The War News.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 6 July 1916, Page 3

The War News.

FRIDAY

British Bombardment — Italians Still Advancing — Half of Lost Ground Regained — 'Russian Success near Riga.

An intense British bombardment has been in progress over the whole front since Monday. Destruction has been caused wherever the guns can range. In the Loos salient the British fire has been particularly severe. The Germans have made but slight reply.

f^fie situation.on the Verdun \^#t is unchanged. The French have made progress near Thiaumont, and have repulsed German attacks on Fleury and Hill 304.

The Italians recovered in two days half the territory won by the Austrians after 45 days' severe fighting, involving them in 130,000 casualties. The Austrians are now offering greater resistance in the Trentino but the Italians have nevertheless made considerable progress.

A German gas attack in -great strength south-east of Riga has been repulsed by the Russians.

SATURDAY

Bombardment Fiercer — German Trenches Pounded—Russian Advance on Kolomea —Italian Attack Qorz Position.

The British bombardment on the western front has increased in intensity. Not only the first line of German trenches has been damaged, but at certain points the British artillery has reached the second and third lines.

The French artillery has become active on the Aisne, in the Champagne, and in the Argonne, and. enemy organisations have been wrecked.

The situation on the Verdun front is unchanged. German atttacks near 304 and Thiaumont have been repulsed. A Paris newspaper estimate places the German losses before Verdun in 130 days at half-a-million.

A violent Russian blow between the Dniester and the Pruth drove the enemy back in the direction of Kolomea. The Russians captured three lines of trenches by means of massed attacks on a front of 25 miles. The capture of another 10,000 prisoners in one day is reported by the Russians, whose total captures are now 205,000.

From the Austrians comes ! intimation of the resumption of the Italian attack on Gorz. After a heavy bombardment, infantry assaults were made on Doberdo and the village of Saa Martin. MONDAY, British Offensive — Advances in Somme Region — Successes over Sixteen Miles—Over 5000 Prisoners Taken — Russian Capture of Kolomea.

A British offensive, which commenced at 7.30 p.m. on Saturday morning, July 1, over a front of 20 miles north of the River Somme, broke the German forward defences over 16 miles. The point of attack is near the function of the British and French lines, and the French forces on the British right attacked simultaneous, with equally satisfactory results. The sector attacked by the British lies east of Albert and generally north of that town. Three villages have been captured, and other strategic points won or threatened. The French have won a tillage and a wood. The French and British

offensives together cover a front >f 25 miles north and south of S^he Somme. The British have "taken 2000 and the French 3500 prisoners.

The British raiding tactics have proved of great value. They disclosed the identity of every German battalion on the front. The bombardment has been ot unprecedented violence. In some parts shells fell at the rate of 16 to the second.

There has been very heavy fighting for the work of Thiaumont, north of Verdun, The French, on Saturday, won the position, lost it, and finally regained it.

The Russians have captured the important railway centre of Kolomea, in Galicia, between Czernovitz and Lemberg. . The Austrians are retreating westward. Six thousaud prisoners fell to the victors, whose total is now 212,000,

THE WEEK'S SUMMARY.

TUESDAY

Further Allied Gains — Advances North of Somme — Impetuous British Charges—Russian progress near Kolomea.

The British and French have 7nade further advances in the region of the Sofnme River, the British capturing the village of Fricourt, 4% miles east of Albert. The French have repulsed violent counter-attacks at Hardecourt, and the British have done the same at Montauban. The French tally of prisoners is now 6000, and the British 3500. The enemy lost heavily, and the allies' losses were remarkably small.

The battlefront stretches from near Arras to beyond Roye. The British and French advance takes them in the direction of Bapaume. Allied airmen rendered important assistance during the offensive, making long-dis-tance reconnaissances and bombing railways.

Thiaumont work, north of Verdun, changed hands five times last Friday and Saturday, but the French finally established themselves on the ruins, which they still hold.

The Russians have stormed further positions in the Kolomea district, capturing 2000 prisoners, the majority of whom were intoxicated. The capture of Kolomea gives the Russians command of railways to Lemberg and through the Jablonitza Pass over the Carpathians into Hungary.

The Italians are attacking over the whole Trentino front. An Austrian gas attack failed to arrest their progress.

WEDNESDAY French take Villages — Progress South of the Somme — Whole Russian Front Active — Turks Repulsed in Caucasus. The French have captured the villages of Herbecourt, Feulleres, Assevilliers, Buscourt, and Flaucourt, which all lie south of the Somme and west of Peronne. They have captured the second line of German positions, and in some instances passed them. Their penetration into the enemy's front is in some places ov^r three miles. The British have made progress at several points, and taken hostile works.

The British total of prisoners is now 4300, and the French 8000. Both allies have captured large quantities of war material. The allied offensive caused a panic in Berlin.

The withdrawal of some German artillery from the Verdun^front has brought relief to the French.

A Russian communique reports most violent fighting on the whole front from Riga to the Caucasus. Many enemy attacks have been repulsed, and near Smorgon, south-east of Vilna, 2300 prisoners and many guns were captured. A general Turkish offensive in the Caucasus has been repulsed.

Tne Italians have gained further ground in the Trentino.

THURSDAY

French Advancing —Three miles from Peronne — Russian Success at Baranovitch.

The French forces have driven a wedge into the German third line ai Flaucourt, and are within three miles of the small town of Peronne. Their artillery dominates the only three supply roads the Germans possess.

A battle is raging at Baranovitch, 70 miles north of Pinsk, where the Russians pierced the enemy's works and captured nearly 3000 prisoners.