ENEMY'S POWERFUL COUNTER-ATTACKS

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 51, 28 August 1918, Page 7

ENEMY'S POWERFUL COUNTER-ATTACKS

NEW ZEALANDERS IN THE OUTSKIRTS OF BAPAUME

(Received August 28, 11 a,m.)

LONDON, 27th August. Sir 'Douglas Haig reports : There was severe .fighting on Monday afternoon and evening, between Maricourt and Bapaume, and also north of Bapaume. The enemy counter-attacked repeatedly in strength, incurring great losses from our fire, but was unable to arrest our progress. The English and Welsh troops pushed through Montauban, and along the crest of the ridge, capturing High Wood, and reaching Longueval. Here a heavy counter-attack at 6.30 in the evening forced us back towards Bazentin le Grand and High Wood. On this line we broke up the enemy's attack, and again advancing, established ourselves well eastward of High Wood. Early in the night the enemy counterattacked a second time, but was driven off by our rifle fire before reaching our positions.' North of High Wood the enemy twice counter-attacked in the neighbourhood of Ligny-Thilloy, pressing back our advanced troops four hundred or five hundred yards, where hie infantry were stopped and driven back. The New Zealanders; after fierce fighting, established themselves in the northern outskirts of Bapaume. The English further north progressed towards Beugnatre, and had hard fighting about Croisilles. On the right battlefront, the Australians continued to advance astride the Somme, and made substantial progress towards Dompierre and eastward of Suzanne.

On the left of the battlefront, the Canadians in the afternoon captured a. ridge east of Wancourt, : and established themselves eastward of Guemappe. North of the Scarpe, the Scottish troops, renewing the attack at night, made substantial progress towards Plouvain. The prisoners taken eince the morning of the 21st exceed 21,000.