FRESH BLOWS ON THE SOMME

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2887, 27 September 1916, Page 5

FRESH BLOWS ON THE SOMME

GREAT ADVANCE BY THE FRENCH AND BRITISH SPLENDID GAINS AT TRIFLING COST The High Commissioner reports' , _ . , London, September 25,2.45 p.m. A British official report states: "Southward of the Ancre an attack by the enemy east of Courcelette was repulsed. North of Neuve Chapelle, and also north of Hulluch, wo exploded mines, damaging the enemy's works." | , BRITISH BOMBARDING THE BELGIAN COAST. , (By Telegranli—■Press Association— Copyright). Australian-New Zealand Cable Awooiation. „ ... , ' j j , , , Flushing, Soptombor 25. , British monitors and destroyers are bombarding the coast between Herat >and Zeebrugge. COMBLES PRACTICALLY ISOLATED (Reo. September 26, 8 p.m.) c- n i -rr • ' i <,m i , London, September 26. Wo ®, lr ? aig ropor^.: TP-day wo have everywhere been successful. A>ejtormed the German portions on a six-mile front between Combles and Martinpuioh to a depth of more than a mile, and captured the stronclyfortified villages of Morval and Lesboeufs, thus practically severing all commumcations with Combles. The enemy's Ibsses wero heavy" "Morval stands on tho heights northward of Combles, and wi£h its sub terranean quarries, trendies, and wire entanglements, constituted a formidable fortress. The possession oi Morval and Lesboeufs is of considerable militarv importance. Many prisoners, machine-guns, and other material were taken Our losses m relation to results have hitherto been comparatively small Six .of the enemy's aeroplanes wero destroyed on Sunday, and three brought down in a damaged condition. Thrco of ours are missing." ■ FRENCH CAPTURE RANCOURT (Eec. September 26, 8 p.m.)■i ' iji , _• , - , , , r . Paris, September 26. .A French official commmuqm states: ''In a violent battle on the FrancoBritish front, the French extended their lines north-westward of Combles and captured Rancourt, taking 400 unwounded prisoners." (Rcc. September 26, 10.35 p.m.) i „, , , ' • , Paris, September 26. A Ircncli official commumquo slates: "The French infantry assumiacr the offensive towards noon, attacked simultaneously the position between ComhWand Rancourt and the defences the onemy had accumulated between .Rancourt and the borame. Wo carried our lines north-eastward of Combles to tho southern outskirts ,<jf Fregicourt and conquered the powcrfully-organ isod ground from Fregicourt to Hill 148. Then wo extended our positions eastward of the Bothune Road to a depth of throe-fifths of a mile from tho Combles Road to Bouchavesnes, and carried by assault a height north-east-ward of tho latter, and breached Hill. 130 to the south-east. We carried further south, several trench systems near the northern canal from the Bethune Road to the Somrae. Our aeroplanes dropped ISO bombs on the railway stations at Bam, Hombleiix, Manancourt, and tho aviation ground at .Vraignes." ; ' A French official, communique stales: "We repulsed a German attack eastward of the Vaux Chapifre Wood. There is intense artillery action in the Thiaiimont sector. A German aircraft hombed Luneville. We bombed tho village and railway stations at- Gniscard, Thionville, and Rombach and ■ the railway station at Audun le Roman." 1 TERRIFIC ARTILLERY INFERNO RAGING FRANCO-BRITISH GUNS PULVERISING THE ENEMY'S LINES I (Rec. September 27, 0.45 a.m.) j , . T nr. Paris, September 26. c What is going to happen on tlic Sommo front cannot bo foretold or i exactly foreseen. For. soventy-two hours a bombardment of stupendous intensity has raged, smashing up tho German lines. French and British guns v of all calibres are belching forth thousands of tons of projectiles, and tho o earth tremors resemble earthquakes. Previous artillery preparations at' e Picardy and Verdun were child's play. Hie aviators are assisting by dropping hundreds of bombs at points of strategic importance. A number of ammunition depots have been blown up, and stations burnt \ GERMAN OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE. (Rec. September 26, 5.30 p.m.) . . 1 London, September 25. i. A German official communique states: "Hie enemy's advances at Rancourt and Bouchavesnes failed. We repulsed strong French attacks north- f west of Souville. We brought down nine aeroplanes yesterday.. One child was Ii a victim of the aeroplane attack on Essen. Others were wounded. Tha + material damage was unimportant." J* v; PILING UP IMMENSE RESERVES OP MUNITIONS TREMENDOUS ACTIVITY IN FRANCE AND BRITAIN. Paris, Septombor 25. The French Minister of Munitions (M. Albert Thomas) states: "Tha necessary measures have been taken to increaso still further tho output of munitions. We must intensify tho winter output. My scheme is a gigantic ane. . Tnree' hundred thousand women have already responded, and mountains y' shells will arise."_ M. Pierre Dupuy, Director of tho Technical Committee, states that Britain is now drawing level with France in tho formidable out- ai put of ■ munitions. It is impossible to publish figures, but a oonstant increase w j' heavy artillery oe all Allied fronts is guaranteed. . a ,