ACTIVITY IN THE WEST

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2919, 3 November 1916, Page 7

ACTIVITY IN THE WEST

EFFECTIVE BLOWS BY ALLIES FRESH TRENCHES WRESTED FROM THE .GERMANS. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). (Iteuter's Telegram.) London, November 1. Sir Douglas Haig reports success ill raids on enemy trenches north-west of Festubert and|Messines. ' Ari«f-r»H*»-Kew Zealand Ctihle Association. . (Rec. November 2, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 1., Sir Douglas Haig reports : "Conjointly with tho French wo delivered a local, attack eastward of Lesbouefs and gaiined some ground. Our front, between Le Sars and Gueudpcoiirt k'iWl. v»ichbourhood of the Schwnben Rod*" 1 ' -.s heavily shelled. /We bombarded the * lemy's trenohes southward of Hulluoli, with good results." ; . TAKING STOCK OF RECENT EVENTS ' •„ SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S SUMMARY. (Rec. November 2, 5.5 p.m.) —, London, November 1. Sir Douglas Haig,, summarising the results of tbo recent operations, says: 'Heavy Tain fell almost daily, and the chalky soil on tho upland between the Ancro and the Somme was a wilderness of mud. Nevertheless wo made progress. Our front was advanced towards Butte-de-Warloncourt and the vicinity of Gueudccourt- and Lesboeufs, from the Schwaben Redoubt, whither, on tho I highest point of the ridge northward of Thiepval, the Stuff and Regina trenches run due east, a distance of fire thousand yards, to a point twelve hundred yards north-eastward of Courcelette. The enemy defended both positions with great tenacity. A German regimental order, dated October 20, ureed the recapture of tho Schwaben Redoubt, which was the pivot of the position.': 'This attack,' says the order, 'is-not merely a matter of retaining the trenches, because they were formerly in German possession, but their recapture is extremely important.' "Since losing the main portion of the Schwaben Redoubt, the enemy has launched eleven counter-attacks in the neighbourhood, Smd was repulsed each time, with heavv losses. To the attack on tho redoubt on October 21 we replied', and took the whole of tho Regina, and Stuff Redoubts, and pushed our advance posts well to' tho northward and north-eastward of tlie Schwahen Redoubt. Nearly eleven hundred prisoners'were taken. ' The Canadians and the troons of the New Army, who were conducting the operation, deserve great credit. It was a sitnial and most economical victory. "The enemy's latterly increased aerial_ aotivity has been satisfactorily dealt with bv lis. The totalnumbor of prisonors taken on the Sommo battlefield is 31.132." . 7 FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. London, November,!. A French official communique states: "We progressed north-east of Lesboeufs and broke rip violent attacks at Sailly-Saillisel, from east and north. Similarly we dispersed an attack south-west of Altkircli (in Alsace)." ' GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. ; i London, November I. A Gerniaji official communique states "British attacks from Cource-lette-Gueudecourt-Lesboeufs line broke down." IMPORTANT GAINS BY THE FRENCH The High Commissioner reports: London, October 27, 12.45 a.m. Tho French official report states: "North of tho Somme important gains were mado. North-east of Lesboeufs we rapidly captured two liew_ trenches, and also a strongly organised system of trenches westwards of Saint Pierre Yaasfc Wood. A German attack this morning at Sailly Saillisel, constituting an important effort to drivo us out of the village, resulted in a complete check, and serious losses to. the enemy. • "Violent artillery fighting is in progress oil the Douaumonfc sector (Verdun). The totarnumber of unwounded German prisoners taken sinco October 24 on the Verdun front is 6000." ' VIOLENT ARTILLERY DUEL ON VERDUN FRONT. AnsLralian-NeTr Zealand Cable Association. (Ecutor's Telozram.) (Rec. November 3, 0.5 a.m.) Paris, November 2. A Frenoh official communique stateß: "On the Verdun front the artillery duel is most violent on the Donaumontseotor. We have taken at Verdun, since October 24, a total of 6011 unwounded prisoners. The material captured on October 24 alone, E o far as has been counted, includes fifteen guns (including fivo heavy guns), fifty-ono trench guns, 144 machine-guns, and two wireless installations. The day has been quiet onthe rest of tho front. Two German aeroplanes fell in fights in tho air over the Somme yesterday." THE ZENITH OF BRITAIN'S EFFORT GREAT HOPES FOR NEXT SPRING. New York, November 1. Froderio Reno C'ouderfc (Director of tho Freucli Alliance in America), who has visited the West front, says that Britain will roach the zfltiitli of her preparations next spriDg, when cho will have five times her present number of igunn.