THE WAR

Horowhenua Chronicle, 29 September 1916, Page 3

THE WAR

(Aufitralia-New Zealand Cable Service.) g ALLIES STILL ADVANCING. ts .0 M' t London, Sept. 28. • Sir Douglas Haig reports:— y We made excellent, progress land carrid trendies on a front of two tiionsand yards northward of Flers. There is fierce fighting north-east of Thiepval, where we stormed and hold j. the Staff redoubt. I Ton thousand Germans were taken e prisoner in a fortnight. B North-eaot of Flcrs w© are now 1 level with tho east side of Eaucourt- ] labbaye. Tlie Staff redoubt is on tho B nia,in ridge two thousand! yards northeastward of Thiopval. f Upwards of 1800 rifles, many thotia sands of rounds of artillery ammurtition and grenades were taken by us , <at Combles, where the Allies allso , made large raptures of material. , We destroyed two aeroplanes and , two kite balloons on Tuesday. Two of our machines are missing. I Paris, Sept. 28. ' A communique state:— The enemy strongly attacked our new position® from Bouchaveanos to southward of Ik)is!abbe Farm. Tlie French, in a brilliant counter-offen-sive, threw back the assaiulting waves in disorder with heavy losses. We appreciably progressed! eastward and south-east of Rancourt, and penetrated Saint Pierre Vast Wood. Paris, Sept. 28. Since th beginning of the offensive forty-five villages and 117 square miles hare been captured. Sixty-one Ger- ! man divisions were grueled, each losiing about three thousand men. FALL OF THIEPVAL. Paris, September 28. The attack on iThiepval began at noon. A regimenfr advancing northwards from Ovillers struck tho southern side and carried a portion of Liep- ! zig redoubt. Other contingents came fromMouqnet Farm and *a hill near Albert highroad. Our men with irre.si.stable impetuosity phrnged into a ruined village by Pozieres roadt, a heavy curtain of fire preventing the enemy bringing up reinforcements from Beaucort. Tlie fortified system of Thiepval covered a square mile of ground. Tlie attackers found that the underground galleries had resisted bombardtment by tho heaviest guns and howitzers. Each cellar had been strengthened by steel armor and concrete until it was a small fortress. Many galleries were fitted with lifts whereby machine guns were instantly lifted into position. Fortunately the defence was less determined than expected. Thirteen hundred prisoners have already come into the base, confirming the reports that the garrison whk surprised by the force of the attack and, thrown into a panic. Tho officers vainly endeavored to rally tho inen. Many surrendered without firing a shot.

IN TRANSYLVANIA.

I' London, September 28. A Humanism ervnimimiquo says:— Pierce fiiglitijio; "ontijniisouth :,i I Httrniminstadit. The Rumanians in the Vukan l'a«ss attacked itiid 'iroi't? fj.'ick tlw. iut.-iaiy who are rvtinn:.; lui.-jt : i> -Mm ard. GERMANS FEEBLE RESISTNCE. A Headquarters correspondent reports that prisoners state most of the officers in the German rgiments on the Somme were killed and others said they were suffering fram stomach-ache in order to get away. When the trenches were taken the British found only non-coma, and privates. This is reported bacause it is true, but people ■must not dnan' too large an inference from the behaviour of particular units. The air is full of rumours owing to the intoxicating air of victory. It is foolish to attempt to guess how far reaching the results will be and we must awa.it what is behind the immediate feebleness of the resistance. Barring exceptions, the story of the last few days of fighting is the most discreditable to the Germans since the begin uing of the battle.