BRITISH ADVANCE CONTINUES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2931, 17 November 1916, Page 5

BRITISH ADVANCE CONTINUES

HEAVY ATTACK ON THE FRENCH ,

PREPARATIONS FOR 1917

WHAT THE ENEMY IS DOING

SERBIAN OFFENSIVE RESUMED

The British on the Ancre have further advanced their new line at Beaumont Bamel, and the toll o£ prisoners has reached 6000. Sir Douglas Haig's, dispatch gives a glimpse of the nature of the battle, which must have been grim 7 relentless, and terrible in its intensity. A French writer says that tho Battle of Beaumont Hamel will go down in history as "one of the bloodiest of the war," aud reading between the lines of the British Commander's dispatch one can very well believe it. The Germans have attempted a grand coup on tbe French front on the Sonimc, launching a terrific accompanied by every variety of bombardment. Tbe attempt was a failure, and a very costly one. There seems to be some- activity in the Trentiiio, but the nature and esttent of it has not yot transpired. Tbe Italian communique says very little, and tho Austrian 'communique—we have had no Austrian communique for nearly a week! The situation in Rumanian remains very much as it was yesterday. In the Balkans tho Serbians, after a brief lull, have successfully resumed their offensive against the' Bulgars. 'An important statement has been, made in the British Parliament by tho President of the Board of Trade, who, replying to a question in the House, foreshadowed tbo appointment of a Food Dictator, with extensivo and drastio powers.

BRITISH SECURE THEIR NEW FRONT "BAG" OF PRISONERS SWELLING I FRENCH LINE HEAVILY ATTACKED v The High Commissioner reports:— ~ ~'■''■ London, November 15,12.15^p.m. A British official, report states: "During the night wo made secure the | ground won by, us. More prisoners were taken. The number will be reported, later." ; A HARD-WON BATTLE I . SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. ~.',: (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright). •'•■'.•.."'' (Aust.—N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reutor.) • , (Rec..November 16, 9,30 p.m.) I ■ '.' '* ' London, November 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We have further advanced on c-ur front northward of the Ancre.. The prisoners taken ,on this sector total 5678. Our troops have shown conspicuous skill, dash and fortitude." Our success was • not won without a hard struggle, owing to the enemy's strong resistance and the condition of the ground. • Our losses,- considering our gains, were » not high.• 'One division advanced over a mile, and took prisoner 1000 of the : enemy at the expense of 450 casualties. We have established ourselves in i the positions winch were won on Tuesday eastward of Butte de Warlencourt. 8 Our'artillery dispersed a.- concentration of the enemy's troops nt one point 3 for a counter-attack. Our aeroplanes successfully attacked an aerodrome, l railways, stations,^and rolling stock." . GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. I -■•'■'" London, November 15. A German official communique states: "Yesterday was a great day of ■'. battle oh the Ancre, equalling the battle of November 13. The English attacked iii Heavy masses, and captured l Beairmont-Hamel. Elsewhere, they , failed." The communique shows that tho Brandenburgers' and a Guards division were among the.troops opposing the British. '. t . .". ■.- ' ./'•' .•"'•.„' ■' ",■'''.... ~\ r " ONE OF THE BLOODIEST BATTLES OF THE WAR" 1 ■'■.■'"' ~ "■ ; • TEN HOURS OF HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING. ' ." ? ' Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. 1 (Eec. November 16, 10.55 p.m.) 5 0 3 Paris, November 16. The "Liberte" says: "The battle at BeaumontrHamel will go down in history as one of the bloodiest of the war. The Germans regarded the village as being even stronger:than.Thiepval and Combles. When the British had carj ried five lines of trenches they encountered concealed 1 machine guns behind J village walls, and also an intense artillery fire. A hand-to-hand struggle lasted for,ten hours. The Germans must have lost at least 8000 at Beau-mont-Hamel alone." '; ••- M. MarcelHutin, in the "Echo de Paris,"- says: "There is no doubt that Germany's unreserved, admission of defeat) and of nor heavy losses on the Ancre was intended to justify her general mobilisation plans." f '.. ; . y OUTPOSTS OF BAPAUME UNDER FIRE n ■ - FURIOUS FIGHTING AT BEAUMONT-HAMEL. it Paris, November 15. 1 The "Petit Parisieu" states that Beaumont-Hamel and Beaucourt constituted formidable German bastions for many months. The number of prisoners taken is 6000, and! the total of tbe enemy's losses is 15,000. The Bria - tish pentrafed Beaumont on Monday morning, and a terrific struggle ensued. Gradually the enemy retired, until the occupation of the village was complete. The configuration of the ground favoured the enemy, who res' gained a foothold in the village and' opened a withering fire. Furious handi. to-hand fighting forced the British to yield ground, but they soon returned. Their charge swept through the village, and they took prisoner every German who was not killed 1 . '■ "The British were further engaged in brisk fighting on the Beaumont road, but the enemy line soon cracked up, the British gaining the road linking up Beaumont and Beaucourt. The British entered Beaucourt after 36 m. hours of tho violent struggle, the advance here amounting to a inilo and a quarter in depth. The British lire now dominates Grandcourt and Mvrauns mont, which are tbe outposts of Bapaume." hto ~ f s OVERSEA TROOPS NOT IN ACTION. • London, November 15. The "Daily Mail" states that the British losses on the Ancre- are small in comparison with tho magnitude of the victory. The oversea troops did not participate. The English county regiments had a large share of the work, and all behaved magnificently. he DESPERATE ATTACKS ON NEW FRENCH POSITIONS sic - - 1S ' ENEMY REPULSED WITH HEAVY LOSSES. \ ' (Aust—N.Z. Cable Assn. and Ecutcr.) London, November 15. ;u- A French official communique states: "We made progress to the northre- era spur of St. Pierre Vaast Wood. After an intense bombardment the Ger--3m mans strongly counter-attacked the positions capturod by us on November !V r 7, from tbo Sugar Refinery at Ablainncourt to tbo C'haulnes Wood. Despite „£ the obstinacy of the assault and the large use of liquid fire and tear shells, 'he tho enemy was repulsed with heavy losses, though' some fractions managed .— to reach a group of houses east of Prossoir. A bombardment, which wc are effectively checking, continues throughout this region."

(Rec. November IG, 9.35 p.m.) Paris, November 16. 'A French official communique states:—"A furious battle continued all day on the Somme front. The enemy attempted a. powerful effort, with great forces, north and south of tlto Somnio simultaneously, but wore baffled by the French rcsistauce, .and only gained limited advantages at the cost of heavy losses. The attack north of tho Sornmo was made after an intense bombardment of our front from Lcsbocufs to the south of Bouchavesnes. The enemy gained a- lodgment on tbo west and north edges of St. Pierre Vaast wood, but everywhere else his attacks collapsed under our machineguns and curtain of fire. Tho -Germans south of the Somme renewed their attacks in tho afternoon on our front from ,Ab')aincourt to Chaulncs "Wood. Desperate fighting ended in a defeat for tho Germans, who sustained sanguinary losses, and returned to their trenches, except in the eastern part, of the village of Pressoir, where the enemy made progress. There is an intermittent cannonade on the rest of tho front." AIR RAID ON ZEEBRUGGE AND OSTEND HEAVY AND EFFECTIVE BOMBARDMENT. The High Commissioner reports:— London, Nov. 15, 4-.< to p.m. An Admiralty report states: "Early this morning.the submarine shelters at Zeebruggo and Ostend Harbours were again heavily bombarded by our squadrons of aeroplanes and seaplanes. Direct bits were recorded on shipping workshops, and also close to a power-station. A largo firo, probably in a petrol store, was also observed l . .The machines returned safely."ADVANCE IN THE DOBRUDJA .> VILLAGE SEIZED BY THE RUMANIANS PRESSURE IN THE JIUL AND ALT VALLEYS ' Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. j, London, November 15. A .Rumanian official communique states: ""We are pursuing the enemy beyond the frontier in the Slanicu and Oituz valleys. Enemy attacks at Dragoslavele were repulsed. Tbo enemy, reinforced, .forced us back slightly in the Alt and Jiul valleys. We havo progressed on the whole front in tbe Dobrudja, and 1 occupied the village of Boasic, on the Danube." RUSSIAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. London, November 15. A Russian official communique states: "The Rumanians repulsed the enemy north and south of th© Oituz valley, hut the enemy, who .had been considerably reinforced by Germans, pressed back the Rumanians in places in the Tiroului, Alt, and Jiul valleys." GERMAN TROOPS FROM THE DVINSK FRONT RECOGNISED. (Rec. November 16, 7.10 p.m.) Bucharest, November 15. A wireless message states that two companios of Serbian volunteers swam the .Danube and enlisted in the army of liberation. The 109 th Prussian Division, from Dvinßk, has been identified on tho Jiul front. WITH THE ALLIES IN THE BALKANS BRITISH BOMBARDMENT AT KRASTALI. (Aust.-NX Cable Assn. and Kcuter.) London, November 15. A' British report from Salonika states: "We shelled' and dispersed concentration of the enemy's troops at Krastali yesterday," FIERCE FIGHTING FOLLOWS A LULL SERBIAN OFFENSIVE FURTHER DEVELOPED. (Rec. November 16, 9.35 p.m.) London, November 16. A French offici.il communique from Salonika states: "After! a. vbrief lull fierce fighting was- resumed! in the Ccrna region. A, 'Serbian offensive developed on November 13 and 14, resulting in fresh successes. The G'erman-Bulgais have retired to the vicinity of Hill 1212, to the north-east, ever closely pressed by the Serbians, who captured the village of Gingel. The victorious march by the French and 'Serbian* continues the direction of Topavci. The fighting west of the Cerna has spread to the Kchali region. Three thousand two hundred prisoners were taken on the Oerna loop from November 10 to November 14. These included 600 Germans.

FIGHTING ON THE NARIUVKA ENEMY DRIVEN FROM OCCUPIED TRENCHES (Aust.-N.Z. Cable Assn. and Beuter.) . . London, November 15. A Russian official communique states: "We drove tho enemy from trenches he had occupied east of the village of Lipitz Dolnia-, on the Nariuvka River." i THE WAR ON THE ITALIAN FRONT AUSTRIAN ATTACKS IN'THE TRENTINO (Auet—N.Z- Cable Assn. and Keutor.) . London, November 15. An Italian official communique states: "We repulsed five attacks on the salient at San Marco,. inflicting heavy losses; but as' the' Austriaus heavily bombarded us wo evacuated some of our exposed trenches. Wo advanced at several points in the Carso."