HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING ON BRITISH FRONT.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 179, 28 July 1916, Page 5

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING ON BRITISH FRONT.

PRESSURE ON THE ENEMY MAINTAINED. FRENCH REPULSE GERMAN ATTACKS WITH LOSS. (Received S a.m.) LOXDOX, July 27. The High Commissioner cables: — Sir Douglas Haig reports that throughout the night the British artillery was active. The British continue to press the enemy, and there have been hand-to-hand encounters at various points. The enemy is using gas and tear shells in the battle area. Elsewhere there has been no incident of importance during the last 48 hours. A French official message states:—South of the Somme we progressed to the eastward of Estrccs. Northward of the Aisnc the enemy after a violent bombardment attacked yesterday evening the salient forming the line northwest of Buttes Wood. The attack failed under our machine-gun fire. In the Champagne a bombardment of our positions yesterday west of Prosnes was followed at ten o'clock in the evening by a strong attack on a front of a thousand metres, but it was arrested by our curtain fire, which caused losses. The enemy was unable to penetrate except some advanced elements, from which they were ejected by a counter-attack shortly afterwards. On the Verdun front there was artillery fire during the night in the sector of Hill 304. and in the region of Fleury and La Laufee. The French progressed _y the aid of grenades west of Thiaumont work.