ATTACKS ON THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2884, 23 September 1916, Page 9

ATTACKS ON THE NEW ZEALAND FRONT

HEAVF LOSS ENEMY, v SUCCESS ON THE MEUSE ' .The High Commissioner reports:— .... '„.'■.■-.„.„,'..' .'......- Tendon, September 21, 3.10 p.m. ' , A British official report states -.—"South _of 'the Ancre strong counterattacks which were made continuously during' the night on tho New Zealanders were beaten off, with severe losses to the enemy, who left prisoners • and 6 large number of dead on our front. ' Notwithstanding the heavy nature of the fighting, we advanced our front in tho neighbourhood." SIR DQUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. (By Teleeranh—Press Association— Copyright). .'• \ (Reutor'a Teleeram.V v s "•''■ (Rec. September 22, 9.15 p.m.) ;.'■'*"•. London, September 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—"The general situation is unohanged; The. enemy's bombing.attacks in the neighbourhood of.Elers failed." .•'." A CHARNEL HOUSE OP CORPSES " (Rec. September 22, 9.15 p.m.) Paris, September 22. '. The Germans yesterday sustained on the Somme the bloodiest defeats - they have endured since the beginning of the offensive. French airmen observed a great massing of men and artillery, ■. and while the weather • held thfem up the Allies prepared, and the. result was that the Germans suffered the heaviest losses since the terrible slaughter" at Douaumont and Vaux. North of the Somme the.fighting lasted from seven o'clock in the morning till seven o'clock in the evening. Six divisions of compact bodies assaulted . the French, and. were heavily punished by machine-gun and artillery fire before they came in sight of our trenches. The battle raged most fiercely . on the centre, at Bouchavesnes, Bois l'Abbe, and Combles. Two Prussian battalions > 'were put out of action before the La Priez work, and six others further south. Ah artillery officer speaking of- fhe "hellish inferno," said: "The road from Combles to Rancourt is a charncl. house of corpses, piled high on each side of the road—all sacrificed without result." ' "WILD BOAR ASSAULTS" MORE ABOUT THE GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK. CEoutex's Telegram,! • I ■ .. Paris, September 21. A French semi-official report states: —"Tho Germans were stunned at the I rapidity of the-French advance north of the Somme, and ,-took some days to 'recover. They then decided that they ;must counter-attack, but only succeeded in making a fresh show of their impotenco to retake the lost ground. 1 Fifty thousand men were employed in 'wild boar assaults,' which were of the most powerful description. The fighting at the Priez Farm was especially violent. Here on four occasions the attacking masses, '■ coming from.Combles in close : formation, were literally pounded to atoms. The same occurred at Bwichavesnes'." ON THE FRENCH FRONT Tho High Commissioner reports:— London, September, 21, 3.5 p.m. 'A French official report states: —"The weather is bad, and the enemy lias not ronewed his .attempts on the Somme. "On the right bank of tho Meuse two attacks by our troops succeeded brilliantly. South-east of Thianmont we took soveral parts of trenches, one hundred prisoners, and two maohine-gnns. East of Vanx-Chapi'tro Woods wo advanced one hundred yards." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. flloutOT's Tele?ro.ui.l (Rec. September 22, 9.15 p.m.) Paris, Soptembcr 22. 'A Froncli offioial communique, states: —"The. artillery bombardment is being energetically continued against the enemy on tho Somme front, with an intermittent cannonade elsewhere. Yesterday!s groat German countcr-at- ' tack on the north bank was dclivorcd by tho German Eighteenth Army Corps, which had been withdrawn from tho Aisno front, and 2Mth Division. The latter had been entrained for the Russian front, and when they,had proceeded half-way they wcro ordered to roturn to the Sommo, which they reached oh September 14. They wero put into the line on September 19, and were ongaged on September 20, in the Bouchavesnes district, where they suffered enormous losses." GERMANS ADMIT LOSING GROUND. Australian-New Zealand Cftblo Association. ) Amsterdam, September 21. A German official communique states: —"There has been continuous hand grenade fighting at Courcelotte. We ropulse3 attacks at Flers, Les Boeufs, and Combles. Wo lost, after bitter, fighting, ground wc had previously won at Bouchavesnes and south-west of Rancourt."

GERMANS IN BELGIUM READY FOR FLIGHT. (Router's Teleeram.l (Rcc. September 22, 5.40 p.m.) Paris, September 22. It is reported that the Germans In Belgium are apprehensive as to the future, ami have packed their trunks and bags. GERMANY ANXIOUS ABOUT THE DANISH FRONTIER I'KEJNOHES AND FORTIFICATIONS BEING PREPARED. (Rec. September 22, 5.40 p.m.) Copenhagen, September 22. Extensive military preparations aro in train in Schleswig-Holstein (the . German provinces which were filched from Denmark). Fortifications and trenches are being prepared hurriedly, and the keeping of carrier pigeons is prohibited in cortain districts. i