ON SOMME'S FRONT

Feilding Star, Volume XII, Issue 2999, 22 July 1916, Page 2

ON SOMME'S FRONT

THE FRENCH GAIN FIVE MILES

BRILLIANT GENERAL FOCH

HAS THE GERMAN AT A DISADVANTAGE.

ACTIVITY OF THE AIRMEN

rß«utor's Telegram.] ' Maris, July 21.

A conmiiiiii'jiie states: North of the Somme, we are consolidating positions won in tbe morning. South of the Somme we extended our front by an attack in the afternoon, capturing the whole first German position from Estrees to Vormandovillers Hill. During the fighting to-day we captured 2000 prisoners, fhree guns, 30 machine guns, and much material. Wv continued our progress, bombing the rest of Triaumont Work". Air squadrons bombed the stations of Thouville. Moniniodry, Rrieulles. and Hoisel nnd military establishments at Lonach. north-east of Basle. SOME MORE DETAILS. NEWS RECEIVED WITH DELIGHT IMPORTANCE OF A RAID BY AUSTRALIANS. [Au.stralian-N.Z. Cable Association.] London, duly 21. The British antl French public are delighted at the news of General Focb's capture of five miles of the Sonimc front, tin- British advances having brought thoir Jine approximately level to tho French. General Foch recommenced his offensive at daybreak, with most gratifying success. The broken German lines were captured for rive miles, as well as trenches on botlj, banks of the Somme, threatening Combles. This move relieves the .pressure on the British in the angle of Longiieval and the Belville Wood, where the British are maikng a grand fight, though outnumbered by four to one.

The positions which the AngloFrench have seized in the region of the Somme are at least as difficult and twice a.s extensive as those tho Germans have seized at Verdun. The Anglo-French have accomplished in 10 days what the Germans accomplished in five months, with fivefold the expenditure of lives.

The Germans fully realise the .dangers of the Anglo-French advance upo ntho confines of the plains of Cambres, and .arc endeavouring to confine the fifditing to the Sommo sectors, as there is even greater danger in the likelihood of further branches of the German line being rolled up in sectors.

! The Allies' great advantage lies in j the fact that the Germans are tied up to their positions and are forced to rely on their heavy guns, which aro excellent for offence, but difficult to ' utilise for defence, where mobility is all important. The newspapers give prominence to the excellent results of an Australian raid, which was on a. more extensive front than any General Haig ha. s yet reported. GERMAN SHREWDNESS. TRYING TO CONCEAL THEIR NUMBERS. [Australian-N.Z. Cablo Association.] '(Received-July 22. 9.20 a.m.) 11 London, July 21. The Daily Mail's correspondent iv France writes that the German attack on Longueval was shrewdly con-, ceived, aud if successful would endanger the front where the Franco-Brit-ish are. The enemy pretends that only one brigade is engaged, but French experts estimate ■ that there are six divisions on a two and a-half mile iront. Despite the tremendous odds and the exceptional i'urv of the Germans, the British magnificently withstood the attack.