In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 81, 8 July 1916, Page 5

In the West.

ON THE DUTCH FRONTIER,

FORTIFYING THE COAST.

Press, Association —Copyright, Australian and \".Z. Cable Association. Amsterdam, July 7. A correspondent states that tho Germans arc constructing numerous cement fortifications on the Dutch frontier near the coast. GENERAL HAIG'S REPORT. PRJGRESS IN THE MAIN BATTLEAREA. press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, July 7.

General Haig reports: —After violent 'bomb fighting we progressed at certain points in the main battle-area. The weather interfered with onr aeroplane work. The Welsh Fusiliers, by a raid, destroyed three mine shafts, inflicting 150 casualties. We made further slight advance near Thiepv.il. 10C0 YARDS OF TRENCHES. BRITISH NOW EAST OF LA BOISELLE.

Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 8.50 a.m.) New York, July 7. General Haig reports that the British captured one thousand yards of trenches during severe' fighting east of La Boiselle, where there were heavy enemy casualties. ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS CHECKED. i ■ Pans, July 7. An official communique states: The enemy counter-attacks north of Htem and between Estrees and Belloy j enSanterre has been checked by our lire barrages, great losses being inflicted on the enemy. Two.companies were annihilated in the latter region. There has been artillery activity on both sides of the Mouse. Our batteries blew up a munition depot north of Laneuville. An aviator bombed, the Hem-Nesie railway station and damaged several places.; i;

"THE PUSH" PROCEEDING. ADVANCE NOT ARRESTED. Press Association—Copyright. Ileuter's Telegrams London, July 7. Ileuter's representative at Headquarters states that "the push" is proceeding. Much is anticipated. The Germans have recovered' from their staggering surprise. A tremendous blow was struck where they did not expect it, and they are now endeavoring supremely to stem the crushing (pressure; .Reserves have been, taken from everywhere! on the front and flung on the second line, but the tempestuous advance, though checked, is not arrested. The Allies are busy consolidating their gains. Meanwhile 'there is incessant battoring, bombing, (and bayonetting. Kriemy prisoners - [testify that all is not harmony in the [enemy's ranks. The Saxons are Uttjl ianimously tired of the war and are glad to be captured. It is now possible to write with some fullness the story of the northern attack. One almost shrinks from recording so terrible a toll as was taken of our men. The East Lancashires and York Lancashires, advancing as if on parade, lost the heaviest. They concentrated on the enemy machine-guns. Of one battalion only an officer and six. orderlies were unwounded. The Warwicks, the Rifle Brigade, the Somersets and Hants regiments also suffered fearfully.

THE GERMAN REPORT.

ATTACKS REPULSED EVERYWHERE ! Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Berlin, July G. A communique states: The artillery activity from the coast to Ancrebrook, has increased in strength. Fighting continues from Ancrebrook to the Somme. Minor progress has been made by the English at Thiepval, which was balanced by our counterattacks. Wo evacuated the small village of Hem. in the Somme valley the French captured Belloy-en-San-terre. Fighting is at a standstill round Estrees. We repulsed counterattacks in a wood south-west of Vaux and Damloup Hill.

OFFICIAL CONFUTATION.

ARTILLERY ACTION GENERAL. Tho High Commissioner reports:— London, July 7 (3.55 p.m.) On the Somme, there has heen no fighting (luring the night. To the left of the Meuse, there heun intermittent bombardment. To the right, artillery action is more violent in the region of the Thiaiimont works, and in the sectors at Fleury and Chenois. At Hois le Protre at 8 p.m. yesterday, the enemy made a small attack on our trenches, but were immediately thrown out of the elements he had reached. In the same sector, a trench coup-de-main was entirely sue-

cessful. On a front of 200 metres, the Grenadiers destroyed the enemy trenches and took some prisoners.

Yesterday, a bombarding aerial squadron dropped forty bombs on the railway junction at Lam lea -Moines, westward of Chaleville.

HOT WORK PROCEEDING.

London, July 7 (3.30 p.m.)

General Haig reports: During the idgliL the enemy heavily bombarded Bernafay Wood, Mohtauban, and the neighbourhood of La Boiselle, in some places using lachrymatory shells. Eastward of La Boiselle, after severe fighting and heavy enemy casualties, the British captured another trench on a front of 1000 yards,,whore they are firmly established. South-west of Thiepval, a determined attack on our new lines was completely crushed. The enemy's artillery is particularly active opposite Hulluch. Our artillery shelled the enemy's communication trenches and billets in various places. Two mines were successfully sprung at Auchy and Hulluch. This morning, in certain sectors eastward of Albert; we resumed a vigorous offensive at dawn. Simultaneously the Germans heavily attacked our new trenches in the vicinity of. the Ancre, northwards of Ariicourt, the attack resulting in violent fighting on the whole front between the Ancre and Montauban. Up to the present, several important tactical successes have been gained by the infantry in the vicinity of Ovillers, La Boisselle, and Contalmaison. North-west of Thiepval, the enemy succeeded temporarily in regaining from two to three hundred yards of lost ground. . KITCHENER'S ARMY. NOT TOO CONTEMPTIBLE ! COURAGE OF THE BRITISH TROOPS. ONE OF THE GREATEST BATTLEB IN HISTORY. Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London, July 7.

Mr Philip Gibbs, who visited the battlefield north of La Boiselle, says fehatrartFWUtf .stretch of* a few miles iwide* wis bought.: one 0 f the Jgreatest Lttles in history. Many thousands fof our men advanced with marvellous; ■■Bolf-sacrifice; '■' ; beyond the ordinary courage of men, arid faced hellish fire unfalteringly when the bravest might have quailed. Something supernatural animated them. Their losses were heavy because they counted not the cost of assaulting terribly strong positions. The enemy's losses were frightful too, and his courage great, because they were bravo men ion both sides. His machine-gunners displayed amazing courage and audacity, and climbed the parapets in "No May's Land" and swept our ranks with his bullets as with a scythe. We went on charging the piachineguns with bayonets.., Wave swept over the ene,roy 5 « first,-second jind third Jines, even to the fourth. Some men went as. far as Serro. 'They never came jback. '•:• . yV,; ! Human courage could no't'7: reach greater heights than, these' North Countrymen showed. Amongst-them were Midlanders, West of Englanders and Eastern Counties men, with battalions of Irish and Scots. "They approached the trenches in parade step amidst a storm of shell. Fierce trench fighting ensued, till most of the enemy were killed.

From, the men who had gone to Serre came the urgemT message: "Help! For God's sake send us bombs!" But the enemy's barrage wag so violent and deep that it was impossible to send relief. Even the terrific sound of the bombardment obliterated the more terrible sound of the myriad enemy machine guns sweeping "No Man's Land." Into this blast of flame our men marched unfaltering. The very heart of this storm was quite calm. As gaps were made in our ranks they were filled. The men cleared the dug-outs. As they passed, the enemy came out and bombed them from the rear, but they could not resist the attack of our men, who collected their strength in the Thiepval Wood among the trees, which were being slashed to pieces by German shrapnel. Here they 1 withstood the German counter-attacks. The lightly wounded bad two miles to walk to the dressing station. It was a long two miles for the men weak and dizzy from loss of blood, yet they called out: "We got 'em on the run!" THE ULSTER DIVISION. NO SURRENDER. London, July 7. The Morning Post's correspondent says the Ulster division had a glorious but deadly position in the great advance. "To gain their main objectives they had to pass an obstcle at every yard, of which the Germans knew the exact gun and rifle range. The Ulsters with a heavy hail of shrapnel from the front, were enfiladed by maclrne guns on either flank. They pressed forward amid shouts of "No surrender! Be-

membor the Boyuo!" Tlnyy withstood the sliock of successive oounter iattaoks with inviacjble courage, and only retired when, it wa* impossible to send reinforcements or ammunition. They indicted heavy damage upon the enemy and captured many prisoners.

ADMIRAL BOSANQUETS SON KILLED IN ACTION.

Press Association —Copyright, Australian and X.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9.1/5 %.-hu) London, July 7. Admiral Bosanquet's soil was killed at the front. VIOLENT ARTILLERY STRUGGLE. ENEMY BOMBARD OPEN TOWN. REPRISALS PROMISED. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and X.Z, Cable Association. (Received 10.25 a.m.) Paris, July 7. A communique states: There is a very violent artillery struggle on the Thiaumont-Fleury-Chonois sectors. German aeroplanes bombed an open towii on the Eure, eleven women and children being killed. A note has been taken with' a view to reprisals.