In the West.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 97, 26 July 1916, Page 5

In the West.

ANZACS AT WAR. ' ■ • • ' •/ • -IK- i ■ • : 11 ni THE ASSAULT ON POZIERES. fast r ’ i!l t 1 -■J tfr, t. • ' ■ 'lt U'lsV '0? i ,I'l.u . , : ; ■ V’ ■■ ACROSS FIRE-SWEPT ZONE AT i ■; ' 'V? ' • MIDNIGHT. v' i GALLANT CAPTURE OF '. : W TRENCHES. ‘ ! T‘ v - ■ Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 8.45 a.m.) London, July 25. The Daily Chronicle publishes a despatch from their correspondent,;! Mr Gibbs, dated Sunday: i » yr Heavy fighting, occurred in the earV ly s hours of the morning bn the line. f of Pozieres, Delville Wood, and south- ; -wards to Trones Wood in the direction of Guillemont. Many battalions .partook in the assault, belonging to English, Scottish, Australian, and New Zealand regiments, who fought with courage equal to that which all the troops have shown throughout the three weeks' battle. The Anzacs were chosen to attack the English boys working up the other side. For several days and nights the Anzacs who had been in the neighborhood wore under ceaseless shell fire. There was a distance of 500 yards between the Anzacs’ line and the front trench of the German network across Bapaume Road, running diagonally through Pozieres village. This was an enormous distance to go in the darkness under high explosives, shrapnel, and ma-chine-gun fire. The Anzacs lay crouched behind the earthworks, bracing their spirits for a sprint. For two hours, every gun in the British batteries fired as hard as the gunners could get the shells into the breech.

It was midnight when the Anzacs

went forward with the other troops, the only light being signals of the frightened Germans. The enemy were aware the attackers were coming, and immediately opened a fierce barrage of shrapnel. The first German trench was lightly held, the only defenders being the machine-gunners and some Grenadiers who flung bombs. The Anzacs fixi ed bayonets, but the Germans did not wait for the steel. Some re.rented to the second line and others flung up their hands. The German second line was a light railway. This was strongly held, with many machine-guns and deep but the Anzacs came in a wave. While some remained in the first line as consolidating parties, others went straight towards the ma-chine-guns of the Germans. The riflemen and not even the machine-gun-ners could keep back this tide of keen ardent*men, these clean-shaven hatch-et-faced lads, ■who had brought a new type of manhood to France. * Without such heavy casualties as ■f^t- one might expect, the Anzacs took the lines, then two other lines of

trenches in front. Leaving some of their number, they went on and car’ried the objective with an irresistible rush, and drove straight along the Bapaume Road, which cuts the village in half. Then they called a halt and established defensive positions after an astonishing assault.

The enemy still* hold the north-west side ’of Pozieres with machine-guns concealed in the ruins of the houses and special emplacements, but the , f sM|imn position is unhappy owing to thq, Territorial boys, who came up. The Anzacs left the Territorials, who, tpo, fought forward rapidly under heavy fire, and by the time the Anzacs had gained the lower village, the English were above the village outflanking it. One objective must be gained, before Pozieres is completely surrounded.* This is an old windmill immediately north of the village, midway between the Anzacs and the English. This has been made a strong fort, which is guarded by sand bags and earthw r orks, whence the German ma-chine-gunners maintain a dangerous fire.

The Anzacs deserve all possible praise. 1

GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT.

SOMME GERMANS REINFORCED.

FRUITLESS ENEMY ATTACKS. MUCH HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING. THE STRUGGLE FOR POZIERES. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 10.30 u.m.) London, July 25. General Haig reports: The Germans on the Somme front have been further reinforced with infantry and guns. The hostile bombardment throughout yesterday was fairly continuous, and sometimes of the heaviest. Our artillery frustrated an afternoon attack on our right flank. The Germans last night launched two rutile infantry attacks against our centre with specially violent artillery. Our concentrated gun fire and rifle fire stopped both. The Germans nowhere reached the British trenches. Their losses in these fruitless attacks must have been severe. Elsewhere, there has been a good deal of hand-to-hand fighting. Our infantry in some places worked their way forward northward of JPozieres, the greatei part of which is now in our possession. The Germans are offering strong opposition, but here, also, we gained some ground.

SUCCESSFUL FRENCH WORK.

HEAVY BOMBARDMENT IN THE VERDUN SECTOR. - NEWS FROM ALSACE. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, (Received 10.30 a.m.) Paris, July 25. A communique states: Southward of Estrees, we captured a s’.ronglyfortified post and drove the Germans out of the trenches, which we occupied. Northward of Vermand Ovillers, rifle fire dispersed many German reconnaissances who were endeavouring to penetrate Tracy 1c Val. Our machine-gun fire stopped a grenade attack against Hill 301. There is violent bombardment in the region between Floury and La Laufe.

After artillery fire, the Germans in Alsace ‘attacked northward of Altkirch. ' There was a lively engagement, and we threw the Germans out of the trenches which they had penetrated.

Our air squadron bombed the stations of Pierrepont, Longuyon, Bivouacs, and Mangiennes.