Another British Advance.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VI, Issue 263, 23 October 1916, Page 5

Another British Advance.

Step Nearer to Bapaume. Satisfactory Result of Saturday’s Battle I Wl of the Two Towns Expected in Berlin. I ————— [nusas ASSOCIATION COPYBIGHT.] [4OTTBALUS AND SEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.] Amsterdam, October 21. The “ Frankfuerter Zeitung,” in a three-column leading article, reviews the war situation, candidly preparing the public for the fall of Peronne and Bapaume. It says that even if they fall the Entente will not have won the war. There are other obstacles eastwards. It concludes that Germany must not expect its generals to do impossibilities. The “Frankfuerter Zeitung ” prior to the fall of Combles declared that it was of no importance whatsoever. SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S DESPATCHESPROGRESS ON THE EAUCOURT L’ABBAYE-BAPAUME ROAD. [AUSTRALIAN AND NSW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.] London, October 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports:--We made further progress m :he night in the neighbourhood of Butte de Warlencourt. We repulsed an atti-k wcs‘ vard of the Schwaben redoubt, inflicting heavy losses. Nothing occurred elsewime. Later. A strong enemy attack on the Schwaben redoubt was repulsed with heavy losses. Subsequently on a front of 5000 yards we advanced our line 300 to 500 yards, and captured" the Stuff and Regina trenches, besides advanced posts north-east of the Schwaben Redoubt. We took prisoner some hundreds. ADVANCE IN THE WAKE OF A TANK. ' GUNS CREEPING UP TOWARDS BAPAUME. London, October 21. The “Daily Mairs’’ correspondent says: We butted forward on Wednesday a long way astride the sunken road south-east of Warlencourt. The advance was made in the wake of a tank. The animal proved a good foul weather fighter, and is likely to continue a useful ally. The mortality in the tanks has not been high, and they prove useful even in death. One is still straddling a trench and is temporarily used as a dressing station. All the while our guns are taking up a strong line. The Germans are attempting to dig and fortify across the front of Bapaume. BRITISH LINE ADVANCED A QUARTER OF A MILE. ON A FRONT OF 5000 YARDS. [high commissioner's message.] 'Received 23, 8-23 a.m.) London, October 21. General Haig rePorts: —A strong determined enemy attack was repulsed, except at two points, where he entered our trenches, but was thrown out immediately, leaving prisoners and dead. Subsequently the British successfully attacked on a front of soix> yards between Schwaben and le Sars, and advanced our line 2 quarter of a mile, capturing Stuff and Regina trenches, and an advanced post north-north-east of Schwaben. Hundreds of prisoners were taken. Three enemy fighting machines were downed, and two British are missing. OUR WHOLE OBJECTIVE CAIHED. k CASUALTIES NOT HEAVY. ■ [beuteb’B telegram.] "" [Received 23, 11.50 a.m.) Sir Douglas Haig says:—Yesterday’s attack was very successful. Our whole objective was gained, and we took 800 prisoners. Our casualties are believed to be slight. The enemy did not attempt to retake the captured ground. BRITISH TRENCH RAIDS NORTH OF ARRAS. [AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.] London, October 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We successfully raided trenches south of Neuve Chapelle. FRENCH RESIST MOST DETERMINED ATTACKS. HEAVY GERMAN LOSSES. Paris, October 21. A communique states: The night was quiet on the Somme. There was great aerial activity yesterday'. Seven German machines were brought down. Our squadron dropped many bombs on the stations at Noyon and Chauny and the cantonment at Ham. Paris, October 22. Multiplied and violent infantry attempts were made to expel us from Sailly-Saillisel. Our curtain fire thrice broke the assaulting waves with sanguinary losses, without their approaching our line at any point. The same fierceness of attack was shown against positions between Biaches and La Maisonette, which was particularly desperate in the Blaise Wood region, where the enemy used flaming liquids. He was bloodily repulsed on the whole front, but gained a few advanced positions in a trench northward of Blaise Wood. Meanwhile we captured the woods northward of Chaulnes. ALL CAINS MAINTAINED. [AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION. J (Received 23, 11.50 a.m.) Paris, October 22A communique says:q—All gams on the Somme on Saturday are being maintained. ... A violent attack on our new positions in the vicinity of Chaulnes was repulsed with heavy losses. Our aeroplanes bombed the railway stations at St. Quentin, Venguir, Ham, Athies and Courcelles, east of Metz. SOME GERMAN CLAIMS. OBVIOUSLY CONTRARY TO FACT[ACimiALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.] Berlin, October 21. A German communique states: We wrested from the English the greater portion of the trenches he won on Wednesday west of Eaucourt I’Abbaye. English attacks between le Sars and Eaucourt failed. French attacks on the Sailly-Rancourt road broke down. Our aerial squadron brought down twelve enemy machines, and made aenal attacks on railway stations and munition depots behind the enemy front with good results. HUNS COURTINC DISASTER. ASHMEAD BARTLETT REVIEWS THE SITUATION. London, October 21. Mr Ashmead Bartlett, in a review of the situation south of K the Somme, savs that the Germans are holding the remaining at Barleux and Chaulnes almost on sufferance, so easy successful have the recent French attacks been. K Barleux, however, is a veritable fortress, lying in a hollow K. like Combles, so that it will be necessary- first to drive the ■I Germans from Mont. St. Quentin The Germans are not hold the low-lying ground south of the Somme in a half-hearted Their subterranean defences extort the admiration W of the French troops, also their gratitude because they provide V ready-made shelters safe from the heaviest artillery.

Under the Chateau de Deniecourt the Germans constructed shelters similar to the electric railway tubes, lined with steelThey form an enormous underground barracks holding a battalion and lined with sleeping bunks like the forecastle of a liner. The Germans considered it impregnable, but the French artillery drove every defender into the below ground, and the caves were then at the Frenchmen’s mercy. The Germans’ choice was between starvation or surrender. These complicated underground defences yield large numbers of prisoners after a successful advance. The Germans constructed a remarkable observation station near Berny, called the Tour de Douvent. It was of concrete, containing eight large rooms. Inside now lie the bodies of a colonel, two captains, and 32 orderlies, each wearing a gas mask. A French shell burst in the entrance, resulting in concussion and air pressure, which killed all. Another obstacle at Bovent was an immensely strong sugar factory-. The French i6in. howitzers reduced the factory to pulp, and the dash of the infantry not only carried the factory, but the village of Genermont, half a kilometre beyond. The German position becomes daily more precarious. He has the most difficult river in France behind him. The French artillery are continually smashing extemporised bridges. By holding the line the Germans are risking a crushing disaster. His troops in this sector may be driven into the river. The French infantry smell victory in the air. Their officers have to hold them back like dogs in leash. ALL HOPE OF EARLY PEACE ABANDONED BY GERMANS. STRAINED AND OVERWORN, BUT FAR FROM BEATEN. London, October 21. The “Morning Post’s’’ headquarters correspondent says that the German army on the Somme has abandoned all hopes of an early .peace- It apparently realises that the Allies are determined to secure a complete victory in the field. The Germans are busily preparing for a hard winter campaign, and even harder fighting in the spring. They are savage and discouraged, and less staunch and dependable than formerly, but far from beaten. Many more blows like the last three months will be needed to bring them to submission. It can be done, but not quickly. There is no ground for believing that the enemy will shorten his line without pressure. He insists on being blown homewards. The army pioneers are bringing to perfection the defences of Bapaume and the neighbouring villages, and are skilfully carving the countryside beyond Bapaume into the usual trench pattern, converting every hamlet into a minature fort and every cross-road into a machine-gun redoubt. It is true that they are not as formidable as the orig.nal three lines, but their engineers are using time and labour to the utmost. The blasting Process must continue indefinitely, and many months of stiff fighting are ahead. The British army contemplates its task with equanimity. The signs are promising that the German army is suffering from strain and overwork. Some divisions on the Somme have been thrice broken and re-formed. Their artillery is overworked, justifying the belief that the Germans have insufficient guns to give them the necessary relief. FITZ'S DEJECTED LETTERS. (Received 23, 9.25 a.m.) London, October 21. A German corporal’s diary captured on tha Somme vividly describes the terror caused by the British airmen jointly with the artillery-. Others write dejectedly, declaring that the war is sheer hell, and that there is no further object in fighting.