In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 79, 6 July 1916, Page 5

In the West.

1( THE EVACUATION. <i I .:! :';(H|M"- t-1 • «•«:'•'!. Ujl.'/lil M Of! Jl7/ j<! JJJRJf.'nV '.-It o'J.ii- l ?i>i.Jf '/ruMlriH •nd'iMjH |'il j.t r: nv--. r, i-JilKri ■;■■•' ■.:■.:;• ■• ■- t Pres^ > i4 : ssoqiati9iir-:^ o Py ri S llt > Au ? tr ff! i: ~ &a*-;and , 'N./£..sable Association. ' , ■" •, i '. ■,:,,'",'' ', 11 Amsterdam 9| July 5. ' , . German newspapers,. abound in ex-, ' .planations regarding the events on the Western front, and assert- that the / foreknowledge of the offensive justified the evacuation of various points. They are .stressing, the bonj-, .bardment, and state that it was accompanied by poison gases. The Lokal Anzieger boasts that the Germans have .seven lines of defence works. .... The National »-Tide»te* re ports that Germany hag ceased purchasing army

boots because, preparing for another-winter-«»anpaign. •iu 1 iThererare, persiatspfeirumorsnthat w> ojnew/seteifet N ifceen arranged sbeijwfeen AuJsttraa.^njd Germany, lasting for '"• years. j FRENCH PROGRESS REPORT. GERMANS RE-TAKE THIAUMONT Paris, July 5. A communique states: The French sector north'of the Somme was calm. South of the Somme, despite the bad weather ,_ we extended our positions towards the east and south. We captured the woods between Assevillers and BarleuK, also the pillage of Bedleyensanterre and captured Estrees, except an isolated position, which the Germans are holding. We took Jive . hundred prisoners at Estrees alone. The enemy made redoubled efforts at Thiaumont. After repulsing several attempts of large forces, they succeeded in capturing the position for the fourth time. There was intense artillery activity at Damloup and Lalaufe. Our aircraft bombed Longuyon station, some cantonments at Challerange and Savigny and the military establishments at Laon. ON THE BRITISH FRONT. ISOLATED . ATTACKS CONTINUE. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Paris, July 4. Apart from the main British activity isolated attacks continue to be made. The Worcesters, New Zealantlers and Australians are repeating their gallantry.

HAND-TO-HAND BOMBING. ANOTHER 500 PRISONERS. The High Commissioner reports:— London, July 5 (5.45 p.m.) On the British front, hand-to-hand fighting with bombing continues be- >■:*.: tween the Ancre and the Somme. Five hundred prisoners have been taken since "last report.

! ENEMY ATTACKS ON NEW TRENCHES BEATEN OFF. : (Received 9.20 a.m.? | London, July o".; -General Haig reports: Thejaerman artillery lire: was intense on certain Two German attacks onj pur new trenches at Dar; and Thiepval -were beaten offy the enemy suffering loss. I •' ' . ''' ■ GENERAL HAIG'S REPORT.

FIGHTING ALL DAY LONG.

Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, July 5.

General Sir Douglas Haig reports

Fighting was continued all day long, in the southern sectors ''weslightly, progressed at some points. The remainder of a whole German battalion surrendered in the vicinity of Fricourt. There was a bombing encounter at La Boisselle. Our troops have complete possession of the village, and easily repulsed, with loss, a bombing attack* upon the positions held by ub south of Thiepval, between Thiepval and Ancre. Our newly won trenches were heavily shelled. There was considerable artillery activity at Loos and Hohenzollern. The German raid south of Armentieres broke under our rifle fire. Our bombing aeroplanes successfully attacked the railways at 'Cohiines, Combles, and Saint Quentin. The offensive patrols worked far into the enemy's country, and encountered hostile aeroplanes in great numbers. There was much fighting, seven Ger* man planes being downed.

FLEMISH FRONT REINFORCED.

Amsterdam, July o

All German garrisons in Belgium have been depleted and are hastily reinforcing the Flemish front. The remaining troops are -ready to leave at a moment's notice. -

BOY PRISONER'S CAPTURED.

London, July -1

The discovery has been made that large numbers of boys are opposing the eastern end of the French front. They have been taken prisoners from a i far westward as the Somme. ■ The fact is interpreted as a sign that Germany is in desperate need of men. Only the direct strains would justify the sacrifice of the boys, who will be urgently needed after the war to build up German trade and repair the losses of population.

THE PUBLIC WARNED.

London, July 5. The exchange is quiet and buoyant. There is a further slight hardening in prices in keeping with the steady progress in France. There has been nothing sensational. The public are fully warned not to expect dramatic developments. Consols are at £6l ss, and the war loan stock at £97 ss. ENEMY AIRCRAFT BEATEN BACK Paris, July 5. A semi-official message records the remarkable fact that since the first of July, no enemy airman has been able to cross the French lines. As aircraft are the eyes of the artillery, -,ve blinded the enemy.

THE PEROHNE PROBLEM.

FRENCH WEDGE IN CERMAN j LINE. ! Press Association—Copyright. Published in "The Tunes. " London, .InVy T. I Mr Adams, the Paris correspondent 'of the Times, says it is now possible to state without exaggeration that the French south of the Somme arc well on the way to a striking success. A wedge lias now been driven into the German third line at Fricourt. The French are also masters of the plateau of Peronne and are within three miles of the township. The battlefield ; south of the Somme consists of two 1 zones, the northerly section being a valley wherein the stream scatters the waters into large ponds and marshes, dotted with chimps of trees. The 'southerly section is a bare, well-knit ' plateau of defensive positions. The 'capture of Feeillers and the neighboring hills enabled the French artillery to assist in the sterner struggle north lof the Somme. Alter passing the i German second lines, the French on I Monday found the way to Peronne. barred. The tremendously fortified I little village of Flaucourt was stormed !with great dash, being exceedingly •embarrassing to the Germans, because ,it leaves them with only three supply rqacls, which the French dominate. Sometimes the roads are borne a kiloI metre across the marshes on slender bridges, and are easy marks for the .artillery. Three fortified villages, Belloy, Ensanterre and Barleux bar the way to Peronne, but the success on the Assevillers front will enable the 'French to reach open country, compelling the Germans to evacuate Perlonne.

PRESSING THE ENEMY BACK.

Press Association—Copyright, Austra Han and N.Z. Cable Association.' Paris, July 5.

i The French are three miles from Peronne. Their guns completely dominate the Peronne-Chaulnes railway. Prom the plateau of Flaueourt they are shelling the station, interrupting the German communications. This will probably compel the enemy toifall biTjk beyond the Somme.

ROUND/ApOUTr fjRipOURTDAILY CHRONICLE PEN PICTURES. London, July |. Mr' Philip Gibbs, the Daily Chronicle's war correspondent, writes : We are slowly, but steadily gaining ground. Progress since Saturday is seen by the elevation of our shell fire. The German guns are also retiring in order to escape capture or direct hits, proving that wo are pressing the enemy Bard* and that he is unable "to' bring |up his supports to secure his. defence. Describing his visit to a portion of 'the battlefield, Mr Gibbs says: The great bombardment of shrapnel is still raging at Fricourt, and the enemy is shelling the captured places. r ' Our guns are putting a hea^y;barrage ;^n the- positions. .:,-• jfoiq ortjjfodj Our batteries,.., are filing 'single rounds and saltfps in ; th^;, of Contalinaison,. and ' aU : are co.ncentrjvting on the. enemy's linos beljind Fricourt, Mametz Wood and La Boisselle. Shells from the heavy guns are scream,ing overhead, and the field batteries | are firing rapidly and continuously. (Our guns had the mastery, our infantry had something behind them that wis not all flesh and blood against I great engines as in the earlier days. jThe enemy replied, chiefly about Bois(selle, though with nothing like our bombardment, which was heavy 'enough' to increase the cost we had to ;pay for our progress. We could see !our men moving up quietly, and in.a jieisiirely way, while shells were whining anil rending the air above their 'heads, some being occupied in laying 'telephones over the newly captured 'ground. Up at La Boisseile the shelling is still intense, but our troops had ! already surrounded part of the position, and, after concentration of our fire, advanced and captured about 250 of the enemy, who stayed in their dug-outs while our shells smashed the i ground. A German doctor, a giant of a man with a great heart, attended the jwounded until the bombardment was such that none could live there. He carried the wounded to the dug-out and stayed there, expecting death. When the English soldi™* fame he said: "My friends, I surrender," and afterwards helped to attend to our wounded, and did good work. The German doctor said: "We are killing each other to no purpose. It is a war against religion and civilisation, and I can see no end to it, for Germany, England and France are so strong that ,it is impossible for one side to crush ,the other."

Under our gunfire we found another German who, although wounded in nine places, still maintained a deadly machine-gun fire. Mr Gibbs visited Fricourt, which, he says, is just a heap of frightful ruin, every yard being littered by war's aftermath. Many prisoners expressed joy when they escaped out of our terrific gunfire, and the officers acknowledged the new power of our artillery and the courage of our men The action at the Gommecourt salient was one of the most heroic in British history. The enemy concentrated a great mass of guns hero in the belief that the main attack would extend to Lille and Eoye. As soon as our men left the trenches, the enemy barraged the .front support trenches with a most infernal fire. We advanced through this barrage a; if on parade, and, in spite of heavy losses,

made our way over the 500 yards of No-man's-land to the enemy's front .ine. The (Jermans also behaved with r;eat courage and carried their mach-ine-guns right tlirougli our barrage uniJ they met our men in the open, who wept them with fire so Lhat large .lumbers fell. The attack fa.k'd, but t served to draw on (.lie enemy's rejCrveSj and was a glorious ace of self;;;crifice. Loudon, July 5. A correspondent of the Morning *ost states that lighting on the West .'ivmt failed to reveal the Germans' •possession of any surprises. The much iferalded terrible weapons did not haterialise, but patience is necessary b overcome their unscrupulous tactics nd tricks. The British plans are projessing normally. Officers and men we performing prodigies of valor, tlome people must patiently trust not ,o expect rapid developments. The, reserves were busy at Mametz jurying our dead. Tin l doctors worked like heroes in separating the living r'rom the dead and attending the rounded, who had lain in the open "or hours.

The correspondent was disappointed it an incident between Mametz and '<Yicourt. Ho wa s posted where he vas told he would see "a fine scrap." A few hundred Germans tenaciously dung to the trenches. Our infantry, opported by bombers, dashed to the >nd of the trenches. The Germans brew grenades and fired a few rifle hots and then ran for their lives with uplifting hands and floundering handccrchiefs, yelling "Kamarad !" Some of the dug-outs were palatial. They contained prodigious quantities of ;a usages, potted , meats, preserved /egetables, cheeses, casks of beer, ivhisky and gin. One officers' suite .vas fitted with an electric bell to sum•non servants from the adjoining kitchen.

The correspondent adds that prisoners state there was such devastation ! iy the artillery on the, French front that thirty-one German battalions vere completely dirorganised by their /ranches being wrecked, preventing "ontrol by the high command.

|, ENEMY'S LOST LINES. : , ~ . iiWiii REMARKABLE SUCCESSES OF THE ATTACK. ' W H OL% H HflftP I POSITION ' J&kP"tG'RED. HALF OF SECOND— THIRD OF THIRD. Press' Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 8.45 a.m.) Paris, July 5. It is noteworthy that the enemy's first position was captured along the entire front which was attacked; the .second position along upwards of onehalf; and the third position along over one-third. Such a proportion pi frontage was not attained in so Jhort a time in any previous attack of the war. The British on several occasions cleverly hoodwinked the by a feint, inducing them to anticipate an attack at the point. - TJje skilful offensive ari&bled the Allies"to occupy the culminating point southward of the Somme plateau and: i,of Hill 105, dominating the bed of the river between Frise and Peronne.

Heavy artillery is now preparing to rake the enemy positions along the riverbank.

UNDENIABLE SUCCESS. IN SPITE OF ENEMY'S PREPARATIONS. ADMISSIONS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9.0 a.m.) Amsterdam, July 5. Amsterdam and Berlin reports agreo that the Allies scored an undeniable success in spite of the General Staff's great preparations by sending troops from Riga, while Landstrum and Landwehr garrisons in the interior were hurriedly sent to France. NORTH OF THE SOMME. THE OFFENSIVE RESUMED.

L!NE OF TRENCHES CAPTURED.

FIERCE STRUGGLE CONTINUES.

(Received 9.20 a.m.) Paris, July 5

A communique states: During the night, we resumed the offensive north of the Somme, and captured a tine of

trendies east of Curlu. After intenso bombardment, the enemy attacked Belloensanterre and momentarily occupied the eastern part, but we regained the. entire village. The Germans are still established at Ks trees, where there lias b en a fierce struggle. Our lire has broken all counter-attack;; against our positions. TJp to now we secured nine thousand unwounded prisoners, the number of guns is unknown, but one army corps .■nptured over sixty. On the left of the Mouse, between the Avocourt region and Hill 304, the Germans made a strong attack, using liquid fire, but they failed at the cost of heavy losses. On the right bank, the. bombardment continues violent in the region of Thiaumont and the Achenois sector.

THE MADNESS OF WAR. PRISONERS* FEARFUL PLIGHT. HEROISM OF THE COMBATANTS, (Received 9 a.m.) London, July 5. The Daily Mail correspondent says: Some of the prisoners are mad, but doubtless they have seen enough to make men mad. Some were crouch'ing in the dugouts, being afraid either to fight or surrender. Referring to the heroism of the Britishers, in marching steadily through a triple barrage of fire curtain, the correspondent says that when paraded they were in decimated numbers. The enemy in turn heroically left their trenches and erected their machine guns on the parapets, and the two parties fought in the open. Heroism could not go further. THE HEAVIEST GERMAN LOSSES The Germans incurred the heaviest single loss during their counter-at-tack on Montauban, where half a di vision advancing in close order were completely destroyed. TRENCHES PITTED LIKE PERFORATED STAMP.

A French officer, describing the British artillery work, said the German trenches were pitted with shell holes, as regularly and closely as a machine'perforates a sheet of postage stamps. Satisfactory progress. ■y* ! ■ ' '■■■' •'•"' ' ■ ! , .■■ ■ i The High Commissioner reports : London, July 5 (2.30 p.m.) General Haig reports that there was continued fighting during the night, in the neighborhood of the Ancre and: the Somme. We further progressed at certain important points, although tlio German artillerying was intense at certain sectors in the neighborhood of Thiepval. Two determined counterattacks on our new trenches were beaten off with loss. London, July 5 (3.15 p.m.) North of the Somme the French continued the offensive at night, taking a line of trenches east of Curlu South of the Somme they are pursuing their success towards, the Somme. Infantry took Sovmo'nt farm,- which' is situated on the left p| . the. river facing Clery. jjs ,:.<,/'' All the region between the ;Farm ami ;HiH 63 on ;the Flaucourt-Barreux road is in our' possession. ■ In the nighty,; after intense bombardment, the enemy attacked Belloensanterre, which they occupied partly, but it was instantly retaken.

The Germans still hold portion of Entrees, where there is lively fighting. ' All the German counter-attacks were broken by our fire.

The total unwounded prisoners at present exceeds 9000. The exact number of guns captured is unknown, but a single aritiy corps took sixty. Left of the Meuse last night, an enemy attempt on the Avocourt redoubt was completely repulsed with machine-gun fire. Between Avocourt and Hill 304, the Germans made a strong attack, but despite intense liquid flames they failed, suffering heavy losses. On the right bank, there has been violent bombardment of work at Tniaumont and the sector at Chenois. FIGHTING ALL NIGHT LONG. PROCRESS AT CERTAIN FRONT. Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, July 5. General Haig reports: There was heavy fighting on the Aucre and the Somme all night long, ' and we progressed at certain important points.

SCENE IN THE DUMA. TRIBUTE TO BRITISH FORMIDABLENE&S. "LONG LIVE THE BRITISH FLEET." Press Association— Copyright. " Published in "The Times." (Received 10.20 a.m.) • Petrograd, July 5; The reports of the delegates who visited Britain were read at the Duma. These speak of the amazing formidahleness of Ihe British defence works, and the Army and Valiant Fleet, which by the. victory at Jutland' prevented the enemy attacking the northern sea routes. This was greeted with loud cheers, the whole Duma shouting "Lon# Live the British Fleet!"