WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

. DESPERATE GERMAN ASSAULTS. ANGLO-FRENCH ATTACK EVERY FIXED OBJECTIVE CAPTURED. Received Sept. 4, 5.15 p.m. :Pnris, Sept. 3. A communique reports: On the Somme, after intense artillery preparation, the l'l'cnch infantry, in conjunction with the British, attacked shortly before midday against the Germans. We progressed with admirable elan, which the enemy's resistance failed to check for a moment. Our troops swept away the enemy's considerable forces, capturing every lixed objective. The villages of Le Forest, at Maurepas, and Clery, on the Somme, are in our power. We have taken all the German trenches along Le Forest-Comblcs road to the outskirts of Combles.

HEAVY BATTLES ON THE MEUSE. FRENCH CAPTURE POSITIONS. Received Sept. 4, 5.40 p.m. Paris, Sept. 3. Heavy battles continue east of the Meuse. The French captured positions in t'lie Floury region. The Germans are stiongly attacking at Vaux Chapitre. The Somme lighting continues successfully. IMPORTANT GAINS. ■USEFUL WORK BY AVIATORS. Received Sept. 4, 10.15 p.m. London, Sept. 4. General Sir Douglas Haig reports. Our new front now runs five hundred yards east of Guillemont, and frote Ginchy to near Tallcnion farm. We also gained ground east of Mouquct farm. Our aircraft accomplished most useful work in co-operating with the artillery and infantry. Enemy aeroplanes desperately attempted to interfere. We successfully engaged in many fights, and destroyed three machines, damaging at least four. We lost three.

GERMANS COMPELLED TO RETREAT. VIOLENT ATTACKS REPULSED. ENEMY 'PENETRATE A SALIENT. Received Sept. 4, 11.30 p.m. Paris Sept. '4. A communique states: We captured all t'he enemy positions between Le I'orcst and Clery and also numerous points, and passec beyond the road joining the two villages. The Germans launched a counter-attack with lar."e effectives south of Le- Forest, bat our batteries compelled them to retreat iri disorder. Twelve guns were captured in a single sector at Le Forest and fifty machine-guns. A series of violent German attacks at Vans Chapitre were repulsed several times with heavy losses. The enemy succeeded at the close of the afternoon in penetrating a salient in our line, where desperate fighting continues. We attacked the German positions east of' Ileury. We have taken several trenches, also a strong work in another attack north-west of Fleury, which enabled J3 to occupy a portion of the ridge between Fleury and Thiaumont work. SUCCESS AT GUILLEMONT AND GINCHY. Reuter Service. | Received Sept. 4, 10.30 p.nj, London, Sept. 4. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We have captured the whole of Gtullemont and part of Ginchy, and taken several hundred prisoners. HINDENBUBG'S PRODIGAL WASTE OF LIFE Paris, Sept. 3. The German counter-attack on Thursday night in the neighbourhood of Delville Wood was the fiercest the enemy has yet delivered; picked troops were employed. The desperate character of the assaults suggests that the Germans attached the utmost importance to success at this spot. Tlie benches in : which a footing war ultimately effected were so battered that they did not afford a shelter.

The attack was probably meant to signalise, Fiekl-Marshul von Iliiuleuburg's promotion, but if the casualties are published in Germany they will assuredly produce black dismay. A GERMAN REPORT. Received Sept. !>, 5.35 p.m. London. Sept. 3. A German communique reports: Artillery activity on the Somme is increasing in violence. A strong French attack between Maurepas nnd Clery collapsed, whilst attacks on the Thiaumont front were repulsed. FURTHER BRITISH ADVANCE. London, Sep!;. 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports that the night was generally quiet, but there was fighting in the morning near Mouquct farm, southward of Thiepval, on the banks of the Ancre, and at Faifemont farm, upon our right. We gained ground in these operations. FRENCH AIRMEN ACTIVE. Paris, Sept. 3. A communique says: Our eoup-elc-main took prisoners from the German trenches at Armaneourt The Germans are violently bombarding the position at Thiaumont and Fleury, We bombed the railway station at Metz-Sablons, making two visits with 88 bombs and dropping 60 'bombs on the military depots northward of Metz, the railway (stations at Me&ieres, 'Metz, Conflans, Sedan, Audun-le-Roman, and. the barack depots &t Ham, Nesle, Guiscard, Athis, Monehy-la-Gache which were given 210 tombs, 7