SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17286, 29 September 1916, Page 4

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT, NEARLY FOUR THOUSAND' PRISONERS. FURTHER PROGRESS. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, September 27. A British official message says that during tho past forty-oignt hours the j prisoners taken number. between 3GOO j and 4000. . , j Our new position has been secured. In the night patrols and detachments passed forward at many places in touch with the enemy. Wo progressed in the night, particularly in the direction of Eaucourt l’Abbave. ! — i

REDOUBT NEAR THIEPVAL STORMED.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received September 28, 7.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 28. Sir Dougins Haig reports: —e made excellent progress. We carried trenches on a trout of two .thousand yards northward of Flers. There was fierce fighting north-east of Thiepval, whore we stormed and hold the Stuff Redoubt. Ten thousand prisoners were taken in the past fortnight. Northward of Flers we are now level with the cast side of Eaucourt-l’Ab-baye. The Stuff redoubt is on the main ridge, 2000yds north-east of Thiepval. Upwards of 1800 rifles and many thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition and grenades were taken by us in Combics, where 'the Allies also made a large capture of material. We destroyed two aeroplanes and two kite balloons on Tuesday. Two of our machines are missing.

BRITISH RAIDS. * LONDON, September 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— W.e successfully raided BoumontHamel and Loos, and shot down, nine aeroplanes.

WITH THE FRENCH.

NEW POSITIONS HELD.

FORTIFIED WOOD TAKEN.

The High Commissioner reports: — LONDON, September 27.

A French official message says : North of the Somme wo were organising now positions without reaction in the night

Yesterday evening a brilliant attack enabled us to take a fortified wood east of Vermandovillers.

COUNTER-ATTACKS BEATEN.

ENEMY’S HEAVY LOSSES.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association,

(Received September 28, 7.25 p.m.) PARIS, September 28.

A communique says:—The enemy strongly attacked our now .positions from Bouchavesnes to south of Bois l’Abbe farm. The French by a brilliant counter-offensive threw the assaulting waves hack in disorder with heavy losses. We appreciably progressed eastward and south-east of Rancourt, and penetrated St Pierre Vnast wood.

FRENCH AIRMEN.

BOMB ENEMY RAILWAYS.

PARIS, September 27. There have boon numerous air combats. We bombed enemy railways.

THE GERMAN SIDE 7

REPORTS MINIMISE ALLIED SUCCESSES. LONDON, September 27. A German conimuniaua says:—We

lost a projecting angle at Thiepval, and the enemy gained ground on both sides of Coureelette. Except for the occupation of Gucudecourt the enemy was Unable to profit by his Monday’s success. Wo repulsed attacks at Lesbceufs and from Morval to Bouchnvcsnes. Tho French attacks at Vermandoviilers and Chaulnes failed.

“ ALLIES’ MAD ATTACKS.”

SHORTENING OF LINE POSSIBLE | " TW Times ’’ Service. AMSTERDAM, September '27. i The P Frankfurter Zeitung M says:— “ Tho mad Allied attacks ort the Somme arc full of unparalleled courage fond savagery. We are endeavouring to keep back tho enemy and preserve an elastic connected front. Wc have lost longheld positions and villages and possibly more important shortenings in the most 1 front are contemplated in the interests I of all the fronts.

“ ALLIES CANNOT BREAK THROUGH.” Reuter’s Telostrams. AMSTERDAM, September 28. Tho “Frankfurter Zeitung ” admits that the Allies obtained a tactical advantage on the Somme on Tuesday. “It was terribly bloody for tho attacker and a test searching to • tho innermost heart for the. defender,” the journal declares. “ Streams of blood flowed. Incalculable quantities of projectiles crashed on. the German positions, but von Hindenburg is quietly proceeding on his course and will not be forced from his prearranged path by i\ hair breadth. It is impossible fo.* the enemy to break through.”

. DETAILS-OF FIGHTING.

GERMAN DEFENCE WEAKER

- BRILLIANT ARTILLERY WORK S4VEB MEN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 27. Correspondents at British Headquarters express the opinion that the very small cost and great success of the offensive are due to the excellence of the artillery and tho real collapse of the defence. The fighting of the German infantry on Tuesday was markedly weaker ihan on Monday, and the artillery fire was spasmodic. The Anglo-French attack failed nowhere, ana several important points were taken without opposition. The whining tone of the German communique emphasises the impression of failure.

In addition to the capture of Thiepval and Combles, the French to the south have reached the canal running north-east of the Somme along the Tortille Valley, coming into, direct touch with the defence works at Mont Saint Quentin. Thus Mont Saint Quentin is receiving the treatment that has been so successful at Combics, and the break across the Bapnume-Peronne road has been considerably enlarged, while British cavalry are in action beyond Gueudecourt.

ENEMY SHOWS LESS SPIRIT.

Reuter's Telegrams.

LONDON, September 27.

Reuter’s correspondent at headquarters states:—We learned from prisoners that the Germans proposed to evacuate Combles during the night, so our artillery barraged intensely all night across their line of retreat to prevent the German withdrawal. Hence the enormous booty. A captured German officer said that the officers could not get the men to fight, the men retorting that the officers were shirking and going into hospital on the smallest pretext,. The correspondent adds that the enemy is showing less stomach for fight, while the spirit of our men beggars description.

SCENE IN COMBLES

FIFTEEN HUNDRED DEAD. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association PARIS, September 27. Fifteen hundred enemy do a/- were

counted in the streets of Combles. and hundreds of wounded were extricated from the cellars of houses. * The Germans left two battalions in fortified houses with orders to hold out to tho last. The British, in order \ to avoid losses, carried out a big fresli bombardment, and the enemy could not continue the struggle.

THE CAPTURE OF THIEPVAL.

POWERFULLY ORGANISED REGION. Reuter’s Telegrams. (Received September 29, 12.50 a.m.) PARIS, September 28. The attack on Thiepval began- at noon. A , regiment advancing northward from Ovillers struck on the southern side and carried a portion of tho Leipzig redoubt. Other contingents came from Du Mouquot farm and a hill near the Albert highroad. Out men, with irresistible impetuosity, plunged into the ruined village by the Pozieres road,'a heavy curtain'fire preventing the enemy from bringing up reinforcements from Beaucourt. The fortified system of Thiepval covered a square mile. The’attackers found that the underground galleries had resisted the bombardment of the heaviest guns and howitzers. Each cellar _wai strengthend with steel armour and concrete until it was a small fortress. Many galleries were fitted with lijfts, by which machine-guns could instantly be lifted into position. Fortunately th< defence was less determined than wa* expected. ' Some 1300 prisoners have already come to the base. They confirm - tha reports that the garrison was surprised by the force of the attack and thrown into panic. The officers vainly tried to rally the men, out many surrendered without firing a shot. Prisoners 6tate that eight German battalions were practically wiped’out in Tuesday’s fighting.'

THE ALLIES’ GAINS.

RESULTS OF THE OFFENSIVE, “ The Time* ” Service. (Received September 29, 12.50 a.m.) PARIS,’ September 28. Since the beginning of tho Allied offensive, forty-five villages and 117 square miles of territory have been captured. Sixty-one German divisions have been badly broken, each losing, about three thousand men.

THE KING’S fVSESSACE.

GALLANT FRENCH TROOPS. , , Australian and N.Z. Cable Association

(Recoil ed September 28; 7 p.m.)

LONDON. September 27. The King, replying- to President Poincare’s congratulations to tho British Army on its two days’ successes, says: “These could not have been achieved without the splendid support of the gallant French troops ou our right. fighting for one common objective.”

BREAKING DAY. GERMANS' MORALE BREAKING PRISONERS ACKNOWLEDGE BRITISH VICTORY. (Received September 28, 5.25 p.m.) LONDON, September 28. Mr Philip Gibbs writesln the night the enemy troops between Morval and Sailiy melted away. Our cavalry patrols were out trying to find the rearguard, but our gunners were quick to find a • target and clouds of shrapnel burst, over' masses oi men and .threw them into a pane-stricken rout. They flung down rifles and packs and fled to le Tran sidy, leaving many dead and wounded in their wake. , The worst thing that has happened to the enemy is that Ins morale ' is breaking. The enemy fought well, but he saw that if ho held on longer he must die or be captured. -As soon as our men swept across the trenches and sunken roads and entered the villages, the garrisons cair.fi' from underground and surrendered in heaps. They could have fought longer and harder, perhaps, but 'only with their backs against the walls, asking for death. They had not the spirit to do that. They were done, dazed bv the appalling intensity oi the shell tire and disheartened by the unfailing regularity with which the British have captured their strongholds since July. Their confidence and faith in the German War Machine is destroyed. They are stupefied by the grim wav wp have attacked, reckless of loss. ’I saw 1200 prisoners brought in. mostly Prussians. 'Many confessed that it was a grea t British victory. These men, as a whole, have non© ot. the braggart confidence of the prisoner! of a year ago. -

NEW ZEALANDERS.

ATTAINED EVERY OBJECTIVE. (Special from the New Zealand OfliciaJ War Correspondent.) HEADQUARTERS, September, 25. The veteran brigade of the New Zealand force had its chance in today’s renewal of the offensive which commenced on September 15. The advanced as if on parade on a front of 1805 yards, taking a line of trenches and penetrating' to a depth of mi yards. Owing largely to the work of the artillery, the resistance was not great, but. the brigade killed and took prisoner, a considerablei num ber of the enemy and captured an important strong point north of *l<£S, known as the Factory Corner. Our casualties were slight. To-night the brigade is digging in on a new Ime. up to the present the New Zealand troops have reached their objective on every occasion, doing all they were asked *nd something mere.