present enterprise hardly seems likely foCßecure such' a result. Unless they arc extremely fortunate it will cost them a great part of tho force they have rashly exposed. It is a factor in the situation that on tho northern rente by which they havo 1 approached tho Canal defences, tho Turks aro liable to have their line of retreat cnt by a British landing on tho Mediterranean coast in their rear.
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Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 4
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1,380PROGRESS OF THE WAR Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2843, 7 August 1916, Page 4
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