WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

THE RECENT BATTLE. MOST BRILLIANT SINCE JULY. .. 7000 PRISONERS TAKEN. A BITTER PILI, FOR HINDENBURC. Received Sept. 0, 5.30 p.m. London, Sept. 5. The Anglo-French military experts regard tiie battle oi' Sunday and Monday as the most brilliant suite the Ist of July. Seven thousand prisoners were captured. Even Feiid-Marshal von Hindenburg, who had just completed his inspection of the Somme fronj;, describes the battle as on a great scale and with great violence. Field-Marshal von Hindenburg's frenzied reception on the Somme front put new spirit into the defenders, but they were unable to cope with the British doggedness and the French, dash. Unlike the Ist of July battle, there were no elements 0 i surprise owing to the forced lull due to bad weather. GERMANS ICNOMINIOUSLY •DEFEATED. General von Gallwitz was able to bring up considerable reinforcements of troops and material." The Germans even attempted to forestall the Allied attack, but were ignominionsly defeated. The weather twice forced the Anglo-French commanders tc postpone operations. DETAILS OF OPERATION^. The advance commenced on an IS% miles front as the crow flies, and 29>2> miles as the trenches iun. The British attacked at dawn and the French at mid-day. Five hours later every objective was gained. The capture of Guillemont meant taking the greatest German stronghold on the Somme, with Thiepval the key to the positions of the German line. The Fifth Brandenbinger Division, which made a name at Douaumont, defended the Guillemont sector foot by foot. A detachment held out in a small fort on the Combles road until their ammunition was exhausted. The British found ten defenders alive. The Germans made desperate efforts to recover their losses, hut the six counter-attacks were broken 'by the Allied machine-guns. FALSE GERMAN REPORTS. The situation was still more satisfactory on the French front than on the British. The greatest difficulties are in the Thiepval region, where the German communiques continue to record fullblooded infantry attacks. These are untrue since the failure of the attack north of Ancre early in July. General Sir Douglas Haig has refrained from frontal attacks at Thiepval, grudging the loss of life, and was content with a flank advance, which would eventually force the Germans at Thiepval to surrender.

TUB AIM 01' THE ATTACK. The recent British operations aimed at turning the position at Beaun-on-Tliamel. They accordingly advanced by a road running west and along the edge of Thicpvul. Tills advance was still blocked by the iield works near Mouquet Farm, and until these are taken the Germans will hold Thiepval. General Haig is of opinion that nothing can be gained by e;;.tending the bulge at the High Wood until the rest of the line is advanced, but the capture of Guillemont was essential. PAVING THE WAY TO PERONNE. It was the most conspicuous success since the Australians captured Pozieres, a particularly brilliant episode being the capture' of Talfcmont Farm, standing on a spur overlooking and commanding Combles. The seizure greatly strengthens the French position, while the capture of Clery paves the way towards Peronne. NZACS' DIFFICULT TASK London, Sept. a. Mr. Philip (Tibbs states that one ot the most valuable factors in the British advance on Sunday was the Anzsic attack on Moiuiuet Farm. The men knew the ground intimately, and had already explored the ruins of the farm by a strong patrol some days ago. They were confident ihut tliey could do the same thing again, though the site might be diiiicult to hold against hostile fire. There was no level ground anywhere, but shell boles everywhere, some full of water and mud, in which men plunged to their armpits, and many were bogged. There were really no trenches to be taken, the Germans merely holding lines of shell craters, in which machine-guns were placed. The enemy was scattered in isolated groups with "tores of bombs. It was extraordinarily diiiicult to attack such a position, because there was no definite line. The Australians encountered horrible spasms of machine-gun lire from unknown i|iinrters on both sides, and even behind. By the time the farm was reached the battle had broken into many separate encounters. Small parties of Australians anil Prussians in a desperate hugger mugger were lighting. The Australians pushed forward, and their advanced parties entered the farm and got 200 yards beyond. Though nothing remains of the farm higher than a man, the enemy had the usual dug-outs and tunnels strongly protected with timber and cement. THE BRITISH ADVANCE. SATISFACTORY PROGRESS {Received Sept. G. 7.5 p.m London, Sept. 6. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: We are continuing to advance, and are now in possession of all the ground between FaUernont Farm and the outskirts of Ginchy. Tuesday's lighting further strengthened the position at Leuze Wood, whereof we hold the greater part, j

A SERIES OF BRILLIANT COMBATS. ALL POSITIONS MAINTAINED. A FURTHER ADVANCE Received Sept. C, MO p.m. London, Sept. 0 There wort, a series of .brilliant combats northward of the Somme on Tuesday, the troops showing irresistible dash. They seized, norlh-eWward of Clery, the extremity of the hill traversed by the Jlouclmvcsnes-Clerv road, and captured since tile 3rd, twenty-four heavy and tight light guns, a large depot of shells, a captive balloon, and many machineguns. The battle southward of the Somme was waged with extreme violence. Despite the enemy's repeated onslaughts we maintained all our positions, and carried a line of trenches cast of Sojceourt, and also reached the outskirts of Deiiicotirt l'ark. There is a strong cannonade on the Fleury and Chenois sector. IMPORTANT FRENCH GAINS. MASSED ATTACKS REPULSED. LARGE CAPTURES MADff ' Keceived Sept. 0, 7.0 p.m.; London, Sept. 6. A French communique reports: We made important progress eastward of Le Forest and north-eastward of Clery. We also captured the village of Ommiscourt, thus picking up the positions north and south of the Somme. We repulsed repeated massed attacks on the Barleux and Belloy se<vrs, inflicting sanguinary losses, and took prisoner 55 officers and 3992- men southward of the Somme since Tuesday. The total prisoners secured since September 3, nortli and south of the Somme, is 0050, and 3(1 guns, whereof 28 are of heavy calibre. OFFICIAL REPORTS. FURTHER BRITISH CAPTURES. London, Sept. n, A French communique states: TJicre is continued bad weather. We are organising the ground gained. A strong counterattack between Combh-s and Le Forest broke down, and attacks elsewhere were repulsed. General Sir Douglas Haig reports:— We are now fifteen hundred yards to tin eastward of Guilleniont, ami have ob tained a footing in Lieuge Wood.. We captured the whole defence for a thousand yards on the front at Fallenmont. Since Sunday we. captured the whole of. the remaining enemy second line in the region, of Mciuquct Farm to the junction with the French. Prisoners exceed 1000. Fighting continues at Ginchy. A German communique states: There has been hot lighting .between Le Forest and the Somme., South of the Somme we are resisting storming by the enemy ou a twenty kilometre front between Barleux and Chilly. We lost Chilly. We repulsed the French at Souville. east of Fleury. Wellington, Last Night. The High Commisisoner reports under date London, Sept. s: British official reports state that, in spite of heavy hostile artillery fire and bad weather, we are still pushing forward and possess all the ground between Falfeinont farm and Leuze wood, also on tho outskirts of Ginchy. The Trench official report says: On the Somme front there luu been continued progress by our troops. We carried the Hospital farm, Rainnctte wood, part of Marrieres wood, the hill northeast of Clery, the village of Ommioconrt, and a line of German trenches at Soyekeurt. The total prisoners taken on tho French front from September 3 number (3050, also 30 guns, including 2S of heavy calibre.