THE CAPTURE OF THE SCHWABEN AND STUFF REDOUBTS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2905, 18 October 1916, Page 5

THE CAPTURE OF THE SCHWABEN AND STUFF REDOUBTS

I — FRENCH SUCCESS AT SAILLY-SAILLISEL

THREE MONTHS' BATTLE REVIEWED

The High Commissioner reports

London, October 16, 12.45 p.m. A' British' official report states: "Southwards of tho Anore there was heavy hostile shelling at intervals during tie night. At Courcelette a small hostile bombing attack was driven back without difficulty At the 'Schwaben Redoubt a more important attack by the enemy, made after heavy artillery work; a.nd assisted by liquid fire, was repulsed with heavy loss. North and liortli-wefit of'Ypres, south-east of St. Kloi, and to the east of Ploegstreet, we succeafully entered the enemy's trenches, a number of the enemy being killed or taken prisonor."

THE CAPTURE OF THE SCHWABEN AND STUFF REDOUBTS

(By Telegraph—Pxess Association—Copyright) Australian-New Zealand. Oable Association. (Rec. October 17, 8.15 p.m.)

London, October 17. The "Daily Chronicle" 6ays: "The Sobwaben Redoubt was ouo of the main buttresses of Thiepval, ond the difficulties of its capture were immense. It had been strengthened by every conceivable means. The British crept up' by inches until the defenders, consisting of two regiments, held only the crown' of the hill. When the assault was made on Friday, the excellent barrage by the British guns completely cut off the defenders' reinforcements, and large numbers surrendered. The Stuff Redoubt, further east, was less, important, tactically, but scarcely less formidable. One British company captured it at less cost than anyone anticipated—one of the notable individual feats of the war.- Our total casualties were about one-third the number of prisoners taken." COSTLY COUNTER-ATTACKS ON CAPTURED REDOUBTS , (Rec. October 17, 9.20 p.m.) London, October 17. Sir Douglas Haigh reports: "The enemy's losses in attacking Sch'waben Redoubt on Sunday night were exceedingly heavy. Our losses were very slight Our heavy artillery and trench mortars successfully earned out an organised bombardment of the enemy's lines in tlio neighbourhood of Neuvillo St. Vaast, while our aeroplanes dropped bombs with, excellent effect on the railway station, and also on a transport which' was moving behind the enemy's lines." FRENCH TROOPS ENTER SAILLY-SAILLISEL The High Commissioner reports London, October 16, 3 p.m. A French official report states: "Northwards of the Sommo last evening wo penetrated the village of Sailly-Saillisel, and occupied houses on the border of the Bapaumo Road, as far as contral cross roads. Tho enemy violently counter-attacked. Fighting continues. Southwards of the Sommo wo repulsed a German attack at Saint Eloi." FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Rec. October 17, 9.20 p.m.) Paris, October 17. A French official communique states: "Wo repulsed a violent counterattack eastward of Berny, and captured a small wood between Genermont and Ablaincourt."

GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ' London, October 16. A German official communique states: "We completely recaptured l portion of a trench north-east of Gmeudecourt taken by the English. We drove back a French attack west of Sailly." I RESULTS OP THREE MONTHS' FIGHTING WHAT THE BRITISH HAVE ACHIEVED. (Rec. October 17, 9.55 p.m.) ~ London, October 17'. The Press Bureau publishes an authoritative statement on the result of the past three months' battle on the Somme: "The goal was a nine-milo range of low hills, with Thiepval and Combles. This has been won. It is the main watershed of the whole system of hills stretching from the Somme Valley to a tract of low ground between Lens and Gambrai, beyond which lie dead' flats round Douai. Wo now look past Bapaume to. a ridge fledged with woods, which have not yet been shelled, but none are five hundred feet mbove the sea,_ like those which havo been captured. The worse came first. We are over it. Moreover, we have captured a ridge much eroded by water, and full of tortuous little valleys, minor ridges, and slopes. Before us the ground is much smoother. The chief advantago of tho high ground is that it gives superior power of observation. While we were fighting up tho slopes to Mametz, Montauban, and Thiepval the enomy had tho advantage of observation. We have the adiyantago of observation now, and won't loso it, oven when tho Germans have been driven northwards across tho upper valley of the Ancre. Tho whole of tho opposite.slope boyond \ho Ancre is comparatively of a regular surface and oven gradient, commanded by Higher Martinpuioh. The Germans in 1914 definitely chose this front as tho line of highest ground between the French plain and the Belgian plain. This ridge, happily, is valuable because its rear is served by a vitally important, system of railway transport. The Germans have been beaten on tho lino their commanders had cbo6en as the best possible line, and must now tight upon a line which ia .weak in itself, and its fall must bring other disasters."