In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 84, 12 July 1916, Page 5

In the West.

THE PRESENT POSITION, ~ = , «w"«i ■, -i.d ’■(; ■ ' ' r. '■*:/ 1 . wto PASSING OF TEUTON INITIATIVE . , i-.-f EVERYWHERE ON THE DE- ' PENSIVE. ■; 5 1 V Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z, Cable Association, i (Received 9.5 a.m.) \ ll Washington, July 11. Yon Weigand’s despatch to The - World.from Berlin says: “Germany is in a vise-like grip, the pressure of which is likely to increase on all fronts. The question whether the Al- . lies with 670 miliionfeoean crush 115■i?j milliohs of ’ the Cfett|il will b#;s)g .the war, n the'tmilitany; initiative has ipsji&sM ’from .1. Gertnitiy, 1 who is‘ fighting the' de- ■ forisivV almckt everywhere, .even in-the Svest. At Lutsk, General Linsingen's fr counter-offensive has slowed down, ’ ’ and only- at Verdun is the Crown Prince keeping up a slow pressure. The Austrians may not he able to hold the Russians until the Carpathians are reached.”

GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT.

BRITISH CAIN GROUND. Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Y London, July 10. Sir Douglas Haig reports: ALcr six desperate attacks the Germans reentered the Trones wood, but suflered the heaviest casualties. Fighting still continues. We gained a lodgment in the Bois de Mametz having hitherto resisted all efforts. We also gained the ground lost at Ovillers and La Boiselle. Our aviators hav e made several successful attacks on various detraining centres, ammunition depots, and aerodromes.

JN THE SUBURBS OF PERONNE. PROGRESS OF THE FRENCH. Paris, July HA communique states: We progressed towards the approaches oi Bailee . and captured a small fort near Binches, taking many prisoners. We cap- . ttired the farm of La Maisonette, o’i the summit of the plateau overlooking the Somme, also a small woo l north of La Maisonette. The Frene.i brought down four German aeroplane •> on Sunday. The capture* of Biaches is important, it being practically a suburb of IVionne, though on the left bank of the : canal. It was strongly fortified by the Germans, who were thus driven north of the Swamm. The French have also taken part of Barleux, which is only two miles ' from the Chaulnes railway.

The Germans, south of Barleux, are hanging on to Tillers, but their

(The cable news in this issue accredited to “The Times” has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of “The Times.”)

position is insecure, the German salient, including Chaulnes, Roye, Lassiguy, and Noyou being seriously threatened.

T., The I French hold the whole of. the Sonterre plateau, whereof the .soil is hard j,lime>ftone. . which 4sfavorabli? to ,th6i movement! of big guns, iuinot l The Capture uwas the <usSulhool jltro days’ artillery preparation, enabling the advance at noon on Sunday. The infantry, aLercrossing two entrenched ridges, readied the broad plateau, 330 feeF above the sea,' ami overlooking the whole of the valley. By three o’clock Biaches was attacked on three sides and captured, the survivors of the’‘garrison retiring by the southern road towards Pennine just in time to escape encirclement. A French wounded officer states that the assault was so rapid that the French losses were of the lightest desriptiou, though a German army order described the position as impregnable. Assisted by their mastery in the air the ' French , artillery a', tallied remarkable * accuracy yesterday when they hit W bridge fourteen miles distant I 'four times in sucoeSsidlff' '&sr the aeroplane ' observer reported 1 |oy wireless,' the eohimunicfitions'in > 'the GermaiE rear were thus 1, uncertain and dangerous. ,

Many prisoners were hunger-strick-en. The enemy resisted longer on the right of Biaches, having free ground for their artillery, hut dared not riskheavy guns in the narrow strip between the firing-line and the river.

The fight continues at Barleux, where the French right captured a line of trenches extending to the Maisonette farm, which caps the plateau. THE ATTACK ON CONTALMAISON London, July 10. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. Mr Philip Gibbs, describing the attack on Coiualmaison, states that the Germans were heavily shelling Mametz village, but even that was a health resort compared with the German positions in the neighborhood of Contalmaisou where our guns put up a terrible barrage, and our heavy artillery, which was far behind, threw shells in groat numbers from all points of the compass to fall upon this one stretch of ground about one mile * broad. Every kind of gun, imwi.zers, seventy-fives, and our own cighieenpounders, played the devil over the German lines. About 11 o’clock in G* morning our fire lifted, and put a dense barrage further back. There was a hush for just a second, as though tlie guns were taking a breath, and then the tumult began again. The infantry advanced through the

smoko, and a little later our men were in the village. Our battalions took possession of a horseshoe trench south-east ot ( ontalmaison. Hero a curious affair happened. There was a trench running out of the horseshoe towards a Gorman redoubt on the westward. Fart o. this trench was held by troops on the loft, and part by troops on Hie right, and both believed that they held the whole trench. The truth was that the gap in the middle was st ill held by a party of Germans with machine-guns and bombs, and presently they mad a themselves unpleasant. Orders were sent to clear the trench, which was done by the .troops on the left. Then orders were given to clear the trench jon the right, which was a strong redoubt that the Germans defended tenaciously. It changed hands three times before we finally held it. | An extraordinary and, for the onei my, a terrible thing happened. Some |of the ba talions of the Prussian i Guards reserve were hurriedly brought from Valeneienness and thrown into the battlefield without maps, guicl- . ance, or local knowledge. They advanced, met our men, and walked, by |an awful stroke of chance, straight 1 in 4 o a terrific barrage, the whole battalion being cut to pieces. Many I others suffered frightful things. Prisoners sta'cd that they lost threequarters of their number in casualties, j When the barrage lifted, our troops swept, without great trouble, into Contalmaison and Bailoff Wood to the I north-west. •

Mr Gibbs concludes; The Germans were surprised at the strength and deadly accuracy of our artillery, but they wore more surprised at the dash of the infantry. When they heard that the men belonged to the new army they said they thought they belonged to the guards. They were glad to he taken prisoner.

GERMAN PRESS COMMENT.

FRENCH SUCCESSES ADMITTED j BY THE ENEMY. London, July 10. The Daily Telegraph’s Rotterdam correspondent states that the anxious note of German comments fm the operations at the West front is becoming daily more apparent. There is a belief that the offensive has failed, and that because there was no immediate break through it was abau- ■ .-Uneasiness. i|, also arising owning to the conviction that the AngloFrench are. engaged upon a great strategic operation. The Frankfurter Zeitnng, in a sombre article says that a purely tactical French successc cannot bo deified. Their object was to advance along the line of Peronne to Curlu in a northerly direction, so rolling up the German wing which was fighting the English. The latter are acting much more carefully, but are unable to avoid the heaviest losses. The next few days will bring the heaviest fighting against the n.-French, preventing the carrying out of the proposed tactics. The paper adds; We dp, not share the cheap optimism of many newspapers in describing the events at Peronne and Albert corner as not far-reaching. j Slliii « : l> t GERMANY’S PLANS THWARTED sr .oi BY RUSSIA. Berne, July 10Colonel Gaedke states that the German staff anticipated the British would attack at the end of June or in July, and Germany had planned to destroy the British initiative by attacking about June 15, hut the Russian onslaught compelled Germany to remain on the defensive in the West in order to divert troops to the eastward. KAISER DIRECTS OPERATIONS AGAINST BRITISH. London, July 10. The Morning Post’s correspondent at the British headquarters says it is rumored ihat the Kaiser and staff are directing operations against the British. Our men believe the rumor, and consequently ihey fight harder, and are delighted that the Kaiser was an eye-witness of the rout of lus favorite Prussian Guards.

killing the wounded. MORE HUN FRICHTFULNESS. Press Association —Copyright, Australian and X. KL Cable Association. . (Received 8.50 a.m.) London, .July 11. Tlio Times’ correspondent at Headquarters states: At one point only, the Germans allowed the British to recover their wounded. Most ol the Germans hayonetted or shot the wounded. They played machine guns over the fields of dead and wounded lying together to make sure that they would nob light again. Evidence comes from too many quarters to admit any doubt of this. GENERAL’S LAST WORDS. “KEEP UP THE NAME OF THE STONEWALL BRIGADE!” CHEERED HIS MEN TO THE LAST. (Received 0.30 a.m.'London, duly 11. A wounded man state 1 - 1 that Genoral Prowse was cheering the limp, on when a shell dropped near

him .md ho foil. Several rushed to his assistance. Though dying, ho

continued to diet r on the men, his last words being: "Keep up the name of the Stonewall Brigade.”

THE EAST SURREYS. FOOTBALL IN THE CHARGE. PLAYERS DEAL OUT FIGHT IN GERMAN TRENCHES. Press Association—Copyright, (Received 9.H0 a.in.) London, July 11.' Reuter’s Telegrams A special from France describes the experiences of a battalion of the East Surreys, which was selected to start the attack. Each platoon was provided with a football, and the commanders kicked oil'. Officers and men dropped rapidly, but the dribbling continued. Two balls were actually kicked into the German trenches, and were recovered when the bayonets got to work. One of the footballers slew seventeen Germans. Another handed his rifle to a comrade and polished off a Bosche with his firsts, explaining that “the bloke was too old to shoot and too thin to bayonet!” The Surreys captured a ma-chine-gun and turned-it on the enemy, devastating an ammunition column.

GERMANS AT A DISADVANTAGE. FRENCH PROGRESS CONTINUED. ENEMY’S LOSSES ENORMOUS. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 10.55 a.in.) Paris, July 12. The Germans are fighting at a disadvantage with their backs to the river. The majority of the bridges were destroyed since the beginning of the offensive. After capturing Hill 07, the French commenced a further attack linking up the Hill with Lamaisonctte and Biaches. The enemy continued up till a late hour on Monday to resist at some points. The French, however, obtained possession of two lines of a hill dominating those on the right bank}; afiahnwhile, the Germans Were opp6slnfpUthe British advance inch by inch. .Their losses iiv Trones Wood district were enormous. The British progressed on both sides of Contalmaison, and the Germans are. still clinging to one of the outskirts.

FROM HULLUCH TO .LA BASSEE. , j: , BIG GERMAN CUN BOMBARDMENT. STRENGTHENING RHINE DEvi'W FENCES. f‘' A 1 Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 11.20 a.m.) Amsterdam, July 11. The Germans are feverishly sirengbarding the front front Hulluch to La Bassee. The Germans are feverishly strengthening the defence of the Rhine, employing two hundred thousand prisoners of;war thereon.

COMTALMAS3OM CAPTURED VERY SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. The High Commissioner reports:— London, July 11 (2.30 p.m.) General Haig reports: Last night, after brisk bombardment, Conialmaison was taken by assault. o found 189 prisoners, including a battalion commander and four other officers. A strong counter-attack at eight o’clock was beaten off with heavy loss to the enemy, and the whole village is now in our hands. Further eastward we stormed several lines of trenches, at Bois de Mamet/.. The greater part of this large wood is now in our possession. We cap.nred heavy howitzers, three field guns, and 290 prisoners. Heavy fighting-continues at Trones Wood. Qn Sunday one of our aeroplanes was shot down by anti-aircraft gun, and three other machines have not returned.