SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17288, 2 October 1916, Page 6

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT.

NEARER TO LE SARS. The High .Commissioner reports:— .LONDON, September 29. A British official message -.toys:—The night was quiet on the greater part of the front. Our positions northwards of 1 luepyai were heavily shelled. Our bombers were active in the neighbourhood of Schwabcu redoubt and Hessian trench, parts of which the enemy stdl hold. \ stronglv defended farm scuth-wes* of le Sars was captured by us cany this morning. . (Received October 1, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 1. Sir Douglas Baig reports:--Our line was slightly advanced south ot ifiaucourt i'Abhayev

HUGE EXPLOSION

OBSERVED BY BRITISH AIRMEN.

Australian and N. 4. Cable Association. LONDON, September 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— Our aeroplanes northward of Ipres and soutn-east.of Bapaumo observed a' huge explosion like an ammunition dump being blown up. Tho smoke ascended nine'thousand feet.

SEVERE FIGHTING

PROGRESS MADE ON THE LEFT.

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, September 29. East of Lesboiufs we occupied 500 yards of enemy trenches. In tho Thiepval area there was heavy fighting around Staff Redoubt. Having taken an important section of the Hessian trench, we wore forced out by a coun-ter-attack, but regained it later. In this section in twenty-four hours we have taken 529 prisoners..

In spite of bad weather our aero-1 planes attacked moving ments. ■!

COUNTER-ATTACKS DEFEATED

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

LONDON* September 30. A British official report states;—Destremont Farm, south-west of LeSars. was consolidated, and in the Thiepval area our position was improved. At Stuff Redoubt, and the Hessian trench the cnemv counter-attacks were beaten off. The'fighting was very severe.

(Received-. October 1, 5.5 p.m.)

LONDON, September aO,

Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We have beaten off enemy counter-attacks in the neighbourhood of the Staff Redoubt and Hessian trench. Yesterday's fighting in this sector was very severeA division of the New Army has shown groat endurance and resolution. A London Territorial battalion made a successful raid south of Nouville St Yaast, entering trenches and taking prisoners. BRILLIANT SUCCESSES. JOFFRE'S CONGRATULATIONS. (Received October 1, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 30. General Joffre sent a message to Sir Douglas Haig congratulating him on the brilliant twecesses obtained by the British on September 15 and 10- They

were a sure guarantee of the final vie* tory over the enemy, whose physical and moral'forces were already shaken.

WITH THE FRENCH* ~ i . ,

PROGRESS FROM COMBLES.

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, Septemoer 29. . A French official message says.*-#. On the Somme we made new progress between Frcgicourt and Morvnl. There is artillery fighting of variabK intensity on both banks of the Somhie.

BAD WEATHER

(Received October 1, 5.5' p.m.)

PARIS, September 29. '

A. communique says:—The front is ■ A> comparatively quiet. Bad weather impedes operations. ,' -. •'- ' •' The High Commissioner reports:—; f ~: ,',.; LONDON, September 30^- : { -' A French official report states:—We - ,1 made grenade .attacks and progressed northwarda of Rancourt 'file weather • ' is bad- . ' • * '0 THE GERMAN SIDE. •", j, ' ADMITTING THE TRUTH. , AMSTERDAM. September »..•'■' /German war correspondents are no'ff admitting the fall of Combles. The "ivolni£clie Zeitung" says that : Thiepval was voluntarily ovacuated. OFFICIAL CLAIMS. - -v AMSTERDAM, September 29, : " A German communique says:—The ; Sommo battle has slackened.: A strong l; ' English attack between tho Ancre and i. Coiircelettc was repulsed.. ~; .-.i' (I» * October 1. 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, September 30. A German communique says:—After variable hard fighting " between . tho Ancre and Coureelette British attack* were repulse-d. PRINCE RUPPREGHT'S VIEW. "THE ENEMY IS TOO STRONG," '' : "* '. (Received October 1, 5.5 p.m.)~ '""' AMSTERDAM, September 3l). ."'. The Crown Prince Rupprecht of Ba-v . , varia, speaking to the "Berliner Tajgo-: blatt's " correspondent, said: " I can- -. ■■■■'■-.- not predict the future turn of events, , bat wo need not worry. All precau? " * tions have been taken. You caJl > couut on a very long offensive, based .' on the prodigious use of munitions. Our troops have done wonders, but the enemy is too strong. I am sure tha enemy wishes to reach a decision m. 191 G, but will fail. They will have to fight another winter."

THIEPVAL.

BELIEVED IT WAS IMPREGNABLE

"The Times" Service,' LONDON, September 29. A correspondent with Headquarters reports that captured officers freely confess that they believed-Thiepvai uu-, pregnable. It was stoutly defend** ■'*■ by veteran Wurtemburgers. ,•»,"'

THE" ENEMY'S FORCES, |

612 BATTALIONS,

Router'a Tolcgrarni.,' ■>:■■'. : -' PARIS, Sefitombar.'2o] A semi-official muf-.asrc; says ~h;u j

the Somite the enemy hav e thrown 300 battalions against the British and 31& against the French, of which sixtyeeven are new dirisions.

SURVEY OF BATTLE.

JOURNALISTS VIEWS.

GERMAN RESISTANCE WEAKER

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received October .1, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, September 30. The lull on the British and French fronts has afforded opportunity for correspondents to make a general survey of the battle. Mr Ashmead Barlett, writing in the "Daily Telegraph" after visiting the French front; says that the gjuns only cease to fire when they are seeking a. fresh objective. Their piles of shells never seem to diminish, whereas the Germans have to save their ammunition. The French command of the air l is so complete that it is no longer necessary to conceal the gMns- , Tne German artillery has been Aghting in almost total blindness since; they lost high ground near Peromy). Many high explosive shells fall in .the Somme River, throwing up mountains of mud. The Germans are replying with barrages against Anglo-French assaults.. ' Mr Philip. Gibbs, on ifcbo British front, insists in the importance of the continuance of fine weath<sr. Mist presents the aviators from Sporting, and the enemy is able to niiws troops for counter-attacks. Since toe British capure of the ridge the Shermans have been unable to move wtfantry, guns or transport by dayligh*. The Ger- ,, mans between the Amw.'e and the famine now know the ttjrture of living always "under great gujjs. . Other correspondents state that prisoners taken on the 'British front on Sunday, Monday and ffuesday numbered 6000 and the talfy is still incomplete. The British pushing north of Flers, clearing the enemy out of most formidable positions, including sunken roads and- ■flenches which in the earlier stage of' the battle would have cost long and many lives. But the enemy's i/Osistance seems to have lost its strength. The British have taken miles (a trenches with incomprehensibly littfc cost.

IN GAMBLES. THREE THOUSAND GERMAN .tf.EAD. I■ ■ ' i ?~"•■ •'••.' "BmAfji's Telegrams. (Received Cfctober 2, 1.40 a-m.) PARIS, October 1. Three and corpses, were found in Combles. .'Many of the dead had been there nvire than a week. A German, documents shows that between July 16 and/ September 26 seventytwo battalions participated in the defence.

. The most thrilling moment was when the T/ritish and French met in Dombles ai/d congratulated each other frith enthusiasm. They then continued fighting harder than ever.

NEW TRENCH MORTAR.

A -CANADIAN CAPTURE. ' _____— Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received October 2, 1.40 a.m.) PARIS, October 1. During; the advance on Gourcelette the Canadians captured two trench mortars of a new special type.

THE CONTESTING FORGES.

MILLION AND A HALF MEN •> 5 ENGAGED. '

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. . (Received October 2, 1.40 a.m.) i LONDON, October 1. General O'Moore Crcagh, in an article in the "Wfjekly Despatch" says tli.it four Waterhjo's are easily swallowed up in Picrjrdy. He calculates that 800,000 Germans are striving to hold the Allies' ,advance towards Bapiime and Peronne, and adds: "1 would not be surprised if oh both 8... S 1,000,000 men and 10,000 guns are engaged in the Somme battle, not counting many thousands of men carrying on, subsidiary services in the rear.