SAILLISEL CARRIED RY THE FRENCH

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2928, 14 November 1916, Page 7

SAILLISEL CARRIED RY THE FRENCH

AFTER A BRILLIANT ASSAULT MAGNIFICENT WORK BY BRITISH GUNS (Aust.—N.Z. Cable Assn. .and Ecutcr.) ■ London, November 12. A French official communique states: "North of the Somme we progressed north of Saillisel and in the eastern portions of the village. The enemy violently bombarded tho whole district 6outh,of the Somme. An attack-south-east of Berny was broken, and wo captured a trench • opposite Armancourt." The High Commissioner reports:— London, November 12, 11.40 p.m. "North of the Somme our troops, achieving the conquest of Saillisel, reduced with grenades,-some isolated positions in a part of the villago where fractions of the Germans still resisted. All the village is now ours. The Gorman losses in this combat have been very high, judging by the, numerous bodies in the conquered ground." STORY'OP THE ASSAULT > 'Eeuter's TWegrnni.t (Rec. November 13, 10.15 p.m.) <' . Paris, November 13. • The Battle of Saillisel was resumed on Saturday afternoon, after an artillery preparation which swept away, tho enemy's new works.' The French detachments assaulted the ruins of the village, and desperate fighting ensued, tho enemy offering a most vigorous resistance. Nevertheless the fiery dash of the French crumpled up two Bavarian battalions, and they retook the greater part of the village. The houses wcro carried one by one. Each harboured one or more machine-guns. By four o'clockthe whole of tho central part of the village was in our hands. The battle continued throughout the whole of the evening and the greater part of the night. A document found on a Staff officer showed that the Gorman command had ordered Saillisel .to be held "at al| costs." : THE RECAPTURE OF FORT DOUAUMONT London, November 12. Reuter's correspondent, at French Headquarters, after n. visit to Fort Douaumont, says that owing to a big explosion in the magazine the Germans abandoned it hurriedly. They undoubtedly intended to return, hut the French forestalled them. The German stories oF the destruction of the fort arc inventions, for, excepting a large hole in the roof, the fort is undamaged. Besides a: large quantity.,of stores, two 75's, and a heavy gun left when tho French evacuated the fort, were found. • ' The remains of 60 Germans, who wore asphyxiated months ago by an explosion, remain immured in an inner wall.

ON THE BRITISH FRONT, (Aust -N.Z. Ca,ble Assn. ajid Reutor.l : London, November 12. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Last night we successfully released gas southward of Ypres." (Bee. November 13, 8.65 p.m.) v London, November LI. Sir Douglas Haig reports:, "The enemy's artillery was active at Leshoeufs and Eaucourt L'Abbaye. We twice discharged gas north of the Ancre." '-..," A PERFECT BARRAGE" : ■ An.«lrn'iiin.ff«w Kroland CaWe Association. ••• ;'■ (Rcc. November 13, 5.5 p.m.) • London, November 12. Mr.PercivalGibbonwrit.es: "The capture, of the Begina trench was a minor operation, but a necessary onc.jfor various reasons, particularly because it was a regular hot-bed of signers, who wore talcing an unceasing toll on our positions. A Staff officer declares that the barraco preceding the attack was the bpst we had ever put over. The precision with which the guns kent ahead of the infantry was wonderful, and artillery officers sneak of it with delight. The infantry's task was heavy, but it '"lighf. Inyo been worse. The remnants of the garrison_ surrendered in true Hun fashion the moment our bombers commenced to drive trench-wise. A noteworthy feature of the onemv's defence was the variety of their machine-guns, which included .Russian Maxims and Austrian puns that had been captured by the Russians and retaken by the Germans." . <