HARD FIGHTING NEAR DELVILLE WOOD

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2861, 28 August 1916, Page 5

HARD FIGHTING NEAR DELVILLE WOOD

FRENCH PROGRESS BRITISH CAPTURE SEVEN HUNDRED YARDS OF TRENCHES (By Telegraph—Press -Copyright).. / Australian-New. Zealand Cable Association. ■ •''.■ London, August 25. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We joined up with the French, who made important progress yesterday at Maureprfs. . _ ' "We advanced several hundred yards astride the LongiievaJ-lUers road. "There has been hard fighting east and north-east of Delyille Wood. i "We captured trenches south of Thiepval Cross and tho salient at Liepzig to the extent of seven hundred yards." • -Paris, August 20. A communique states:— "We consolidated the ground conquered north-east M Maurepas. '' "There is lively artillery fire between the-Avre and the Aisne. "The batteries on both sides aro active at the Thiaumont work. Our firo completely checked an attempt against Floury." ALLIED GAINS ADMITTED BY THE HUNS. v London, August 25. A Berlin'official message admits the Allied gains north of 4 Ovillers, and also at Longueval, Delville Wood, and Maurepas. '.AEROPLANE RAIDS ON RAILWAY SIDINGS. (Rec. August 26, 5.5 p.m.) ' London, August 26. Sir Douglas,Haig reports: "We repulsed an attack on the trenches westward of Guinchy. The enemy bombarded the captured trenches westward of Guinchy and Delville Wood. ...... ... "In two of oiir aeroplane raids on some of the principal railway sidings and lines of communication, several trains were hit and considerable damage done to rolling stocks' '•>'*. ENEMY'S DETERMINED EFFORTS TO REGAIN GROUND GALLANTRY OF THE WILTSHIRES AND WORCESTERS. (Rec. August 27, 5.5 p.m.) London, August 26. Sir Douglas Haig'reports: "The enemy bombarded our front lino trenches on the greater portion of the front south of the Ancre, and attacked in the morning west of G/uiljeuiont, between tho quarries and the Montauban-Guille-lnout road, and was repulsed.. , "We further progressed east and south-west of Mouquot J! arm, capturing another four hundred yards of trenches along the Courcolette-Thiepval road. The importance the enemy attaches to the Thiepval sector is shown by tho great effort made to recover the ground in tho Leipzig salient (south ot Thiepval). Ho recently effected a great concentration of guns in this area, and in support of last night's attacks delivered an attack south of the Thiepval villago with Prussian Guards. Tlie attack was pressed determinedly, but was c crywbere repulsed with very heavy loss. The success of the defence was largelv due to tho gallantry of the Wiltshires and Worcester's, who, despite heavy bombardment, held on." ~.- '. TWO GREAT BASTIONS AND AN EIGHT-MILE FORTRESS THE OUTWORKS OF BOTH BASTIONS STORMED BY THE .■;.••'.. BRITISH. (Rec. August 27, 5.5 p.m.) London, August. 2G. The "Daily Mail's" correspondent in Picardy says that an eight-mile fortress, extending from Thiepval to Guinchy, has a groat bastion at either end. Wo stormed the outworks of both.on Thursday. Germany concentrated, especially at Thiepval and Guillemont, enough men and guns to garrison, eighty miles of trenches. Tho-Germans used hundreds of cannon, Tndecd a hundred batteries of all calibres, and tho troops could not bo reckoned by hundreds or thousands or ton thousands, but by corps. Tho intensity of the German effort to prevent the bastions falling came to » focus at Guillemont on Wednesday night. There wore many bloody counter-attacks, but it was equally apparent, in the massing of men and guns at certain places behind tho lines, that tho Germans bad never during the war period lost nearly so many men in the defensive fighting., The losses among the supports equallv with the attacking troops were un'precedentedly heavy. They were forced, despite machine-guns, to use more men and cmplacc more and more guns in vulnerable position's.' When we gain, as wo aro doing almost daily, some hundred yards of trenches'at small loss to ourselves, or high enemy loss, wo are defeating the enemy's supreme endeavour where ho applies all skill and energy. Ho cannot do more, and we win all the time. BRITISH DESTROY MANY ENEMY GUN POSITIONS. (Itaitcr's Tclspram.l (Rec. August 27, 11.30 p.m.) London, August 27. Sir Douglas Haig reports last cvoning -that there was artillery activity at the Mamctz Wood, north of tho Delvillo Wood, Roulencourt, Laoouture. and east of Zillebekc. Our counter-attacks destroyed many and damaged ,#ner gun positions, . . On the Sommo our aircraft attacks on points of military importance oontinue.

THE PRUSSIAN GUARDS -AT MAUREFAS. Australian-New Zoaland Oablo Association. (Rec August 26, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, August 26. If; is understood the Germans at Mauropas comprised the First Division of the Prussian Guards, who were pcfi sonally commanded by the liaiscr s son Eitel. The French viotory was neither difficult nor costly. ? FRENCH SECURE SIX HUNDRED PRISONERS. (Rcc. August 26, 5.5 p.m.), Paris, August 26. A French communique says: "Tho prisoners taken in Thursday's combats total six hundred. < "The Germans gained a footing in our advanced trenches at Allly Wood but were immediately expelled." TWELVE GERMAN AEROPLANES BROUGHT DOWN. (Rec. August 27, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, August 2G. AFreuch communique says: "There is intense bombardment south of "Theenemv attacked at two points west of Tahure, and gained a footing in a small salient, but we bombed him out. . "There were several sharp attacks m the rogion of Thiaumont-1' leury, but all were repulsed. , , , , m , "There have boon aerial combats on the whole front. Iwolve enemy machines, including four Fokkers, we're- brought down at various points. WAR NEWS IN A GERMAN COMMUNIQUE. ' ' (Rice. .August 27, 5.5 p.m.) London, August 2b. A German communique says: "We repulsed attacks in the ThiepvaN High Wood sector. „ "Near Maurepas five enomy aeroplanes were brought down. GERMAN AIRMEN FAR INFERIOR TO FRENCH AND ENGLISH. (Router's Telesraip.) (Rcc. August 27, 5.5 p.m.) London, August 26. A semi-official document captured by "the French shows that the are experiencing groat difficulties in manning aeroplanes. An officer s diary admits that German airmen are far inferior to the Fronch and English, and says: "This'kas the worst effect on the Gorman morale." <> SUOCESSFUL RAID BY NAVAL AEROPLANES. The High Commissioner reports:— . „, .... London, August 26, 12.10 p.m. Tho Admiralty announces that yesterday's naval aeroplanes raided the enemy's airship sheds at Namur. Two sheds were hit. One machine failed to return. , LIVELY ARTILLERY ACTIONS ON THE FRENCH FRONT. Australian-New Zealand Oablo Association. (Rec. August 27, midnight.) - Pans, August 2/. A French communique says:-"There is very.lively artillery actions northward of Maurepas, westward of Clery and m tho Tlnaumont-Flcurj scotor." ' ENEMY MACHINE GUNNERS WEAR RED CROSS BANDS. (Beuter'a Tolesrnim.) (Rec. August 27, 5.5 p.m.) ; i London, August 26. A headquarters correspondent reports that an escaped British prisoner emphatically assorts that all German machine gunners ho saw wore Red Gross' bands. .