FURTHER IMPORTANT SUCCESSES ON BRITISH FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 169, 17 July 1916, Page 5

FURTHER IMPORTANT SUCCESSES ON BRITISH FRONT.

CAVALRY IN ACTION FOR FIRST TIME SINCE MONS FIGHTING IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF POZIEBES. [Austnlltn and N.Z. Cable Association.] LOXDOK, July 16. Mr Douglas Haig reports:— ■ "Heavy fighting has been in progress all day on the Pozieres-Guilleiuont sector of the second German line of defence. We have won further importaut successes. "Eastward of Longueval, in spite of desperate resistance, we captured the whole of Belville Wood and repulsed a strong counter-attack. The enemy's "Our troops northward of Bazentin-le-Grand penetrated the German third line at Faureux Wood, in which we obtained lodgment. A detachment of the enemy in this neighbourhood was successfully accounted for by a squadron of Dragoon Guards. This was the first opportunity of mounted action afforded to our cavalry since 1914. "We captured the whole of the wood westward of Bazentin-lc-Petit, and repulsed two counter-attacks. The prisoners taken here included the commander of. a Bavarian regiment and liia whole staff. "We further advanced eastward of Ovillcrs, and fought our way to the outskirts of Pozieres." The outstanding- feature of the new British offensive is that the extensive transference of British guns is being carried out with the utmost rapidity, in order to enable the German positions in the rear to be captured before the enemy has time to fully fortify them. Sir Douglas Haig-'s object is to keep the Germans on the move, knowing that the successive positions to which they retire afford increasingly leas protection. -is the advance continues, it will no longer be feasible for the Germans to carry on a rearguard struggle with detachments of machine-gunners while infantry is massed at convenient stations for counter-strokes. Subterranean machine-gun emplacements will soon be rare. Trenches can be dug quickly, but underground shelters take weeks and even months to link up into "a systematic defence. Splendid supplies of ammunition are available to put heart into the British infantry, and there is no chance of a repetition of the Loos and Kcuva Chapelle mischances. The effects of the Allies' advance are already being felt in Belgium, where the Germans are constructing fresh defence works. The War Office announces that since July 1, owing to the success of the British bombardment, the proportion of slight wounds, as compared to serious wounds, is very high. This proves that the enemy's artillery has been Buccessfuly dealt with. The British troops are firmly convinced that they have the masters of the Germans, and they advance to each assault with greater dash and courage. To-day's British casualty list contains the names of 417 officers, of whom 104 are dead.