SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17280, 22 September 1916, Page 5

SOMME BATTLE.

THE BRITISH FRONT.

COUNTER-ATTACKS CONTINUE

Tho High Commissioner' reports: —• , LONDON. September 20.

The British official report says fho general situation south of tho Ancro is unchanged. Determined counter-at-tacks of the enemy were repulsed. A minor enterprise at Arras was successful. '

HEAVY RAIN FALLING

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received September 21, 9.10 p.m.)

LONDON, September 21

Sir Douglas Haig reports:—!hero is heavy rain and considerable hostile artillery activity southward ot tho Ancro.

THE POSITIONS WON

GUNS DOMINATE FOE.

Reuter’s Telegrams.

LONDON, September 20. Headquarters correspondents emphasise the importance of the. possession of the forward slope and high ground from Ancro to tho Combles valley. It gives our artillery a dominating position, enabling it to ceaselessly pound the Germans, inflicting heavy losses and preventing them from making tne trenches habitable. The capture of tho very strong Quadrilateral trench greatly strengthens our position between Gmchy and Guillemont. , , ' Fighting here occurred in a deluge ol rain, tho ground being _ a perfect morass. Many enemy machine gufinois and snipers had to desert their lairs to escape drowning. *

WITH THE FRENCH.

ATTACKS NEAR CLERY

LIVELY ARILLERY DUELS

AuetraHan and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 20.. A French communique, says : The Germans attacked positions from Clery road to the Somme and were repulsed by a vigorous counter-attack. ■\Vc threw out a few Germans who penetrated our advanced trenches in the southern part of this sector. .There has been lively artillery ngnting at Bouchavesnes. Tlio High Commissioner reports: — LONDON, September 20. The French official report says:-* North of the Somme the German attack from the Clery road as far ns the Somme was broken by a barrage and hiacliine-gun fire. Tho attack did not reach the lines anywhere.' Southward of the Somme enemy soeA tions entered advanced portions of onr linos, but were immediately ejected by a vigorous counter-attack.

GREAT GERMAN EFFORT

BROKEN.

ATTEMPT TO EASE PRESSURE ON COMBLES. -

Reuter's Telegrams. (Received September 21, 9.10 p.m.) PARIS, September 21.

A communique says:—North of the Somme the Germans made a great effort to recover their lost positions. Tho battle lasted from nine o’clock in the morning, till nijjhtfall. Successiv.o

waves of the, enemy in masses were crushed by machine-gun and artillery fire, and sometimes with tho bayonet. Tho French retained the whole of tho ground. .• Tho Germans attacked on a front of fivo kilometres from la Priez Farm to south of Abbo Wood Farm. Tho attacking masses on each occasion tvero preceded by a furious cannonade. Tho French magnificently resisted all tiro assaults And repulsed the enemy by a crossfire from machine guns and artillery. They everywhere maintained their positions. Fighting was fiercest in tho vicinity of la Priez Farm and in the region of Bouchavesnes. Four waves of tho assault in front of la Priez Farm were successively broken by gun fire, and the enemy masses werp seen to disintegrate in disorder behind a ridge, leaving the ground covered with corpses. The Gormans in the Bouchavesnes sector, after several sanguinary defeats, succeeded at 1 p.m. in gaining a lodgment in the north-eastern part of tho .village, but wore driven out with the bayonet by an irresistible counter-attack. The enemy’s losses every where' were tho greatest. ■

THE GERMAtt SIDE.

WASTAGE IN MATERIAL,

VON FALKENHAYN’S ORDER FOR ECONOMY.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 20. ,A captured document signed b f General von -Falkenhnyn, while Chief of the General Staff on August 24, states: — t Tlio wastage of our guns in the last few months has been considerably in excess of production. This is equally true of our reserves L of ammunition, of which there has boon a serious diminution. ' • It is the duty of all ranks, not only the artillery, to endeavour to remedy this serious state of things. Wo must seriously endeavour to preserve material, otlierwiso it will bb impossible to make good our losses and place new formations in the field.

HEAVIER ATTACKS COMING.

ENEMY’S VIEW OF ALLIES’

PLANS

(Received September 21, 10.55 p.m.) PARIS, September 21.

A confidential document found on a Somme prisoner signed by the Chief of the Staff of 1 the Third Army, dated September 14, states:—lt is certain that the Allies will make more formidable attacks. The present fighting is only, a prelude to more important lighting'. Therefore it is essential that all troops remain at any cost to the last man, rather than concede ground. Officers unable to obtain such a promise from their men will bo court-martiailed.

“THESE MONSTERS. ’

GERMAN VIEW OF THE TANKS.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

(Received September 21, 10.55 p.m.) PARIS, September 21.

An official paper found on a German major taken prisoner refers to the Tanks and says:—“ These new engines’ cruelty equals their efficiency. Steps must be taken to combat these monsters.” '

THE RECENT FIGHTING.

NEW ZEALANDERS’ BRAVERY

WORK OF NEW ’TROOPS

Reuter's Telegrams,

LONDON, September 20.

Mr Philip Gibbs, describing the British advance, says:—Such foul weather! Wo seem back to winter, mud and rain and . mist making it impossible for the aeroplane!? to sec. The gunnel's shout and the infantry signal their whereabouts. 1 Blit it is a great sight to watch the troops marching in glistening waterproofs and steel helmets into the. firing line and utterly refusing to surrender. They are in good spirits.

I. have been spending &fpur days among tho men who have broken tho Plors line, and my most striking discovery was that tho great deed was dono by the newest troops. Some Derby recruits were engaged, the older hands wondered how they stuck to it, but the newcomers leapt the German trenches with the spirit of the oldest fighters. The Londoners did .gloriously, having one of hardest points of attack, and youiig civil servants and city clerks fought sternly and .endured all with stoicism.

Mr Philip Gibbs adds that the Canadians won great glory on Friday and Saturday. ' They came from tho Yprcs salient to tho Somme determined to get their own back. The attack was finely organised, and when the facts are known it will be regarded as a great military achievement. 'flie French Canadian unit was particularly brilliant. It captured a German stronghold and took hundreds of prisoners. .;

The Now Zealanders, clean-cut handsome fellows, followed the great example which the set in the fight around Pozicres. Tho New Zealanders’ gallant charge at dawn on Friday will long be remembered. They crossed “No Man’s Land,” over tho Gorman trenches, and out beyond' in pursuit of the retreating enemy. THE BRITISH GUARDS.

Tho Guards at Flers fouglit as they always fight, with superb discipline. They, are not tho Guards who fought at Ypres or at Loos, hut their sacred tradition remains, and their physical standard has not been lowered a hair s breadth. . Tho Guards-had to pass machine guns which swept their ranks with enfilade fire, but they gained ground with a series of charges, which went straight through three lilies of German trenches. Heavy fighting followed, hut tho Guards held’ their ground against tho strongest counterattacks. THE TANKS. ' Tho full narrative of the achievements of the Tanks shows tha\ among the most .dramatic and gallant records of the war was when one ambled to within four hundred yards of Gombles, far in advanco of the infantry, and. sat for five hours fighting tho-enemy alone, shooting down, the German bombing parties, until tli'e Tank . was severely damaged. Another reached Morval, but, finding that it bad left the infantry behind, it went back to' inquire, and found that German bombers had held up the infantry in the trenches. The Tank bucked over tho trench crushing the -bombers like ar.ts into the earth, before .falling into a deep shell-crater and toppling over. Tho Tank was hero for' an hour and a half and formed a Varricade between the British and German bombers. Tho crew, got out and tried to hoist the Tank from the shell-hole under the heavy firo. Finally the skipper and tlib survivors abandoned tho derelict, though tho monster was. still used as a barricade. A third .Tank so frightened tho enemy that a hundred came out with white flags and followed the monster hack to 'our lines. Three Tanks marched into Flers and .lolloped around tho town in a free and easy manner, compelling the garrison, hiding in dugouts, to surrender in small, scared groups.

‘y ; - I MILITARY MEDALS.

NEW ZEALANDERS HONOURED.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

(Received September 22, 1.45'a.m.) LONDON, September 2L Military Medals have been awarded to the following. New Zealanders:— Sergeant Blister (Canterbury). Sergeant Crawford (Auckland). Sergeant Holmes (Wellington). Sergeant -Sommers (New Zealand Rifle Brigade). . Sergeant S. Williams (Fi&ld Artillery), Corporal A. Wright (Rifle Brigade). Lance-Corporal Bedgood (Rifle Brigade). ‘ •Lance-Corporal Reco.tte (Rifle Brigade). . Bombardier F. Kennedy. Bombardier Ktilitz. Gunner W. Millar. 1 Gunner Osmers. Gunner Savigny.j , Sapper Linklater. Private Geaney (Rifle Brigade). Private O’Keudry (Otago).