THE BRITISH ATTACK ON POZIERES

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2834, 27 July 1916, Page 5

THE BRITISH ATTACK ON POZIERES

,] GALLANT HEROES OF ANZAC -.- ■ - 1 >•* ' ■ ■';■':'■■ FORMIDABLE POSITION STORMED (By Telegraph—Pxess Association—Copyright). 1 ' Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. ' ■ '■'.'' London, July 25.Sir Dongas Haig-reports: "The Germans on the Sommo front have been farther reinforced with infantry and guns. The hostile bombardment throughout yesterday was fairly continuous, and at some times of the heaviest. . "Our artillery frustrated an afternoon attack on our right flank. The Germans last.night launched two further infantry attacks against our centre, under specially violent artillery fire. Onr concentrated gun lire and rifle fire stopped both.attaoks. The Germans nowhere reached the British trenches. .Their losses in these fruitless attacks must have been severe". . • : , ■ "Elsewhere there was a good deal of hand-to-hand fighting. Our infantry in 6ome places worked their way forward northward of Pozieres, the greater part of which is now'in our possession. The Germans are • offering strong : but here al6o we gained some ground, capturing two" machine-guns and a' feuprisoners, including two battalion commanders." ' i (Router's Telegram.) : "'. General Sir Douglas Haig reports that fierce fighting and bombing Mcurred ' at various places all day. The artillery drove back a Gorman infantry athek at Pozieres. '...'' ■ '■' i. "ANZAC HEROISM AT POZIERES?' Australian-New _Zealand Cable Association. (Rec. July 26, 10.20 p.m.)' The details of the Australian and New Zealand attack on Pozieres "only" arrived in time for the second editions of tho morning papery birEnhey were given prominence in the evening papers, with such posters as: "Anzac heroism afc Pozieres:" . Tho latest telegrams from the correspondents show that the struggle at Pozieres was as fierce on Monday as it was,on Sunday.* The Anzacs continue to progress in their street fighting. , Thero was a particularly brilliant episode. A party of Anzacs apparently worked round the eastern side of the village to a position north of the houses where they seized a fortress-like structure in the north-east corner capturing two big guns, several machino guns, and over a hundred prisoners. Despite the fury of the British bombardment, the armoured dug-outs in ,the contreof tho town were largely undamaged, obliging the Anzacs and the London' Territorials who wc.ro attacking Pozieres on two 'sides, to storm each house and cottage The Gorman* now only hold a few houses. . The main roW to Bapaumo ascends gradually,- passing through.tho straggling village with, a rise of HO to .160 feot. Iho first outstanding builJlimj is the church on the left of the main road with a cemetery/ Half a mile along the Thiopval road is the schoolhouse, which was the centre of a big struggle the Germans making a desperate stand here. Fierce fighting is now in progress north of the' village, near a windmill, about half a nule beyond the houses. The refinery is half a mile further. ° *' ■ A REVIEW OF THE FIGHTING (Rec. July 26,. 10.40 p.m.) ■''.•' "Tho fighting has brilliantly justified the special training courses "1/grenade throwing, which is often the only method of clearing suoh burrows and under ground-works as are/at Pozieres. French military critics rcard tho British progress at Pozieres and Longuoval as exceedingly favourable. The enemy still holds higher ground, consisting of Hills 136 and 160 N , and 156 and 155, stretching from Thicpval to Foureaux Wood, but when ho is driven out of this line ho will be in an exceedingly awkward position in the lowland behind hence his porhnacity in hanging on to Pozieres and Foureaux. The German-Headquarters even sent such a crack corps as tho Brandenburgers from Verdun 'where they captured the Douaumont fort. Very much of tho British success' was duo to tlio ingonuity and courage of the gunners." ' ; M. Marcel-Hutin writing to the "Echo do Paris," states that the problem of mobile heavy artillery has been completely solved, lie saw engineers lav take up, move,'and re-lay railway lines in' a few hours, which were sufficient to move 15-irich howitzers firing a 7001b. shell every minute, and quick-firin" howitz ers firing two or three shells a minute, each .1101b., of which 201b represented the explosives.. . i ■ • • General Vorraux,- in paying his tribute to the British, says: "By their ten acity and method, ..and remarkablo gift of observation, our Allies quickly re cognised the causes of their first checks, which were, insufficient artillery nre" paration, rash attacks due to unreflecting bravery, and misconception as to "our adversary's resources. As routine docs not oppress them, tho British do not he<ii tato to scrap old.mothods." ' ' BRITISH OFFICER CASUALTIES. (Rec. July 27, 0.55 a.m.) ' London, July og The British officer casualties, published during the last three weeks" tnlal 5455, of which number 1347 were killed. ' eeliS - tolal OPERATIONS ON THE FRENCH FRONT \ ' Paris, July "5 A French official communique states: Southward of Estrees wo captured a strongly-fortified post and drove out tho Germans from the tranches, which thev occupied northward of Vcrmandovillers. ' ' "Rifle fire dispersed many German reconnaissances endeavouring to penetrate Tracy lb Val. | 'Our machine-gun fire stopped a grenade attack against Hill 301. There has been a violent bombardment in the region between Fleury and Lalaufee "After artillery fire, the Germans in.Alsace attacked northward of Altkirch A lively engagement threw out the Germans from tho trenches which thev had penetrated. 3 "Our air squadron bombed stations at Pierrepont, Longuvon, and bivouacs at Mangiennes. , . . ' . ■ - I \A PAUSE IN THE ADVANCE. (Rec. July 27, 0.55 a.m.) Paris, July 26. The pause in the Irtmcli front has continued on the Sonnne, except between Estrees and Ovillers, where a block of strongly fortified houses was assaulted and carried during tho night. THE, OFFENSIVE FROM THE GERMAN SIDE CHEERFUL CLAIMS TO SUCCESSES. Amsterdam, JuJy 25. A German official rammuniqilo states: "Tho British and French made a resolute attack on the Pozieree-Mauropas front, but it broko down.

"A strong French force, storming the Estrees-Soyecourt sector, iemporarily gained ground Bouth of Kstrccal Otherwise the attack was dispersed, with most 6anguinary enemy losses. . "Several attempts by the enemy to recapture, positions on the f roi t-dc-Tcrro ridge wcro repulsed." . KAISER IN THE'HOLE OF THE INJURED INNOCENT. Berne, July 25. Tho Kaiser, during his speech at the Sonimo front, Raid to his troops:— "It is your especial privilege to light the English, who have sworn to destroy Germany, and who built up a combination of countries which at a given signal fell on us, who aro the most peaceful peoplo in the world. Tho English led us to believe thoy. were our friends, yet they were plotting our destruction. "The English offensive is intended to carry tho war on to German soil, to tho peril ami undoing of our helpless women and children. Your duty is to break the English offensive, and prove that Germany is invincible." Conservative circles in Berlin are angry at tho Kaiser's so-called "inspir. ing speeches" being withheld from publication, and intend to demand, that Horr von Bethmann-Hollweg shall explain in tno Reichstag* why they were withheld. WOUNDED FROM THE SOMME. (Boater's Telegram.) Amsterdam, July 25. FiTe thousand severely wounded Germans have arrived at Cologne from tho Somme.