WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

j SECOND GERMAN LINE CARRIED. PRISONERS SURRENDER FREELY. GATNS CONSOLIDATED. London, July 14. A:i important .afternoon dispatch from a war correspondent at headquarters states that later reports tend to confirm the first accounts of the success or the British attack. We carried the second German line with small losses. The prisoners .surrendered freely, and include a regimental commander and his staff (three artillery officers, and 150 infantry officers, we stormed and captured Bazentin-le-Petit. Fighting is also proceeding round OviUera and we have taken practically the whole of the village. Several Gorman counter-attacks against our new positions were successfully repulsed. We are now consolidating our gains. The troops are in high spirits over their successes. A German official dispatch states that a stubborn fight developed on both sides of the Somme. The English attacked early in the morning at Mamctz Wood and Trones Wood. They suffered considerably at Trones Wood by our reserves' rapid night attack. The first enemy attempts were sanguinarily . repulsed and new attacks developing were futile. French attacks in the Bnrlenx region westward of fetroes were unable to win a yard of ground. Attempts to recapture lost ground east of the Mouse ft.iled.

OFFICIAL REPORTS. | | HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. Wellington, July 15. The High Commisisoner reports under date London. July 14 (11,20 a.m.): Gem nil Haig reports: At dawn we. attacked the . second system of defences and broke into positions on a front of four miles, capturing several strongly defended localities. Heavy fighting continues. The British have captured Longueval and Bazentin-le-Grand, and cleared the Trones Wood. The High Commissioner reports under date London, July 14 (8.20 p.m.):— • The German first line trenches have been taken with small loss, and prisoners are coming in freely. Among the plates captured is Bazentin-Je-Petit. Ovillers is mostly in our hands. Fighting is proceeding there. Several coun-ter-attacks have failed. Taris, July 14. The German casualties at Contalmaison are 12,000, which is an indication of the importance attached to the position. ■ - i< • ■ FIERCE FIGHTING. TJIE TOUGHEST JOB OF THE WAR. Paris, July 14. The Petit Parisien states that after a bombardment of great intensity on Thursday the British infantry assailed the German second position along almost the entire line Fighting \v«s most fierce on both sides, and the British seized the trenches at several points. The capture of howitzers indicates that he fightoing was at a good depth, inasmuch as howitzers are not found in the first line of trenches. London, July U Fighting is proceeding at Debille Wood, 1} mile 3 north-east of Longueval.

(United Service.) London, July 14. ine Vossiche Zeitung's correspondent on the West front says that the Germans are faced with the toughest job of the whole war against the British, who appear determined at any sacrifice to succeed. Attacks and counter-attacks aro unceasing. ■ The Frankfurter Zeitung estimates that the Allies fired three million shells in the seven days' bombardment preceding the Somme offetisive. a STEP BY STEP. BRITISH ADVANCE DESCRIBED. GERMANS DRIVEN TO THIRD TRENCHES. WHOLE'FRONT ATTACKED. RESCUE OF WEST RENTS. Received July 16, 5.5 p.m. London, July 15. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The action began at daybreak. Having driven back the enemy step by step to the second system of defence, the eleventh and twelfth days were spent in the necessary prparations for the further advance. After a most intense bombardment this morning, the assault was launched, the enemy being driven from the trenches. The whole front was attacked. As a result of the all day battle we are in possession of the enemy's second position from Bazentin-le-Petit to Longut-val. By capturing Trones Wood we relieved a party of the West Kents who had been separated from our troops during the recent fighting. The Germans surrounded them but they gallantly held out in the northern end of the wood for forty-eight hours. Our fire completely crushed two determined counter-attacks on the new position. "Later in the day the Germans, by a fierce counter-attack, recaptured Bazen-tm-le-Petit, but they were immediately driven out."

"ALL GOES WELL" Yr , GERMANS FORCED BACK FOUR MILES. 10,000 PRISONERS CAPTURED. ALSO MUCH WAR MATERIAL. (Main Service.) Received July lli, 5.15 p.m. London, July 15. Sir Douglas Haig further reports: "AH goes well. We forced back the Germans at one point to their third system of defence, over four miles to the rear of his original front, trenches at Fricourt and Mametz. The total prisoners taken by us since the beginning of the offensive exceeds ten thousand. We secured large quantities of war material. FRENCH OFFICIAL REPORT. ■GERMAN ATTACKS FAIL. deceived July lii, 5.10 p.m. Paris, July ]">. A communique states: The day was comparatively quiet on the whole front. French aeroplanes last night, hv way of reprisal for the bombardment of the own town of Luneville, dropped several heavy shells on the town of Mulheini. (Main Service.) Received Only hi, .">.15 p.m. Paris, July 15. We repulsed a German grenade attack north-cast of Avocourt redoubt. Several Geman attempts to advance at Apmnont failed under our certain of lire.

MOST BRILLIANT DAY OF THE WAR. RAPID BRITISH ADVANCE. HAIG OUTGENERALS ETNEM. GERMAN REAR THREATENED. GERMANS MASTERED AT LAST. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. Paris, July 15. The Brit'isli offensive against the German second line is regarded as a magnificent effort 0 glorify the National Fetedav. The battle is still raging on an extended front, but the successes attained have already made July 14 one of the most brilliant days of the war, Owing to he rapidity of the advance the British quickly penetrated the front for nearly four miles, carrying a network of formidable defences which had taken months to construct. They also cleared Trones Wood. The locale of the present attacks pivots the German battle front on the most strongly defended point. General Einem threw in strong reinforcements, but General Haig outgeneralled him. The new German troops failed to arrest the advance. There is an ever-increasing bulge on the Gorman front, between Hardecourt and Thiepval, ; ivhich makes the whole line highly vulnerable. The capture of Longueval wrings the British advance into line with the French at Hardecourt. It is increasingly probable that General Einein will be forced to retire to new positions. The weather is cool and favorable to the British operations. Bazentin-le-Grand is a mile west of Longueval and midway between Longueval and Contalmaisoii Bazentin-le-Petit. is a mile north-west of Bazentin-le-Grand. There have been comparatively few German prisoners taken since July 1, from which it is inferred that the officers, in organising plans of resistance, instruct he men What to do and then retire to rear positions. The importance of Pozieres is ,due to its position athwart the main roda, from Alberto Bapaume, which is General Haig's objective.

3VILLERS IN DUST. CAPTURE OF LONGUEVAL. So far as the fighting at Ovillers is concerned the village, whereof practically nothing remains except dust, the British guns having swept it flat. The Germans are still holding out in the great underground cellars made by the inhabitants. Progress at Ovillers, and the capture of the Bazentines, whereof Lo Petit, the larger village, will bring jhe British on the flankfj of the Germans at Pozieres, is threatening the German rear. The capture of Longueval entailed an assault on a hill 500 hundred feet high. The next, difficulty, after Longueval, is the ' village of GuMlemont, which is powerfully organised and armored. There is also another five hundred foot hill, but the capture of Guillemont will be appreciably easier since Trones Wood, which cover* the village, has been cleared, . u

THE FRENCH CAN CO-OPERATE. OOMBLES THREATENED. HIGH PROPORTION OF SLIGHT WOUNDS. Sir Douglas Haig is still not matte; of the important plateau of Thiepval. which is a strong sector of the German first line. The British approach to Combles, however, permits the French to resume their attack, which- was delated pending the British advance. The French at Hardecourt hold a position that threatens Combles from the south, while the British are attacking on the north-west. The outstanding feature of new offensive is the extensive trans/orei.'" ui British guns, which was carrier or' itls the utmost rapidity in order to tpibh the German positions in t)}e iw fi be captured before the Germans h. me to fully fortify. j ■ ;

GENFRAL HANTS OBJFCT. • AMMUNITION PLENTIFUL. Sir Douglas TTaig's object was to keep the Germans on the move, knowing that the successive positions afford increasingly less protection. As the advance continues it will no longer be feasible for the Germans to carry on a rearguard struggle with detachments of machine gunners, while infantry are massed at convenient stations for counter-strokes. Subterranean machine gun emplacements will soon be rare. Trenches can be dug quickly, but underground shelters take weeks or months to link up into systematic defence. Splendid supplies of ammunition are available, and this fact puts heart into the British infantry. There is no chance of a repetition of the Loos or Neuve C'hapelle mischance. '1 lie Y\ar Oliice announces that since July 1, owing to the success of the bombardment, the proportion of slight wounds, as compared with the serious, is very high, proving that the enemy's artillery has been, successfully dealt with. The troops are at last convinced they have the mastery of the Germans, and they advance to each assault with greater dash and courage, A SIGNIFICANT ADMISSION, BRTTISII ME AX TO WIN. Received July 10, 5,3 p.m. London, July 15. A significant feature is the change in the war f-ritiii-nis. In the Berliner Tageblntt. Major Moraht, who is the chief mouth-piece of the Germm General Staff, admits the success of the AngloFrench offensive. He adds: The British always go systematically to work, commencing with unimportant tactical advances. but finishing by discovering what they call wash down, now tint they have enormous quantities of artillery and ammunition. The British are not braggarts; they always act with perfect sang froid. and their calmness am! their judgment ought to warn us that they will light until their efforts are crowned with victory, regardless of time or sacrifice.

HEAVY FIGHTING. FURTUKR SUCCESSES. SEVERE ENEMY LOSSES. DRAGOONS IN ACTION. ! German aircraft suffers. Received July 10. 11.5 p.m. London, July Hi. flpiiora] Sir Douglas Mai* reports; There has been heavy lighting all (lay long in (,he Toziercs-liuillemont sector of the second line of defence. We had further important, successes. We captured. eastward of Longueval. in spite of desperate resistance, the whole of Belbille \\ ood, and repulsed a strong counter attack. The enemy's losses were severe. Our troops northward of Bazentin le Grand penetrated the third line at Fan reux Wood, wherein we obtained a lodge ment. A detachment of the enemy ii this neighborhood was successfully ac counted for by a squadron of the I)r;i goon Guards, It was the first oppos inn ity for mounted action afforded our :-a alrv since 11)14. We captured the whole of the v n.; westward of Bazentin le Petit, anJ e |ailsc-d two counter-attacks. The prisoners taken here incluib uu commander of a Bavarian regiment ,hk his whole stall'. We further adviuucc' eastward of Ovillers, and fought our wai to the outskirts of Ponzieres. Aerial actions during the last twentyfour hours resulted in four fokkers. three biplanes, and a double-winged aeroplane being brought down, and an enemy ■ train derailed. ' j

• AN OFFICIAL REPORT. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. London, .July 15, A German communique states: The British, in spite of heavy losses, between Pozieres and Longueval penetrated out lines and occupied Trones Wood. The attack was stemmed. BOMBARDMENT AT FLEUKY. Reccivqu July 16, 11.5 p.m. Paris, July 10 A communique states: There was a very violent bombardment on both sides of the Fleury sector, but nothing important elsewhere. | , -7 <• GERMANY WITHOUT HOPE. AMERICAN PRESS OPINION. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. New York, July 15. The New York Times, in a striking article, states that Germany cannot live longer in a fool's paradise; she, must realise that there is now no hope that she will be able, to dictate terms. Germany wants peace, but tlio retention of Alsace, Lorraine, and Poland cannot be suggested to men who surround the German armies with a ring of'fire, forcing them to fight, not for victory, but for life.

DEFENCE WORKS IN BELGIUM. Received July 10', 5.15 p.m. Amsterdam, July 10. ' The efl'ects of the Allies advance are Already felt in Belgium, where the Gerjmans are constructing fresh defensive works "NO PEACE FOR THE ' WICKED." I :< AI.SI;R'S FRENZIED MOVEMENTS. Received July 10, 5.5 p.m. Berne, July 15. The Kaiser is hurrying to and from llie Rastern fronts in n veritable frenzy : of agitation owing to the Allies' simultaneous oil'ensivo. The Imperial train [ lias been in constant motion since the end of June, and hasty war councils have been held at various points. German attempts to bully Switzerland into selling vast stores of cotton failed.