FRESH ATTACK ON THE SOMME

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2853, 18 August 1916, Page 5

FRESH ATTACK ON THE SOMME

IMPORTANT ADVANCE . •' l l ■. ■ : SEVERAL LINES OF TRENCHES CAPTURED Tlie High Commissioner reports:— . London, August 16, 3 p.m. ' Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Willi the exception of main engagements towards Pozieres, there is 110 change in the situation." ' VANTAGE POINT CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH. . . (By Telegraph—Prssa iVsiooiiitiJa—Copyriglit). JLnstrallan-Ncw Zealand Oable Association. ' Paris, August 16. , The "Petit Pansien" states that last night the British reoccupied the trenches, north of the Thiepval-Pozieres road, Mouquet Farm (one mile east of Thiepval and a mile north-west of Pozieres) falling into their hands. The farm is situated on the plateau commanding the Thiepval-Pozieres-Cource-lette triangle, and was the enemy' 3 last vantage point in the neighbourhood l . V SUBSTANTIAL GAINS NORTH OF MUREPAS. The High Commissioner reports:-^ London, August 17, 12.40 a.m. The French official report says:—"On the Somme front, after violent artillery preparation, our offensive mado important gains. North of the Maurepas our troops, in conjunction with the British, captured the enemy's trenches on a front or 1500 metres (1625 yards), reaching certain points on the Guille-raont-Maurepas road. South of the Maurepas, on a front of two kilometres (l l-s:miles), and to a depth of 400 metres (433 1-3 yards), all the enemy's positions east of the Maurepas-Clery road, are occupied by our infantry, which, inflicted heavy losses on the enemy. South of the Somme we carried with, a single rush powerfully-organised trenches of a length of 1200 metres (1300 yards), south of Belloy-en-Saiitorre." LOCAL ACTIONS ON THE FRENCH FRONT. The Higli' Commissioner reports:— _ London, August Hi, 3 p.m. A French official report states: "German patrols were dispersed in. Champagne, at Thurne-Laharazee. In the Verdun region there is rathtr lively fighting in the vicinity of Vaux and Chapitre Wood." ; : i / FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. Australian-N«w Zealand CJable Association. Paris, August IC. . A communique states: "Tlio mghii was calm on the greater part cf tlio front. A German air cralt bo:;ibed Belfort, hut tliero wcro na casualties." GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. lontlon, August 10 A German official cMunuuuiuo states: "The English continued their fruitless attacks at Pozieres. An attack north of Ovillers failed." 122 GERMAN DIVISIONS IN THE WEST. / (Rec. August 17, 11.5 p.m.) Paris, August 17. Of 122 German divisions on the Western front twenty oppose tlio AngloFrench lino on tlio Sommo; twenty are at Vordun, and tlio rest arc scattered along the remainder of a front of slightly over 550 miles.