STRONG ATTACK RESISTED.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1916, Page 5

STRONG ATTACK RESISTED.

CUSTOMARY GERMAN REPORT. Received July 22, 8.15 p.m. Amsterdam, July 22. A German communicate states: Yesterday's English attack in the Fromelles region, by two strong divisions, was repulsed. We counted two thousand bodies In front of our lines. The enemy's strong attack with over 200,0(111 troops, on both banks of the Somme, failed. Tho tiiemy captured only three kilometres of our front line southwards of Hardccourt. A QUIET DAY. ACTIYriT CONFINED TO AIRCRAFT. Received July 23, 11.30 p.m. London, July 23. i General Sir Douglas Haig reports: The day has been without incident, except that our airmen destroyed six hostile aircraft, and brought down several others. I i ■ THE LONGUEVAL FIGHT. MAGNIFICENT BRITISH CTAS'D. London, July 21. The Daily Mail's correspondent in France writes that the German attack on Lengueval was shrewdly conceived, as, if successful, it would have endangered the front where the Franco-British meet. The enemy pretends that only a brigade (5000 men) was engaged, but French experts estimate that there were six divisions (120,000 men) on a 2'/ 3 -mile front. Despite the tremendous odds and the exceptional German fury the British magnificently withstood the attack. STORIES OF THE BATTLE. LONDONERS CAUGHT IN A TRAP. London, July 21. Mr. Gibus writes that in the offensive the Territorials proved great soldiers, both in attack and resistance. The Queen's Westminsters, the Queen Victoria Rides, the London Eifie Brigade Rangers, and the London Scottish, advancing from Gominecotirt, reached the German lines and captured the network of trenches with amazing speed. Tho enemy put a barrage of high explosives, through which no living thing could pass. The Londoners were caught in a deathtrap and their escape was cut o(V by the barrage, which also smashed our communication trenches, preventing supports reaching the men in the captured salient. Their comrades desperately attempted to send ammunition and one party of sixty with hand-grenades set out, but onlv three returned. The enemy organised a scries of coun-ter-attacks and some enemy parties ap' proaehed the Londoners from the northern position, whence the enemy was enfiladed. The London Scottish, on the right, was holding a redoubt and build- ' ing barricades, but ammunition grew scarce and the bombs were almost exhausted. The Londoners gathered the German bombs, but the position became uglier. The men never lost heart and the ollicer rallied six good men and or(loved the others to retreat with the wounded anil take their chance across ' No Man's Land, while he put up his ' last fight. He stuck to the barricade [ until all but two men were killed and ' he was the last to leave. Gradually the Londoners withdrew tin- ' der ureal shell fire. Many wounded re- ! maiiicd on the field suffering great n«puish for flays. One officer wo"nded in the leg crawled about the field foi 1 UwoVo days teforo bs was rescued