ON THE SOMME.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1916, Page 5

ON THE SOMME.

FURIOUS FIGHTING. SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS MADE, j COUNTER-ATTACKS SHATTERED. Received Sept. 5, .11.50 p.m. Paris, Sept. 5. A communique reports: The battle wherein the French and British are engaged on both sides of the Somine was continued all day with extreme fury. We made substantial progress eastward of Le Forest, passed Hospital farm, and occupied the lull westward of Marrieres Wood. Violent attacks on our new positions southward of C'ombles were shattered bj machine-gun and curtain lire, with very heavy enemy losses. All the conquered ground has been retained. BRILLIANT ASSAULTS BY FRENCH. French troops attacked enemy organisations over a twenty kilometre frontage between Barleux and southward of Ohaulnes. On the Barleux-Denicourt front we captured the first line ofr trenches, and occupied the approaches to Bery and the outskirts northward of DeJJcourt, which a brilliant assault northward and south-eastward of Boye court enabled us to capture. At Enitreetv, further south, between Verinandvillcrs and Chilly, after a violent struggle our infantry carried four kilometres of the first position of the former German front, comprising several strongly organised lines of defence. The whole village of Chilly was cap-1 tured. We occupied Hill SB to the eastward, also the western outskirts of Chaulnes Woods. We hold a portion of Vermandvillers, and now surround it north and south. We added another hundred yards to Sunday's gains eastward of Flenry. A powerful enemy attack on the positions at Ohengis Wood carried a small fort oji the Vaux road and some trenches westward, but a brilliant counter-attack enabled us to reoccupy the whole gro'und. Upwards of live hundred unwounded prisoners were captured in the Fleury district on Sunday and Monday.

HEAVY FIGHTING. BRITISH GAIN MORE GPiOU'NT Received Sept. 5, 7.10 p.m. London, Sept 4. General Sir Douglas llaig reports: The enemy counter-attack north-westward c.f Mouquet Farm, was easily repulsed. We gained further ground northward of Fallemont farm. Heavy fighting on this section continues. IMPORTANT FRENCH GAINS. :?DOO PRISONERS TAKF.I Received Sept. 5, 8.5 p.m. Paris, Sept, 4. A communique, reports further important gains. We took prisoner 2500 during Sunday and Monday northward of the Summe, and on Monday upwards, of 500 in the I'leury district. GERMAN DEFENCES CAPTURED. SUCCESSFUL AIR RAIDS FRENCH HOLD GKOUND GAINED. London, 'Sept. 4. General Sir Douglas llaig reports that, as the result of yesterday's fighting we captured the German defences on a front of 3000 yards and to a depth of SOO yards. We also took SOO prisoners. The enemy fiercely resisted and made determined counter-attacks, suffering heavy losses, but was unable to shake our hold on the ground won, including Guillemont, but compelled us to give up part of Ginchy. The Admiralty announces that our naval aeroplanes on Saturday afternoon successfully bombarded the ship-building yards at Hoboken. A large squadron of our machines on Sunday effectively bombarded the enemy aerodromes at Gistelles. All returned safely. A French communique says that the Germans have not attempted tc retake the ground lost northward of the Somme, where we aro actively organising. Bad weather hinders the operations. Our fire repelled all attempts at the ,VauxChapitre Wood,

BRITISH SUPREMACY. FIGHTING WINNING BATTLE The feeling of {.router confidence which prevails in England with regard to the war is endorsed, by Dr. O'Callsighan, son of Mr. O'Callaglian of New Plymouth He is one of the doctors attached to the ambulance of a cavalry division which went into the breach it Yprcs alter the Canadians were so badly gassed. Then the British were so woefullv short of i'.nuniiirtion that they had 'to restrict their serious firing to one afternoon a week. Before leaving England a few weeks ago Dr. O'Callaglian was in conversation with '"Billy" IJlen, the well-known Tur.inaki footballer who was a member of the famous All Black team, and who was then on leave from Yprcs. He remarked that there was now an abundance of ammunition, and that on an area of about 100 square yards the British had about 280 guns. This serves to show tli'f striking contrast between the conditions that prevailed in those precarious days and the more secure present. Dr. O'Callaglian states that the achievements of the munition workers iu England have been simply wonderful, a fact which is testified to by ollieers ,on leave from the front. A COLORED REPORT; London, Sept. 4. ' A Berlin communique says: The AngloFrench attacks on the Soiimie led to "the most extensive and most bitter battle. Notwithstanding oft-repeated attacks we retained mastery of all the positions, and recaptured some temporarily lost ground near Mouquet Farm. The lighting between Gincliy and the Somine continued till late at night, our troops heroically defending the completely destroyed first portion, in which the enemy obtained a foothold, and in the second line of defend stemmed the attack. Guillemont and Lc Forest are in the enemy's hands. iA French attack near Barleux was sanguinarily repulsed, and an attempted attack oil the Tliiaumont Work and south-east of Fleury failed. The French salient in the Souvillo defile was cleared.

GERMAN AIRCRAFT CLAIMS Received Sept. 5, 6.10 p.m. London, Sept. 4. A German communique reports: Thirteen enemy machines were brought down in aerial flights on, the Soimiie between tlie 2nd and 3rd inst. Boeleke has disabled Lis twentieth machine opponent. l 'AEROPLANE LOSSES London, September 4. 'According to British, French and German communiques 199 aeroplanes were brought down in August, including 121 German, of which the British accounted for 33. GERMAN OLAIMS DISCREDITED. Wellington, Sept. 4. The High Commissioner reports undei date London, September 3 (1 p.m.): — The Somme correspondent discredits the German claims of victory and states that their insignificant gains were attended by enormous enemy losses,