In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXI, Issue 58, 5 October 1916, Page 5

In the West

EAUCOURI L’ABBAYE is ours. RAIN AFTER ARTILLERYINC. Tli'b High Commissioner reports:--London, October I (12.50 p.m.) A British official report- states- — Kancourt I’Abbaye is cleared of the oi pjuy, and is now entirely ours. 3; .nth of the Aucre, there was consulei alile 'shelling during the night. Jt is mining heavily this . morning. V.A'.'s THE ALLIES’ ADVANCE, GENERAL HAIG’S REPORT, •it, i* r EFFECT OF QUARTER’S OPERA(t TIONS. Press Association-—Copyright. Austra* ! lian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 12.5 p.m.) London, October 4.

General Haig reports; The capture of Gucvlecourt, Thiepval, and Zollern Redoubt followed. We took several thousand prisoners and a large amount of war material. The Germans fought stubbornly, hoping to check our advance. They brought, since the 15th, against ns seven new divisions, and against the French five, and the severe prolonged struggle demanded great determination and courage pn our part. Since the opening of the battle on July 1, we made prinsoners of 26,725, haying engaged thirty-eight divisions, of which twenty-nine were withdrawn exhausted or broken. We hold the upland ,Tving direct observation to the northward and north-eastward. The Gormans have fallen back Upon the fourth lino behind a low ridge westward- of the Bapaume-Translov road. The importance of the quarter s offensive must not be .fudged by the distance advanced and the number of trenches taken, but by the effect upon the enemy’s strength in numbers, material, and morale. Our aircraft, who have shown to the highest degree the spirit of the offensive, have patrolled regularly far behind the enemy’s, lines, and had many air battles. For every enemy machine crossing ours, say two hundred of the British cross the German front. A captured German corps report describes our aeroplanes as suiprisinglv bold, their work being con-, spicuous for skill, judgment and ■daring..

REPINGTON’S review. 18J .It.GERMANS ON THE DOWN GRADE. SOMME OFFENSIVE ONLY CHILD’S PLAY. WHAT’S COMING ? Press Association*—Copyright, «, Published,,!!!, l£ime§.” (Ife&ufgd ? 9.4Q a,m.) 4 aim < London, October 4. ..Colonclßepington says the culminating point in the German victories Mas reached in the Autumn of 1915. They lacked sufficient sense to try and finish Russia or to attempt peace negotiations, and subsequently they expended their last vigour at Verdun. Noy they are compelled to admit that m are on the down grade by permitting the Allies to prosecute their offensives on all ‘"the fronts. Moreover,’ wo have not arrived at our maximum strength. Our losses are being made good, our guns are increasing daily, and our ammunition supply is exceeding the output. Not even the German censorship is able to silence the anguished wail over the best hammering the Prussians have got since the battle of Ligiiy, in 1815. But the Somme offensive is child’s play compared to what is coming when Britain and Russia have attained to their full strength. Germany wanted war, and she’s having it.

(Ligny is a village in -the province of Namur, Belgium, 25 miles southeast of Brussels, where the Prussians wore defeated by Napoleon before the Battle of Waterloo.)

WHAT IS THE GERMAN CAME? Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. London,' October 4. Mr Philip Gibbs states that the German plans on the Somme are puzzling. It looks as if they are making a gradual withdrawal, masked by sharp counter-blows to check the quickness of our advance. There were many Germans left alive in the first and second trenches. The old monastery of Eaucourt was heaped with corpses, killed during the twelve hours’ bombardment. Most of the enemy ran at the approach ot the British bayonets. The Germans appear to be strong at Le Sars and the little quadrilateral redoubt' near by. The enemy’s losses are fearsome. The men cry out against the massacre, blaming their .commanders, the air service and the artillery for the awful state. (Le Sars is north-east of Comoelette.) 1 :,i,;