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THE GREAT ADVANCE

CONTINUES TO PROGRESS. GERMANS FIGHTING DESPERATELY. Received July 4, 10 p.m. London, July 4. The Morning Post .says the great advance continues to progress wholly in our favor. Tt is undeniable that the (->ennans are lighting with desperate tenacity and valor. The prisoners are growing in proportion to the penetration of enemy l/irilnry, but tiie majority of the fiermans fight with Teutonic resourcefulness. which is particularly displayed in their -are of the machine-guns, which are most devilish weapons against the advance. The Germans hide the machine-guns in the deepest dug-outs and drag them out at the moment our men leap over the parapets. The German machine-gunner dies, hut does not surrender. Tin is content to remain at hi.-, post, sucr all his comrades have left, pourin;; the deadly bullets. He never throws up his hands. | BRITISH GENERAL'S REPORT. - THE ADVANTAGE REMAINS WITH , US." Received July 4, 9 p.m. London, July 4. General Sir Douglas Haig states:—The light lluctuated in the afternoon about La Boiselle, south of Thiepval, the advantage, or. the whole, remaining with us. South of Thiepval the counter-attacks drove some of our troops from a portion of the position captured in the morning. Elsewhere many of the enemy attacks were repulsed with heavy loss. We continued to substantially progress in some places. The number of prisoners captured is over 4300. There was a marked increase in the number of hostile aeroplanes on Sunday in one of the southern sectors. Since the beginning of the battle we have lost fifteen machines along the whole front. FRENCH REPORT. SUCCESSES ALL ALONG THE LINE. 8000 GERMANS CAPTURED. Received July 4, 9 p.m. Paris, July 4. A communique states: —North of the Somme the position is unchanged. We have followed up our success east of Mereaueourt Wood and captured Chapitre Wood, as well as the village of Feuillere. The infantry, after a brilliant assault, captured Assevillcrs. the centre of a powerful defence organisation Southward of Assevillers we took a second German position as far as the approaches to Estrees. During the afternoon we got 'beyond the second position and captured Buscourt, east of Feuillere, and Flaucourt, a depth cf f.i e kilometres. ,'Ve dispersed enemy detachments in iTie region of Belloyen Santerre, east of Flaucourt. The material captured includes seven batteries of three large calibre machine guns and trench guns. The unwounded prisoners exceed eight thousand. There has heen a violent bombardment of Poivre Hill, near the Thiaumont work, otherwise things were quiet on both banks of the Meuse. THE BATTLE OF FRICOURT. A STIRRING ACCOUNT. TOMMIES IMPETUOUS ADVANCE. GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACK DEFEATED. Received July 4, 5.15 p.m. London, July 3. Mr. Phillip Gibbs, the war correspondent, says it is now possible to give a clear idea o' the battle at Fricourt. The town was partly surrounded on Saturday and taken by assault on Sunday The Germans counter-attacked. The prisoners tramped back in batches weary and worn. The attack on Montauban was our best sireess. On Saturday, the troops, mainly Lancashire lads, supported by men of the Mddle Counties, advanced in splendid order straight at their objective and swept over the German trenches. They tcok many prisoners without greai loss' Their officers were anxious about the brickfield, which the Germans had filled with machine-guns and minewafers. The original intention was to pass wit'icut an attempt at capture, but they fevid the brickfields had been utterly destroyed by the bombardment and seized it with comparative ease. They swept on to the ruined village of Montauban, and despite the spasmodic machine-gun fire from the broken houses, ninny Germans, hiding in dug-outs and cellars, cane into the open and surrendered. Others were so cowed that they fell on theiv knees and piteously begged for mercyThe counter-attack came later. The Germans came on in close order, rank after rank, ndvancing over their dead and wounded comrade?. Only a few entered our trenches. These were killed. Some of ti:o Gordons suffered heavily in taking Manietz. They were advancing in open ordei with sloped arms because there was not u rifle shot from the broken trenches. Suddenly a machine-gun fired at point blank range and caught the Gordons in the face. The men at the double dashed forward amid i hail of br Hots. Many dropped, but Memetz was taken by the bayonet and held.

INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHTING. DEFIANT GERMANS. PREFER DEATH TO SURRENDER. SOME HARD FIGHTING. BRINGS ENTHUSIASM TO WHITE HEAT. Received July <l. 7.20 p.m. London, July 4. Despite the enormous bombardment, some ot' tile machine-gun emplacements were so strongly built with steel girde'.'s and concrete covers that thev delied the high explosives. Inside were Germans, who were still defiant and worked the machine-guns until they were bombed to death, refusing' to surrender or escape. The hardest lighting was at Cimimecourt, 'Where the Germans' salient was difficult to assault owing to the formidable nature of the defences. Our progress was small. ihe attacks were more fortunate at Antlniile, Ovillers and Laboisellc, and gained ground at great loss to the enemy and with mai y casualties to ourselves. The advance from Laboissclle to Contaimaison was a memorable business. The Britishers engaged were a -hard, tough lot of dare-devils who went forward cheering, the Tvneside iPipcrs playing. The Tvncsiders pressed on with fixed bayonets as if on parade. They took the first line of trenches, which were -blown to a dust heap, and /ushed the second line, where some of the defenders were .still alive. They Immbed them out and dashed upon the third line, which was still held by machineguns. The German bombardment was then of an intense description. High explosives, shrapnel and trench mortal* ploughed the ground. The Royal Scots charged with the bayonet in a body at the Germans. Other.battalions captured batches who had no stomach for the fight. The Dorsets, Manchester, Borderers and Highland Light Infantry experienced hard fighting in the neighborhood of Anthuile, and easily captured the front line, but they were later engaged in a. battle of bombs with a large number of Germans, whose resistance was finally broken with the bayonet. The struggje at Thiepval was particularly fierce. The first Britishers went through the village without clearing the dug-outs. The enemy came out and fired with their machine-guns on the British rear. Other battalions at Thiepval went through a terrible ordeal in clearing the dug-outs, which were thirty feet below the ground, having trap doors leading to still lower chambers, elaborately furnished and well stacked with wine and beer. "Meanwhile there was big fighting at Fricourt, where the North Countrymen passed through a great ordeal of fire. The German garrison maintained the stoutest resistance and held out until Sunday morning, through practically surrounded. Finally, one body of troops fought their way to the north of Fricourt and another to the south side, getting ..he village up as in a yiair of tongs. The Germans came out, hands up. Countless incidents demonstrate the fever of the victorious fighting, which brought the enthusiasm of our men to white beat in all ranks. GERMAN WOUNDED. "NEVER SO MANY." Received July 4, 10 p.m. Amsterdam. July 4. The newspaper Tyd states that huge numbers of German wounded are passing through Liege. The number 1>"~. never been so many. THE ANZACS' RUSH. BRITISH GAINS HELD. AIRCRAFT WORK SITUATION PROMISING. j London, July Correspondents referring to the An?ae raid or. Thursday state that a storm of ari'dlery fire seemed to concentrate on one spot for two long minutes. It paused and then Hashed forth again less.fiercely. Here the Anzacs rushed a raid and -within five minutes reached the first concentration of the enemy and carried out their work with wonderful rapidity, returning successful. Sir Douglas Haig, in his afternoon report, says the battle south of the Ancrc continues to.be hotly contested. We maintained all the positions won. Fighting in the La Hoiselle Valley and at Cuillers was particularly severe on Sunday evening. We penetrated the village of La Boisellc, and the fighting continues. In fighting about Cuillers we met with varying success. One attackearly this morning secured a portion of the hostile defence. Four hundred more prisoners passed the collecting- stations early to-day in large parties. German aircraft made several attempts at the offensive, but all were repulsed. Subsequently the aircraft were held far behind the German lines, and, as the result, our artillery and machines were able to do their work without interrui'tion. There were many aerial combats. We brought down six hostile machines, and five others were damaged. Seven of ours are missing. A correspondent at Uritisli head Quarters says:—Fighting continues intense on the whole British front. There is no change of importance. Above the River Ancre we heavily bombarded Thiepval. Severe fighting is proceeding at La Boiselle. We pushed our positions north of Fricourt to higher ground. The situation here is promising. The Germans continue to heavily shell Montanban, but we are well established. The prisoners exceed 4000, The weather continue* favorably

| SCOTS TO THE FORE. i CAUTION" URGED. Paris, July 3. Correspondents eulogise the brilliant dash of tlij Scottish regiments, which ■Sir Douglas Haig mentions. They traversed three lines of trenches, and, entering .Vlottiaulian, slew huiulrcJs with the bayonet. The Petit Journal says the general result of the present offensive is the capture of the iirst and second lines ! .n a vast area between Montauban and As.sevillcr.?. The success is the more because the British captured Mauietz and Fricourt. .Military critics emphasise the need for continued caution and to lie sparing in lives until the general break through is possible, meanwhile forcing action only where decisive superiority is assured, inflicting the maximum loss on the enemy with the minimum loss to ourselves. M. Marcel Hutin, in the Echo tie Paris, says that the British progress was "lower than that of the French. This, Mas ilue to the dilliculty of the ground. I he Allies are engaged in a lengthy operation, in which time there is plenty of work for the artillery before the attack. It is gratifying that there is a haul of prisoners besides the strategic result obtained, which was not paid for too dearly. The fiennans facing the British multiplied their counter-attacks all day and night, but were repulsed with heavy loss. Altogether the situation is favorable. A communique says:—We occupied 011 Sunday night jn a front of five kilometres (three miles) two lines of the German second position from the Bbis Demer.eaucourt to Asservillers, including the village of Herbecourt. WOUNDEE IN HIGI-I SPIRITS. London, July 3. A train-load of British wounded reached Charing Cross, including a number of Anzacs whe had not been engaged in the great push, but in the preliminary raids. All were_ in high spirits. The Anzacs are now holding the section where the British are advancing. A party of New Zealand officers arrived at Chelsea Hospital, and Sir T. Mackenzie and General Richardson visited them. OFFICIAL REPORT. I'lie High Commissioner reports under date Lojpdon, July 3, (3.25 p.m.):— Northwards of the Somme the enemy made no attempt during the night, and the positions conquered are being organised. South of the river fighting was con tinuccl successfully yesterday evening and during the night. The French occupied on a front of over live kilometres two lines of second line trenches from the borders of Mereaucourt Wood to Assevillers, brilliantly taking Ilorbecourt. New prisoners and heavy artillery were captured, but have not been counted. Information obtained shows that 39 German battalions were in the fiout which the French attacked on Saturday. Heavy losses were inflicted 011 the Germans, who became disorganised. Most of the prisoners taken on Saturday and Sunday are very young. Prisoners say that the artillery preparation was extremely effective, both shattering the defences and lateral and rear communications, rendering rcvictualling and com mantling impossible. During the artillery preparations 13 German captive balloons were fired by our airmen. During the. attack our chasing aeroplanes were masters of the front. Only nine. Germans appeared, none crossing our lines. Dne was destroyed. South of the Avre, in the region of Dancourt and Loges Wood, ,ur reconnaissance penetrated the German trenches and damaged them with Grenades. At bassigny a conp-dc-main was successful on the tnemy's trenches at Verlet Wood, near Canny-sur-Matz. Another patrol was captured between the Somme and Moulin-sous-Touson. On the left of the Mouse the night was relatively calm, except for a German bombardment of Hill 304, 011 the right bank early this morning, after a violent bombardment, the Germans attacked and captured a work it Damloup. A counter-attack completely drove them out and retook the work. PRESSURE RELIEVED AT VERDUN. INFANTT Y FIGHTING CONTINUES. Received July 4, 5.5 p.m. London, July 4. The Morivrg Post's Paris correspondent states that although there were indications that some of the German guns are 110 longer at Verdun the infantry 'is»hting eoi'iinues to be >t the fiercest, but the French realise that the pressure, which was becoming intolerable, is being relieved. FEELER OR BLUFF?

GERMANS OX THE OFFENSIVE. Rece : ved July 4, in p.m. London, July 4. A Ger.nan wireless, for American consumption, states that it will be uncertain until Sunday whether the AngloFrench operations have been intended as feelers of a serious oft'ensive or whether it is bluff. The whole of the German forces now believe it to be the real thing.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19160705.2.21.9

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1916, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
2,215

THE GREAT ADVANCE Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1916, Page 5

THE GREAT ADVANCE Taranaki Daily News, 5 July 1916, Page 5

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