WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 July 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

MAMETZ WOOD RECAPTURED. GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL. Received July 1.3, 5.5 p.m. London, July 12. General Sir Douglas Haig reports having recaptured the whole of Mametz wood and progrtssed towards the Trones wood. The large number of German dead shows tlie costliness of last night's attack. Two heavy German attacks at Contalmaison broke down. BRITISH COURAGE. MOVEMENTS OF GERMANS. Paris, July 12. The press Is paying a magnificent tribute to the courage of the British in recapturing Contalmaison. It is noted that this is the 23rd village wrested from the invader since the beginning of the Somme offensive. Amsterdam, July 12. There are considerable movements of German troops throughout Belgium. It is reported {hat all the Landsturm have has been sent to the front and heavy Artillery transported to the Yser sector. OFFICIAL REPORTS. Wellington, .Tilly 13. The High Commissioner reports under date London. July 12 (3.2:1 p.m.):— Between the main battlefield and the -ca we actively bombarded the enemy's positions, raining shells on the front line. Southwards of Loos a party of Irish Fusiliers penetrated the enemy's trenches at a point strongly held, remaining twenty minutes, during which there was heavy fighting. Many Germans were killed, but our casualties were slight. Opposite the Hohenzollern Redoubt two companies of Seaforth Highlanders forced their way into another portion of the enemy's trenches after a stiff fight, many Germans being killed ;nd wounded. A hostile machinegun was destroyed and several dug-outs, which were crowded with the enemy, were successfully bombed. Some prisoners were taken. In aerial combats on Monday one German and one British machine were brought down. Paris, July 12. A communique states: The night on the ftomme has been calm. We carried out several successful coups-de-main on enemy trenches in the Champagne between Maison-de-Champagne and north of Ville-sur-Tour. Two German attacks on our trenches at Mort Homme failed. Our counter-attack east of Futin Wood recaptured part of the ground taken by the enemy yesterday. We drove the Germans out of the trenches at Reillon which they penetrated yesterday. Berlin. July 12. A communique says: Fighting near Conlalmaison, Mametz Wood and Trones Wood is continuing with bitter stubbornness. A big French attack on the Bellov-Soyeeourt front broke down. On the right bank of the Meuse we are pushing forward nearer the Souville and Laufee works, and took 2145 prisoners.

capture of contalmaison. A TERRIBLE STRUGGLE. THE ROUT BECOMES A SHAMBLES. GERMAN STRONGHOLDS SMASHED. Received July 13, fi.45 p.m. London, July 12. Mr. Philip Gibbs states that prior to the capture of Contalmaison the enemy's shell-fire wag more intense and widespread than during the past few days. He was bombarding our positions from La Eo:selle to Montauban, fiercely searching the *ootl at La Boiselle with shrapnel and high explosives were falling into Montauban village. At 3.30 p.m. the enemy heavily heavily barraged in a straight line" below Contalmaison, and formed a wall of black smo£e with only a few gaps. At four o'clock our guns were concentrated on. Contalmaison and a little straggling wood to the right of Jlametz, also on the German trenches defending the Contalmaison ridge. Through the smoke our men moved forward and captured the village. The enemy at Contalmaison knew the position was hopeless, and when our guns lifted many of those who .vere still alive and umvounded streamed out of the village in a disorderly retreat, only to 'oe caught by, our extended barrages between Contalmaison, I'ozieres and Bazen-tin-le-Petit, so that the rout became a shambles. Our men entered the village and thoroughly searched, with machineguns, the emplacements and dug-out so as to prevent further trouble from the enemy within.

Contalmaison was in a dreadful state. It had suil'cred to the very brink of human endurance. A prisoner stated tlmt tlie ration? were soon exhausted, and it was impossible to get fresh supplies owing to our ceaseless gunfire. He suffered great agonies from thirst. Other prisoners state that the effect of our fire was terrible, at least half of those holding the village being killed or wounded. When our soldiers entered they walked over the corpses of those who had escaped and lay on the ground, face, to the earth, utterly exhausted. Mr. Gibbs concludes: "I have seen things to-day before which one's soul swoons. In ten days, by the wonderful gallantry of our troops and the great power of our guns, we smashed several German strongholds which were as strong as any fort on the Western front, and were defended stubbornly by masses of gun s and troops. The enemy lias now been forced back to his next line of defences. The cost was grrat, but the enemy's losses were greater, and the German headquarters are pushed for reserves."

SOME STRIKING INCIDENTS, INFAMOUS GERMAN* PRACTICES GUNNERS IN CHAINS. (Times Service.} Received July 13, p.m. London, .Inly 12. A correspondent, describing the incidents at the Contalmuison light, says that one of the Northumberland Fusiliers was sent back with a message, but he was mortally wounded. He struggled on till ho reached the advanced post, and had only enough strength left to point to his tunic and say "It's in," and then he died. One of the Yorkshires, who was wounded twice, after twelve hours managed to crawl back in the darkness. Ell route he found two unwounded Germans biding in a shell hole, and he brought them in as prisoners with the help of his revolver. It is now proved that German machinegunners were tied to their guns. One was discovered fastended by straps 011 his insteps to staples .which were driven into the ground, and he iiad , chain round his waist, which was alio fastened to him.

TRONES WOOD BATTLE. BLOODIEST OF THE WAR. A TERRIBLE MELEE. BRITISH TACTICS SUCCEED. (Reuter Service.) Received July 13, 5.50 p.lll. London, July 13. A French correspondent states that the battle of Tl'oncs Wood was probably tbe bloodiest and most obstinate of the war. Tho British and Germans were in an equally tenacious mood in the mass of trenches. The British, by a brilliant attack, carried most of the wood. The Germans made several furious counterattacks, and then the British batteries opened lire, followed by another charge. There was a terrible melee, in which die Germans were reinforced. Finally, after six hours' hand-to-hand fighting the British neatly trapped the 1 enemy by advancing in crescent forma- ! tion, like the Zulu impi, and forced the Germans to run in order to escape anni- j hilatioi;. 1 . : j I GERMANS MASKED ASSAULT.; I " " 1 A FOOTING GAINED. J ENORMOUS LOSSES. |

Received July 13. 5.25 p.m. Paris, July 13. Official: There is nothing to report from the Somme. After an awful attack in the region of Son villi- fort, six tierman regiments debouched from Henry, Vaux, and Chapitre Wood and launched a violent en masse assault. 011 a narrow front. They succeeded, at the cost of enormous losses, in gaining a little ground at the intersection of Floury and Vaux roads. FIGHT FOR PERONNE. EVERY STREET A FORTRESS. TOWN COMPLETELY BARRICADED. TO BE DEFENDED TO THE LAST. Received July 13, 8.30 p.m. Amsterdam, July 13. German wounded soldiers state that the Germans have,blown up the PeronneSaint Quentin railway, and that every •street in Peronne has been transformed into a fortress. Barricades have been erected m all parts of the town, as the intend to defend the town till the last.

ON THE SOMME. FTGHTING CONTINUES. GERMAN EFFORTS TO RESTRICT OFFENSIVE. Received July 13, 8.25 p.m. London, July 13. Fighting continues unabated on tlie Soinnie. The recrudescence of activity at Verdun, shows that tlie Germans intend to maintain their activity in the hope of restricing the Anglo-French offensive. The latest operations aim at driving a wedge towards the Souville fort. VENGEANCE DEMANDED. ... FOR ENEMIES CRIMES, Received July 13, 11.5 p.m. Paris, July 13. Many writers have signed a petition demanding from the Allies a declaration that all the authors, instigators and accomplices of the crimes eominitteed by their enemies, including the highest placed, shall be punished after the war.