FIVE-MILE ADVANCE ON THE SOMME FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 174, 22 July 1916, Page 5

FIVE-MILE ADVANCE ON THE SOMME FRONT.

PRESSURE ON BRITISH ANGLE RELIEVED. AREA. SEIZED TWICE AS LARGE AS LOSS AT VERDUN. ' THREE THOUSAND PRISONERS TAKEN THURSDAY. LONDON, July 21. The British and French public are delighted with the news of General Foch'a capture of five miles on the SonWfront. The British advances having brought their line approximately to the level of the French lines. General Foeh recommenced the offensive at daybreak, witli most gratifying success. He has hroken the German line and captured five miles of trenches on both banks of the Somme, threatening Combles.. and relieving the pressure on the British angle at Longueval and DelviHe Wood, where the British are making a grand fight, although outnumbered four to one. The positions which the British and French have seized on the Somme are at least as difficult and twice as extensive as those the Germans seized at "Verdun. The British and French accomplished in 10 days what the Germans took five months to accomplish with fivefold the expenditure of lives. The Germans fully realise the dangers of the British and French advance upon the confines of the plains of Cambrai, but are endeavouring to confine the fighting to the Somme sectors, as there is even greater danger in the likeli&ood of further breaches of the German line. The great advantage of the Allies lies in the fact that the Germane are tied up to their positions and forced to rely on their heavy guns, which are excellent for offence, but difficult to utilise for defence, where mobility is allimportant. : .. ■ &■ 'later French communique states": — . "North of the Somme we are consolidating the positions won this morning. South of the Somme wo extended our front by an attack in the afternoon. We wpturea the whole of the first German positions from Estrees to Vennandoffflers Hill. During the fighting to-day we captured 2,900 prisoners, three Sens, 30 machine-guns, and much material." ,