BRITISH NEARING EAUCOURT L'ABBAYE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2890, 30 September 1916, Page 7

BRITISH NEARING EAUCOURT L'ABBAYE

MARCHING BATTALION SHELLED POSITION NEAR THIEPVAL CONSOLIDATED. ■ Australian-New Zealand C<ible Association. London, September 28. General Haig reports:—"At our new posts, west-south-west of Eaucourt, we aro within 800 yards of tlie village of Eaucourt I'Abbayo. .We have consolidated our position on the ridge north-east of ThiepvaL "We successfully shelled, a marching onemy battalion with transport. In the recent fighting our. losses wore small relatively and absolutely, our casualties being not moto than twice the number of . prisoners. Ono division which had a difficult task captured as many men as its own casualties."-

FURTHER ADVANCE BETWEEN MARTINPOTOHAND: GRAND ■.COURT. The High Commissioner reports:— London, September 28, 4.55 p.m. _ 'A British official message says:—"During tho night wo advanced at various points between Martinpuich and Granrlecouri, posts , being established west and south-west of Eaucourt l'Abbayo.. The ..fighting of the - last few days was singularly economical; our total casualties woro not . mora than twice the number of enemy made prisoner." 'A French, official report states: —"Our batteries ara. active against tKa German organisations.".' / . BOMBAST IN A GERMA.N COMMUNIQUE. ArastraHiui-New Zealand Cable Association. . London, September 28. A German communique states: —There were strong Britisli and French attacks between the Ancre and the Somine, after artillery action surpassing any previous experience on the greater part of our battle front. . Our unshakeable troops victoriously repulsed them. The battle has not concluded at Thiepval and east of Eaucourt I'Abb aye. Attacks on the Morval and Bouchavesnes line bloodily failed. The enemy maintained his hold on a small trench section north-east of Eancourt and east of Bouchavesnes. ENEMY. ATTACK ON THIAUMONT-FLEORY FRONT. Tho High Commissioner reports:— . London, September 28, 3.55 p.m. "Oil tho right bank of the Meuse'.a strong German attack during tho night on the Thiaumont-Fleury front was checked by a. barrage 'of machinegun fire." ADMISSIONS OF THE "FRANKFURTER ZEITUNG." Austrailiaa-ircir Zealand Cable Association. Amsterdam, September 27. The "Frankfurter Zeitung" states :—"The enemy obtained a tactical advantage on the Somme on Tuesday. It waß terribly bloody for the attaokcr, and a test searching to the innermost heart for the defender. Streams of bloods flowed, and incalculable quantities of projectiles crashed on to the German positions, but von Hindenburg's quiet course lias not been forced from the prearranged path by a. hair's breadth. It is impossible for the enemy to break through." ■. ' THE BULK OF THE SCHWABEN REDOUBT CAPTURED BY THE BRITISH (Reo. September 29, 8.30 p.m.}. ' .. . London, September 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports"We captured the bulk of the Sohwaben redoubt on a orest five hundred yards northward of Thiepval. The Schwaben redoubt is on the highest ground on the Thiepval spur, giving a full view of the northern valley oi the Ancre. We elsewhere consolidated our ground, and advanced our line north and north-east of Courcelette. Aeroplanes greatly damaged enemy batteries, and also attaoked troops and transport with machine-gun fire. • :• ■'We captured a report of tho fighting on the # Somme issued by a commander of a German.corps,.which says: "The British infantry is smart in attack largely'because of .their immense confidence in their great, artillery superiority. One must admit tho skill with whioh they consolidate new positions. They show great tenacity in defonce,- and small parties, once established with macliino-guns in a corner of a" wood or group of houses are very difficult to dislodge.'" Sir Douglas Haig continues: "The following sentence shows the effects of our artillery :—'Hitherto our instructions, from experience in defence and attack, were based r on.a carefully-constructed trench system.. Our troops on the Somme front found trenches of no use whatever.' " .VIOLENT CANNONADE ON SOMME FRONT. ■(Rco. September 29, 8.30 p.m.)' . London, September 29. 'A Paris communique says:—"The only feature is a violont cannonade on tho Somme front." MISTAKE TO REGARD THE GERMANS AS ROUTED CAVALRY. PUSHING OUT BEYOND COMBLES.

London, September 28. Experts points out that it is a mistake to regard the Germans as routed. Nevertheless, each step forward means a diminution in German tenacity and fighting value, and brings, tho day near when General Foch and Sir Douglas Haig will consider it possible to break the German line... A pause in the operations is inevitable.' The Germans are frantically digging in on a new line, and the position is still doubtful. Cavalry patrols, pushing boyond Combles and Gueudecourt, discovered that the next trench.lines the enemy hold are on two considerable hills, marked 148 and 153 on the French Staff map. One lies east of Combles in. frost of the extensive wood- of Saint Pierre Yaast, and the other opposite Morval, being part of a winding ridge, oh which the'twin villages of SaillySaillisel are built:- . The Bapaume road crosses the ridge before it .dips' to Le Transloy.. ' " - ■ "' - •• THE LAST DAYS' FIGHTING DISCREDITABLE TO THE GER.(MAKS. London, September 28. The "Times" correspondent at Headquarters writes that German prisoners state that most of the officers of some of the German regiments were killed; others said that they were suffering from stomachache, in order to get away. When the trenohes woro taken _the British found" only" non-com-missioned officers 'and privates. The correspondent says he reports this because it is truo, but people must not draw too large an inference from the behaviour of particular units. Tho air is full of rumours,, owing to tlio intoxicating air of victory, and it would be foolish to attempt to guess how, far-reaching the results will be. We must trait for what is bohind this immediate feebleness of resistance. Barring exceptions, the, story- of the last days' fighting is the most discreditable to tho Germans since the beginning of .the battle. INSPIRED EXCUSE IN GERMAN NEWSPAPERS. 'Rptlter's T»!fi£™.TiO (Rcc. September 29, 5.30 p.nv.) ■ , London, September 28. German newspapers, evidently inspired, excuse the Somme defeat by stating that the 'Allied artillery raised such a cloud of dust before the German trenches that it was impossible to ascertain where tho attacks would be made; thus the German aitillery was unable to barrage. i