THE BATTLE ON THE ANCRE'

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2930, 16 November 1916, Page 5

THE BATTLE ON THE ANCRE'

* 'BRITISH SUCCESS FOLLOWED UP VILLAGE OF BEAUCOURT CAPTURED . The High Commissioner reports':— _• London, November 14, 12.5 p.m. A British official report istates: "We stormed the heavily fortified works at Beaumont-Hamel, and advanced to tho outskirts of Beauoourt, taking 4000 prisoners. ■ Fighting continues." , " \ ■ . London, November 14, 11.35 p.m. A British official report sta/tes: "Tho village Beaucourt-Sur-Ancre is now ours. The total number of prisoners taken is now reported to be 5000, and more are coming in. To-day a successful local advance was.niade eastwards of Butte de Warlencourt. Practically all our objectives were gained." STORY OF THE ATTACK ' .VIVID ACCOUNT. BY MR. PERCIVAL GIBBON, (By Telegraph—Pwss Association—Copyright). Auelralian-New Zealand.'Oable Association, [ ■ (Rec. November 15, 11.45 p.m.) ' /' . , ) London, November 15. Mr. Percival Gibbon, telegraphing on Monday, sgjs: "The British objectives in the present attack included.a formidable tangle of'trenches and communications on both flanks of Beaumont-Hamel, the most complicated and. elaborate works that tho enemy has yet constructed on this front. The village and line generally had been subjected for days past to short .bursts of intense fire from our heavy guns, especially at strong points in the salient. Yesterday the shelling was serious, precise, and calculated; searching the whole line. Finally, this morning, _ before daylight, a barrage was put on, and the attack began shortly after six o'clock. Beaumont-Hamel, in the centre, was carried almost in a single rush, the troops plugging across the village to the sloping ground beyond, and to the road, winding towards the Ancre. ' The land to the northward rises in a broad swell towards Serre, and thither the troops rushed, and'earried all the enemy's positions, until they had advanced well up the slopes. Then they dug themselves in successfully. The attack at these points met with the success of surprise. Wounded men state that the first trench was weakly held, but the attackers encountered strong forces in the fourth trench, where the enemy, escaping from the advanced positions through tho tangle of intricate communications, had gathered. Brisk fighting ensued. Nothing remained of Beaumont-Hamel, which was levelled like Pozieres and a dozen other villages fiver which the tidal wave' of battle has rolled. There is' not even a bouse, and no signs of where one stood, but thirty feet below ground a new village had been created —a labyrinth of great dugouts, lavishly excavated, and finished with typical German thoroughness. The ■position south of .the Ancre was carried with equal success. The new line traversed the outskirts of Beaucourt." UNPRECEDENTED ADMISSION BY THE ENEMY .(Aust.—N.Z. Cable Assn. and, lieuler.) I London, November 14. 'A' German communique admits the capture by the British of BeaumontHamel and St. Pierre Divion, with.the laiteral connecting lines, and adds: "Our stubborn defence caused us important losses." The latter admission is almost unprecedented. DIFFICULTIES OF THE ATTACK BIGGEST BAG OF PRISONERS SINCE SOMME ADVANCE " • BEGAN. \ Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. (Rec. November 15, 6.50 p.m.) rp, , , „ ... , Paris, November 14. ihe newspapers applaud the Bntish success on the Ancre. It was they say, all themore remarkable as the weather was not perfect. Tho assault commenced in a thick fog. The preliminary efforts to reduce the salient northwest of Thiepval included an immense number of aerial reconnaissances Sir Douglas Haig thus ascertained the csact nature of the obstacles which' tho enemy had accumulated, and the explosion of many mines enabled the seizure of important "points d'appui" on the German first line. The battle in the fog necessitated infinite precautions. _ The troops, advancing without the aid of the airmen, were obliged to exercise every care lest they should mistake their own side for the enemy. The haul of prisoners was the largest made since the advance on the Sommo began. Sir Douglas HaiVs push was based on the desire to remove an awkward angle in the line before resuming the grand attack on Bapaume.

BRITISH PRESS COMMENT

ENEMY SHORT OF RESERVES

„„ ... London, November 14. lag succcsses of the British in the Ancre region are enthusiastically commented upon in tho Press. The "Times" Military Expert says that they i prove that the Germans have insufficient reserves to protect tlio entire line, ma Kjne surprise attacks in unexpected places successful, and creating the possibility of a general abandonment, of fciie German front.