THE BRITISH ATTACK

Nelson Evening Mail, 20 September 1916, Page 5

THE BRITISH ATTACK

FURTHER DETAILS. 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Sept. 18. Sir Douglas Haig reports that Friday's attack was launched at 6.20 in the morning oh. a front extending from Leuze Wood to Pozieres. against a tre"ble line of entrenchments connected by strong subsidiary trenches. The enemv besides held some advanced and had machine guns in trenches, works ,and shell holes behind these, and for a distance of 7000 yards from our front the enemy had recently constructed and wired a fourth mine line of trenches fronting the Le » Transloy-Bapaume road. The defences were formidable, and -were supported by upwards cf 10CO guns of all calibres. Punctually the infantry, accompanied hy heavy armoured cars, advanced in close under cover of the field artillery'barrage, and everywhere carried the first line except at two points, namely the higli irround oetween Oinchy and Leuze Wood, and at Foureanx Wood. Neglecting; these, the infantry swept

forward round them, and at ten o'clock had captured the whole of Flers, with its strong points, and advanced beyond it to the outskirts of Martinpuich. Courcelette was reached at the same time. These villages were captured in the afternoon. The Northumberland Fusiliers, the London Territorials, Scottish and English new army divisions, and the troops from Canada and New Zealand shared with our Guards the credit of these successes. On the right the enemy maintained their hold on the high ground northwestward of Leuze Wood, and efforts to dislodge them were unsuccessful. The enemy at Foureaux Wood, however, surrendered when their flanks were turned, and at 11 o'clock the whole of the woods were ours. We thus gained practically the whole of the high ground between Combles and the valley of the Ancre. and are now well down the forward slopes. Thanks to tho excellent artillery observation thus afforded we are able to inflict heavypunishment upon the enemy. The armoured cars gallantly led- the action, knocking out machine guns, inflicting heavy losses 'by their machinegun fire enfilading the Gentian trenches, and causing indescribable demoralisation in the enemy's ranks. On the night of Friday the enemy made counter-attacks with forces hastily brcught from all directions. They continued throughout Saturday.-, but all were repulsed with heavy enemy losses. The New Zealanders, after gaining their objectives on Friday, were particularly heavily counter-attacked. Besides standing their ground they punished the enemy severely, and even made progress. We made further progress on Satur.% day. especially towards Les Boeufs^ During the above operations, and in close connection therewith, the new army troops skilfully and gallantly extended their gains southward of Thiepval. seizing trenches and taking hundreds of prisoners. The result of the fighting on Friday and Saturday is of great importance and probably the most effective blow yet dealt the enemy by British troops. The damage to his morale is probably of greater consequence than the seizure of dominating positions. We captured between 4000 and 5000 prisoners. Since July Ist the British forces alone on the Somme battle front have engaged 55 German divisions, of which 29 have already been defeated and withdrawn exhausted. During the past week only fourteen hostile aeroplanes crossed, our lines, while ours made 'between two and three thousand flights across the enemy's lines. A STRONG WORK CAPTURED. LONDON, Sept. 19. Sir Douglas Haig reports that we captured a strongly fortified work called the Quadrilateral, between Bouleaux Wood and Ginchy. We have advanced, our lines for a depth of a thousand yards on a one mile front. We took 500 prisoners in 24 hours.