WAR NEWS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 218, 25 October 1916, Page 6

WAR NEWS.

CAPTURE OP SAILLY-SAILLLSEL. A VALUABLE SUCCESS. LONDON, Oct. 23. Mr Ashmead Bartlett, describing the capture of Sailly-Saillisel, says it was a straggling twin village with houses in two long rows on either side of the Bapaume-Peronne high road, separated *>y a kilometre of orchards from the second village of Saillisel, furthers eastward and still uneaptured. It rained incessantly throughout the night, and the battlefield was a sea of mud. Visibility was extremely low; nevertheless the French infanty leapt from the trenches punctually, carried the houses in Sailly-Saillisel, and occupied the slopes north-west and north-cast of the village. The captured country puts a solid wedge into the country at Saillisel and an immense stretch of works connecting the village with Bois san Vaast. The French and English artillery are now able to crush counterattacks through orchards from Saillisel.

As the French infantry charged the sun shone out and made a superb spectacle. The French and English artillery thundered incessantly, and there we:.; huge semi-circles of smoke and flames. The aeroplanes never lost grip of the enemy works. Infuriated German gunners opened up a tremendous barrage, but they seemed totally blinded. They continually shifted their aim in the hope of finding the lurking place of the French reserves, but without result. The Germans anticipated an attack, and brought the second Bavarian division to the support of the defenders of Sailly, but the French were able to seize the twin village in fifteen minutes after the artillery smashed it to pulp. The infantry'had a terrible time in the mud. ON THE SOMME. LONDON, Oct. 23. ■ Sir Douglas Haig repo-ts: The euemy is shelling between Lc Sars and Gucudecourt. We gained the near lip of two craters formed yesterday on Tpit-S Bluff. THE SOMME BATTLE. LONDON, Oct 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: One thousand and eighteen were prisenert;d yesterday between Schwaben Redoubt and Le Sars. The enemy exploded two mines south of Ypres in the neighbourhood of Bluff and occupied the lip of the crater, where they were subjected to continuous bombardment. Aeroplanes ■ valuably located enemy batteries. Yesterday we destroyer fi ye machines and damaged four. Three of ours arc missing. FIGHTING NEAR CHAULNES. PARIS, Oct 23. Official; South of the Somme a fresh enemy attack during the afternoon against the southern portion of Chauines Wood was_ repulsed with serious losses. The number of prisoners was not counted. The morning attack in the same region cost the Germans dearly. We surrounded the enemy, who gained z foothold in our first lines. The survivors were prisonered. There was an intermittent cannonade elsewhere. GERMANS’ FIERCE COUNTERATTACKS. PARIS, Oct. 23. The enemy are disinclined to allow the French to hold their gains at Sailly and the neighbouring heights. Throughout Friday night and Saturday they .burled thousands of shells on the French positions. They came out of the St. Pierre Vaast Wood trenches south of Lemnesal and attempted to rush the Allies ’ line, hut were met with fearful fins, and the rush was broken. The Germans thrice returned to the attack, but were driven back, leaving the ground covered with corpses.

ASBESTOS-CLAD GERMANS. PARIS, Oct. 23. The Germans had some slight success on the northern edge of Blaise Wood. There the attackers were preceded by men waering asbestos clothes. They carried a new kind of grenade that bursts into flames when it strikes the ground. A corps, following the asbestos gained a footing in part of an advanced French trench. During these attacks the French successfully counter-attacked and advanced on a front beyond the Chaulnes-Ovillers railway.