SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17230, 26 July 1916, Page 7

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT.

MANY COUNTER-ATTACKS. NO ADVANTAGE TO ENEMY. LARGE PORTION OF POZIERES HELD. The High Commissioner reports; LONDON, July 24. General Haig reports that apart from mutual continuous shelling the night was one of comparative calm, following yesterday's severe fighting. Yesterday, between the High Wood and Guillemont, repeated enemy coun-ter-attacks gained no advantage, our artillery and machine guu fire indicting very heavy casualties. We gained ground near the High Wood in the direction of Guillemont, and in the neighbourhood of Pozieres we secured important advantages in spite of the enemy's stubborn defence. A large portion of the village is nov, ours, and we captured two guns and sixty more prisoners.

FIGHTING IN POZIERES CON-

TINUES.

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, July 24. On- the British front fighting continues at Pozieres, at which place the prisoners taken by the Australians number six officers and 145 men. On other parts of the front there was considerable artillery activity by both sides.

WITH THE FRENCH.

A CALM NIGHT. *

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, July 24.

The French official report says that on the Somme the night was calm and the weather is bad. fe

FRENCH C? ~ J TURE BATTERY

The High Commissioner reports:—

LONDON, July 24

The French communique says:— South of the Somme this morning we captured an enemy battery south of Estrees village. Since July 20 we have captured on the Somme front over sixty German machine guns.

THE GERMAN SIDE.

CLAIM THAT BRITISH ATTACKS

FAILED.

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON..Jury 24 A German oommuniqfae states:—

The English attacks on Thiepval and .Gufllemoitt wain carried out by detacb-

rrents from eleven Enclish divisions, fievoral of which were hastily brought from other fronts. The onlv advance the enemv achieved was the penetration of a few houses. at Pozieres. which cost sanguinary losses. The Brandenburg Grenadiers from Douaumofat made a heavy counter-attack at Longueval and drove the enemy from a sand quarry south-east of Guillemont. where they had temporarily gained a footing. A small French undertaking south of tho Somme failed.

Since July 15 wo have captured sixtv-eight machine guns. Tho Berlin War Office states that the engagement at Pozieres cost the British heavily in dead and wounded.

BATTLE OF POZIERES.

ANZACS IN GREAT STRUGGLE.

ADVANCE STEP BY STEP,

In tho epic struggle for Pozieres the Australasians were fighting terrifically on both sides of the village. The British attacked frontallj;, and hand-to-hand fighting continues in the streets an J house©, which must be captured step by step. The villago is a veritable fortress, and the Germ ins havj strtfngly reinforced' the recaptured portion.

BRITISH COURAGE AND TENACITY.

HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING

The Paris correspondent of -the Central News Agency reports that tho British bombardment in the Poziercs region increased in intensity on Saturday evening, indicating that the hour of attack was approaching. Tho Britisn troops advanced to the assault along tho whole lino on Sunday morning, whilo the artillery lengthened its range. The artillery preparation was excellent, but some armoured shelters were only partially destroyed, and machine guns were still in place when the attack began, especially about Poziores vilThe British displayed remarkable coolness and courage, and, with inimitable tenacity, reached the enemy's lines. They captured several positions, but superior numbers and artillery fire forced them to fall back at some points, only to return when reinforced. _ _ ■ Fighting in the village reached its highest point at two o'clock in the morning, when the British seized the advancad defences, penetrated into tho streets, and stormed the majority of the houses. The struggle" was frightful. The Tommies fought the foe hand-to-hand, and the tide of battle swayed until sixo'clock in the evening, when the British reached the northern extremity of the village. But the Germans returned in great masses, and re-took portion of the lost ground, forcing their opponents out of some houses. While the epic struggle raged the Austra'/'in battalions engaged in terrific fignts on both sides of the village. The British and Australians were still fighting with the same ardour at 8 o'clock in the evening, and had regained some ground. Meanwhile the battle around Guillemont and Longueval was of the most stubborn character, but at midnight H seemed to have turned in favour of the 'Britislx.

IMPORTANCE OF REGION

GERMANY'S POWERFUL BASTIONS.

" The Times '' Scrvico.

LONDON, July 24

Details of the fighting on the Somme show that the principal conflicts extend over a front of nearly seven miles from Pozieres, recoutly the centre of a shaJlow Gorman salient, the capture of which is essential in order to facilitate the advance on fhe Thicpval p.ateau. Guillemont is an extremely strong position must be taken before Combles is threatened. Pozieres and Guillemont practically constitute tho powerful bastions of the present German line-

VICTORY ASSURED.

31R LLOYD GEORGE'S VIEWS.

GENERALS SATISFIED WITH

PROGRESS

Reutel-'s Telegrams.

LONDON, Juty 24. In the House of Commons Colone Churchill complained that ill- Asquith had not reviewed the military situation. Mr Lloyd' George: You cannot review a military prospect in the middle or a battle. Our prospects are good. Our generals are more than satisfied with tho progress, and are proud of the valour of our men. Great as were British infantry in days past, they were never greater than now. One thrills with pride to belong to the same face. Our eitizen army is hurling back our moat formidable foes. Whatever happens in this battle I am confident that victory is assured, and feel beyond everything confident because numbers and all other resources are on our side, and our soldiers have proved that British resourcefulness and' intelligence are going to snatch -victory hi a few months over what appeared at one time to he an invincible military power."

DELVILLE WOOD. A DEATH TRAP. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received July 25, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, July 24. Mr Philip Gibbs, writing on Friday, says:—"The Tommies call Delvill6 Wood 'Devil's Wood.' It Is really a devilish place and has proved a death trap for British and Germans. Fighting continues hotly in Delville Wood and also in High Wood, previously cabled Foureaux Wood, lying to the northwest. The Germans have the advantage of tho defence in Delvillo Wood, where they hare placed machine guns behind a barricade of great trco trunks, with sharpshooters hiding in the foliage. The South Africans had not time to dig in before the German guns swept the woods. The troops are now more secure. Tho situation in High Wood is unchanged. Wo still hold the wood linking it up with Longueval. Thus High Wood is the apex of a salient thrust like a spearhead into tho German position.

SCOTLAND AND SOUTH AFRICA

TERRIFIC FIGHT AGAINST GREAT

ODDS

" The Times " Service. (Received July 25, 8.15 p.m.). LONDON, July 21

A correspondent at Headquarters, writing on July 21, says that already the operations on the Somme rival those at Verdun. Never was a struggle of more fierce intensity, and it promises to increase.

Describing the recent German coun-ter-attacks in the Delvillo Wood, ho says: __" \y c already know how the Germans fear the Highlanders, but they now have better reason than ever. There has been nothing finer in any war than the way in which the Scotsmen, after four days' unimaginable ■strain, flung back enormously preponderating numbers in the last desperate counter-attack. With a gallant handful of South Africans they rose from a hastily made line and beat back nine or ten battalions of fresh trobps. Longueval forms part of Delville Wood, and tho Germans were immensely strong, having machine-guns and two field guns, which fired at 150 yards point-blank range. Our thin line was tremendously shelled with every kind of weapon for eight hours. It was worse than anything known before. The South. Africans, who had passed through the Scottish two days previously to clear Delville Wood, were driven back. Small bands throughout the day dropped into the trench beside the Scots and waited while hell raged. At last the enemy infantry appeared through tho wood ou* all sides, wave after wave. Before the overwhelming numbers our men fell back to the reservo trench, and here, gathering the fragments and scraps of battalions, companies and platoons, tho Scotsmen and South Africans rallied. Here a handful counterattacked and drove back tho enemy's masses through Delvillo Wood. Even the ' shell-shocked wounded, after.four sleepless days and nights, took heroic resolution and somehow went forward with their comrades."