NO SLACKENING.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 15746, 13 November 1916, Page 7

NO SLACKENING.

TREMENDOUS TASK AHEAD. ENEMY BUILDING NEW FORTRESS LINES BATTLES IN THE AIR, A GERMAN BID FOR SUPREMACY. ROUMANIAN CRISIS OVER. / / (3rd YEAR—lO5th DAY.) »

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

|GREAT AIR BATTLES. FIGHTING IN SQUADRONS, j MANY GRAFT DAMAGED. The High Commissioner reports: — LONDON, Nov. 10th (midnight.). A British official message says"On Thursday there wcro many bombing raids on the enemy's communications, billets, and stores. Fighting in tho air was almost continuous. 'On® of our squadrons of thirty machines enoountorod thirty or forty machines, with the result that an aerial battle occurred. Tho enemy's squadron was dispersed, and six of his machines wcro seen commencing to fall out of control, but owing to the severity of tho fighting it was impossible to watch them ground. "As a result of other fights nine more hostilo machines were brought down damaged. Threo wero destroyed, as well as a kite balloon. "Seven of our machines are missing." TRAINS BLOWN UP. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, November 11th (5 p.m.) A British official messago says:— "Sixty prisoners were taken last night, and effcctivo bombing raids nwHn on tho enemy's hutments, aerodromes, headquarters, stations and trains. Two trains were hit, and a third on© fired, explosions following. "There were numerous air fights. Three of the enemy' 6 machines were destroyed. A fourth landed in our lines, and others were brought down damaged. "One of our machines is missing." GAINS IN THE TRENCHES. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and NJZ. Cable Association.) (RsuWs T«legrama.) (Received November 12th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "Last night tho eastern portion of tho Regina trench, the continuation of the trench captured by us on October 21st, was captured and secured on a thousand yards' front, despite a heavy enemy barrage." HEAVY ARTILLERY FIRE. LONDON, November 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports: — "There was artillery activity night on both banks of tho Ancre, the enemy using gas shells.' "We silenced trench mortars northeast of WITH THE FRENCH. COUNTER-ATTACKS SHATTERED. (Received November 12th, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS. November 11. A communique says:— "North of the Somme we captured several elements of enemy trcnches north-east of Lesbcoufs and Sailliesel. "A German counter-attack in the latter region was easily repulsed. "South of the Somme the bombardment was continued intermittently. violent in the Prcssoir nnd Ablaincourt sectors. "On the right bank' of the Meuso thero was great reciprocal artillery fire everywhere between tho Haudromont quarries and Damloup. All was quiet elsewhere. LIQUID FLAME ATTACK. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON. Nor. 11th (2.50 p.m.! A French official message says:— "Northwards of the Somme, artillery fire was lively in the regions of Lesboeufs and Sailly. "Southwards of the Somme early in tho morning the enemy attacked near D'eniecourt. using flame projectors. Tho attack was broken by our fire, and the enemy compelled to retire with serious losses, leaving our positions intact." FRENCH AERIAL ACTIVITY. (Ao*tr*li*n and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Reuters Telegrams.) (Received November 12th, 5.5 p.m.) PARIS. November 11. A communique says:— "Ono of our aviators brought down his 20th and 21st- enemy machines. Three others were also brought down. "We dropped two tons of bombs on enemy positions on the Sommo. "A French aeroplane flew over the Rhino and bombed and severely damaged the station at Offenbach."

Offenbach, four miles away from Frankfurt, is one of the "busiest manufacturing towns in Germany, especially in fcteel and dyes.

EXTENSIVE RAIDS. PARIS, November 11. A communique states:— "Intermittent cannonades and skirmishes have occurred. "There were 77 air fights. "Our air squadrons bombed enemy and cantonments, especially the railway stations at I»ens, V ou/.iers, and Courcelles-sur-Nied. blast furnaces at Thionviile, the aerodrome at Dieuze. and airsheds at Friscaty." ENEMY REPORTS. AERIAL BATTLES MENTIONED. (Received November 12th, 5.5 p.m.) AMSTERDAM, November 10. A German official message gives prominence to the activity of German airmen on the Soinme, and claims that they shot down 17 aeroplanes. Tho message also states that strong French attacks on Sailly were partly repulsed in hand-to-hand fighting. BRITISH SUCCESS ADMITTED. (Received November 12th. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. A German communique says:— "The British succeeded in penetrating one of our first-line trenches northeast of Courcelette. "After house-to-house fighting near the church in Sailly-Saillisol tre French securcd small advantages. Otherwise, their attacks failed. "Ten enemy aeroplanes were brought down yesterday. NO SLACKENING. EVERY OUNCE REQUIRED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received November 12tli, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 11. Mr Pdrcival Gibbon, vyriting. in the "Daily Chronicle," says:—"Among the German armies on the Western front, dejection and tho fear of defeat are but there never was a moment when it would be more dangerous to -relax tihe vigilance of our effort. A distinguished officer, whoso duty it is to gauge tho enemy's strength, fiays that they aro preparing to put forth every ounco of strength. If we beat them they are finished. Our only risk in the forthcoming crisis will be over-estimat-ing what wo aro already doing. We cannot afford to slacken our efforts for an instant." NEW ENEMY LINES. A CURE FOR OPTIMISM. GERMANS NOT YET BROKEN. (Received November 12th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. November 11. The "Morning Post's" correspondent with the British Army says:—"If the optimists who preach Germany's imminent collapse had an aeroplane vision of Picardy they would moderate their propdieeies. The Germans, undismayed by four months of defeat, are labouring calmly and methodically to strengthen their grip upon France. Tho recent call to arms of the German people is already having its effect in the field. The Germans ask for nothing Letter than to l>e let alone throughout the winter months, in order to reorganise their defences. More large guns have already been concentrated on tho Somme, and the supply of munitions increased and their distribution accelerated. Fighting and scouting aeroplanes have been manufactured in large numbers, and the enemy is endeavouring to recover supremacy in tho air. Since the enemy was driven out of Flcrs and Gueudccourt, he has built up a strong position with ever-deepening dug-outs and plentiful communications. Alreadj' there are three deep • rows of wire and other entanglements and pitfalls. The positions are not yet comparable to the massive and fortress-like works of tho original triple line, but nevertheless they form a strong bulwark shielding Bapaume. "P'urther back, tho entire countryside is in tho hands of engineers, who are sowing machine-guns with a liberal hand, and are transforming fields, hamlet*;, and woods into tho foundations of a new battlefield. Miniature tramlines and light railways are spreading everywhere. Part of the muddled confusion of the German lines following on the first attacks in July was due to tho lack of adequate communications making it impossible to supply ammunition rapidly. Tho German commanders arc not going to risk being in a similar predicament in the future." PORTUGUESE AID. LISBON. November 10. The Premier has announced that Portugal is sending contingents to Europev Witleficldi.

EX-MINISTER MISSTNG.

LONDON, November 10Lord Lucas, who was aeroplaning over the German lines in a higri wind on Saturday, has not returnedHis fat© is not known. "When he retired from the Ministry he joined the Flying Corps dcspito an artificial leg, the result of an injury sustained in tho Boor war-

Lord Lucas was also Baron Dingwall in the Scottish peerage. Ho succeeded his maternal undo, the lato Earl Cowper, in his mother being I>ady Florence Cowper. ;uid his claim to the two peerage? was sustained in 1907. The Cowper Earldom. however, became extinct. Lord Lucas was President of the Board of Agriculture till the National Government was formed, though he was not in the Cabinet itself. He is -10 years of age. and unmarried. FRENCH WAR LOAN. PARTS. November 'K The French war loan realised £404.000.000, of which £1t50.000,000 was in gold from three million subscribers. TONS OF BOMBS. ENEMY FACTORIES DAMAGED. (Received November 12th. 11.50 p.m.) PARIS. November 12. A communique says :— "The French, in tho afternoon, north of tho Sommc. recaptured most of tho | villago of Saillisel. and now occupy tho north-eastern and south-eastern outskirts. The enemy is still resisting'desperately in the eastern part. '*A German attack south of Prcssoir, south of the Sommc. was repulsed with bombs. "A furious artillery duel continues in the Ablaincourt and Gomiecourl districts. '"Seventeen British aeroplanes on Friday dropped two tons of projectiles on tho steel works at Focklinger. northwest of Saarbruck. and brought down three eneruy machines in fights during the raid. "On the following night eight French aeroplanes dropped 24 tons of projectiles on the same works. Several fires wcro observed. All the machines returned safely. "French squadrons on Friday night rained projectiles on tho stations at Ham, St. Quentin, Tergnier. and Ncslc, the aerodrome at the Dieuze, the blast furnaces at Romsbach and Ilagendingen, and the airsheds at Friscaty, causing explosions and fires. "German aeroplanes on Friday night bombarded several French centres, doing slight damage." "The open town of Amiens was several times bombarded, tho same night, and nine civilians killed and twenty-sjx injured.