In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 99, 28 July 1916, Page 5

In the West

'GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT. ARTILLERY ACTIVE AT NIGHT UNIMPORTANT FORTY-EIGHT HOURS. - The High Commissioner o reports;— London, July 27 (3 p.m.) General Haig reports: Throughout the night our artillery was- active, and we continued to press the enemy in hand-to-hand encounters at various points. The enemy is using gas and, “tear” shells in the battle area. Elsewhere there was no incident of importance during the past fortyeight hours. ■ v . y Y FRENCH PROGRESS REPORT. ADVANCE EAST OF ESTREES. AN ENEMY ATTACK IN THE CHAMPAGNE REPULSED. FIGHTING CONTINUES AT VERDUN.

The High Commissioner reports;— London, July 27 (3.15 p.m.) The French official statement says; South of Somme we progressed eastward of Estrees. The fusilade is lively in the neighborhood of Soyecourt. Northward of the Aisne, the enemy, after violent bombardment, attacked yesterday evening a salient forming a line north-west of Butte’s Wood. The attack failed under machinegun fire. In the Champagne, the bombardment of our positions yesterday west of Prosncs was followed at ten '• o’clock in the evening by a strong attack on a front of 1000 metres. The attack was arrested by our curtain of fire, causing losses to the enemy. The- enemy was unable to penetrate, except in' some advanced elements from which they were ejected by our counter-attack shortly after. On the Verdun front, artillery was active during the night on the-sector at Hill 301 and in the region ol Fleury and La Laufee. West of the Thiaumont work the French progressed with a grenade attack. THE CAPTURE OF POZIERES. Press Association— Copyright, Austra lian and N.Z. Cable London, July 27. Correspondents at British Hoad quarters point out that while the ture of Pozieres was being complete; the Briiish attacks at Fonreato Wood. Delville Wood and Guillemon marked time. The Germans still hold the strongest positions here and an assisted by many machine-guns. ».<' eral Haig determined on making no reckless exposure of his men. The possession of Poizeres is t u first step of the British sweep down the eastern slopes of Hud plateaux into the low ground after f'l Bapaume. It also threatens 1 H !’ ’ val which is a stronghold holding up the British advance. At Ancre Valley, the - throughout Monday night and lue - day morning made steady and were practically through t u. ' 1 age on Tuesday afternoon and able to junction with the Territorials, who had also done excellent work on the I Pit. After hot fighting we captured -a strong German position. At th • cemetery our machine-guns did giuu execution among large parties ol t " enemy which tried to escape north-

ward from the-''village across the open ground. 1 'The Germans still hold strong positions round the windmill,

The Press Bureau states that a captured German divisional order shows the importance that is attached to in the system of defence. It says that the Conversion of villages into'strong .points is of. the greatest importance. Of such villages are Pozieres, Longueval, Contaimaisou, and' Bazcntin. With the capture of Poziei-eh the last of these villages has fallen into our hands. The statement in to-day’s German communique that the British attacks at Troncs Wood were repulsed is obviously efronoous; 1 and can only be accounted a clerical error. We have held Trones Wood since the 14th, and our position now extends to the outskirts of Guillomont.

The Times’ correspondent at the front refers to our complete mastery of ‘the air: We are ruling the skies above the lilies'’ and holding the enemy terrorised' Tar his own territory. The British machines are ■constantly guarding German areodromes, and preventing enemy airmen coming out except during darkness or in the thickest weather. Our air supremacy is of incalculable value in. this artillery war, wherein observation counts for much.

BELGIAN FRONTIERS CLOSED.

Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. . Amsterdam, July 27.

The Belgian frontiers are closed to cover the great movements of German troops to replace the terrible losses sustained at the Somme.

The entire German army is in a state of feverish activity, the feeling being that a critical phase has come. Fresh troops are beng continually thrown into the fighting line, and remnants of regiments are sent back to the front in a few days reinforced by remnants of other units.

British aviators have accomplished line work. They dropped bombs on a troop train at Lille, killing over 200 soldiers.

BRITISH ARTILLERY. 5,000,000 SHELLS IN FOUR WEEKS ON HUN HOLES. Press. Association —Copyright, Reuter’s Telegrams (Received 9.25 a.m.) London, July 27. A correspondent at Headquarters states that it is reliably computed that the British artillery fired five million shells on to the German positions dining the-last four weeks. • ' SCHEME TO ASSIST DISABLED BELLIGERENTS. DANISH GOVERNMENT ACTION. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 11.30 a.m.) Copenhagen, July 27. A huge scheme is in progress to ho controlled by the 'Government under which hospitality will he offered to poor and disabled belligerents. The sum of two millions sterling has been promised, and an appeal to the pnulic is projected.

ANZACS AT WAR. WONDERFUL FIGHTING AT POZIERES. Press Association—Copyright, Austra lian and X.Z. Cable Associ.Uidii. • (Received 1.25 p.m.) Yew York, July 27. The newspaper Globe stales that the heroic fighting of the Anzacs is of particular interest, because it closely resemble the Americans. 1 beholding of Pozieres for three days would prove to he one of the most wonderful tales of human endurance.