WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

FIVE MILES CAPTURED. N BOTH BANKS OF THE SOMME. ALLIES' GREAT SUCCESS. MOKE DIFFICULT TASK THAN .VERDUN, ROLLING UP THE ENEMY LINE. THE AIM OF TFjs ALLIES. Received July 21, 10.10 p.m. London. .Inly 20. The British and French public are deghted at the news of General Foeh's upture of five miles on the .Soinme ront. The British advances having' brought he line approximately level with the rench. (.leneral Foeh recommended an lOensive at daybreak, with most gratiying success. We have broken the German line and aphired five miles of trenches on both ranks of the Somme, threatening Collides and also relieving the pressure on he British angle at Longueval and Belille Wood, where we are making a [•■ and fight, though outnumbered by our to one. The positions which the Anglo-French lave seized on the Soinme are at least is difficult and twice as extensive as the-Ic-rmans seized at Verdun. The Anglo-French accomplished in iixteen days what the Germans aecomilished in five months and with a fiveold expenditure of lives. The Germans fully realise, the dangers I )f the Anglo-French advance upon the •onfines of the plains of Canbrcs, and are ■ndeavoring to confine the fighting to the Somme sectors, 'as there is an even »reater danger in the likelihood- of fur;her breaches in the German line, which ivill be rolled up in sections. The Allies' great advantage lies in the 'act that the Germans <ire tied up in :heir positions and forced to rely upon leavy gnus, which are excellent for of'ence, but difficult to utilise for defence, tvherc mobility is all important. Newspapers give prominence to the ox■cllent results of the Australian raid*, vhicli have occurred on a more extensive 'ront than any General Haig has yet ■eported. FRENCH CAPTURES. 2900 PRISONERS IN ONE DAY. AIRMEN ACTIVE. Received July 21, 10 p.m. Paris, July 21. A communique states: North of the somme we are consolidating the por.ions won in the morning. South of ■he Soronie we extended our front by in attack in the afternoon, and captured tie whole of the first German position rom Estree3 to Vermand and Ovillers lill. During the fighting to-day we capturid 2900 prisoners, three guns, thirty mabine guns and much material. Continued progress is being made by lombing the rest of Thiaumont works. The air squadrons bombed the stations if Thiaoville, Montmcdry, Brieurles, and ioisel, and military establishments at jeuaeli, north-east of Bale, ADVANCE OF 1000 YARDS. HEAVY FIGHTING CONTINUES. GENERAL HAIG'S REPORT. Received July 21, 10 p.m. London, July 21. General Haig, in a communique, dates: North of Bazentin-Longueval line ive advanced about a thousand yards, lespite stubborn opposition. Heavy fighting continues in the northern outskirts of Longueval village and Relville Wood. The remainder of the main battlefront s unchanged. Our aeroplanes yesterday dropped nany tons of explosives most successfully upon railway centres, and aerodromes, and other important points. 3IR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT. LINE PUSHED FORWARD. London, July 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We have regained a little ground at Belville Wood and Longueval, where the struggle continues. We also pushed forward our line north of. Longueval and Bazontin and east of the Leipsie Redoubt. Our bombing parties made a substantial advance in the night east of the Leipsie Redoubt. Elsewhere the main battle is chiefly artillery fire, with no alterations in the positions. 1 ■ '' The diary of a German commanding officer shows that on July 1 the oth Bavarian Regiment, fighting at Montanban, lost 3000 out of [IOOO men, a battalion of the 10th Regiment lost OSO men out of the 1100, and two other battalions of the 100 th lost over half their effective strength. We carried out yesterday evening, south of Armentieres, some important raids on a front of two miles, in which Hut . A iifttra lm&JaakJm\