SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17250, 18 August 1916, Page 7

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT.

NO CHANGE REPORTED

CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

LONDON, August 16

General Haig reports:—With tho exception of minor infantry engagements in the vicinity of Pozieres, where we are consolidating our line, there has been no change between the Ancre and the Somme.

In the night there was heavy shelling.

(Received August 17, 9.5 p.m.)

LONDON, August 17. Sir Douglas Haig says that there is nothing special to report.

RECENT FIGHTING

CAPTURE OF MOUQUET FARM

PARIS, August 16

Tho “ Petit Parisien ” says that last night the British reoccupied the trenches north of tho Tkiepva.l-Pozieres roadj the Mouquet Farm falling into their handsThe farm is situated' on a plateau commanding the Tliiepval-Pozieres-Cource-lette triangle. It was the enemy’s last vantage point in tho neighbourhood.

'TRENCHES TAKEN,

MORE FRENCH SUCCESSES,

The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, August 17.

Tho French official report says:—On the Somme front, after a violent artillery preparation, our offensivo made important gains north of MaurepasOur troops in conjunction with the British captured trenches on a front of 1500 metres, reaching certain points on the Guillemout-Maurepas road and south of the Maurepas on a front of two kilometres and to a depth of 400 metres. All the enemy positions east of the Maurepas-Olery road are occupied by our infantry, which indicted heavy losses on tho enemy. South ol tho Somme we carried with a single rush powerfully organised trenches oi a length of 1200 metres south of Belloy-en-Santerre.

THE GERMAN SIDE.

OFFICIAL CLAIMS,

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, August 16

A German communique says:— Tho English continued fruitless attacks at Pozieres. An attack north of Drillers failed. ENEMY’S DIVISIONS. HOW THEY ARE DISPOSED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received August 17, 11.5 p.m.) PARIS, August 17. Of the 122 German divisions on the west front, twenty oppose the AngloFrench on the Somme and twenty arc at Verdun. The rest are scattered along the remainder of the front, which is slightly over 550 miles.

THE KING !M FRANCE.

VISITS COLONIAL TROOPS.

QUEEN OF THE BELGIANS

DECORATED

Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received August 17, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 17

Mr Philip Gibbs writes:—The King witnessed a considerable bombardment

on the Ypres salient. There was a great scene of enthusiasm when lie visited tho South Africans, who broke into a Zulu war cry with a wild barbaric noise. Tho King was stirred by the tremendous demonstration of loyalty which swept about him. The King spoke of Dolville Wood and thanked them for what they had done and suffered. King George decorated the Queen of the Belgians with the Royal Red Cross, as a tribute to her devotion to the wounded. Afterwards, he reviewed the reconstructed Belgian Army. Tire New Zealanders and Canadians also gave the King a great ovation.

THE- ANZACS.

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

SPORTS AND RAIDS,

(From the New Zealand Official War Correspondent.)

ANZAC HEADQUARTERS, August 15.

Probably to-day there is no army bettor supplied than the British, and no division therein better cared for than that of New Zealand. We have eleven canteens, three of which are subsidiary to the trenches, ns well as kinema and other entertainments going daily, at times actually under German shell fire. Recently a shell hit one canteen, nut fortunately the men had just left it ami there were no casualties, and the canteen promptly reopened. To two of these canteens goods can only be conveyed under cover of nessA HORSE SHOW. Recently wo hold a successful horse show which would have been creditable even in peace time, the men taking the greatest pains to turn out tbeir teams to the best advantage. AQUATIC SPORTS. Yesterday we held aquatic sports, almost Under tho noses of the. Germans. There were over 10G0 entries, so a special order had to be issued to units to greatly reduce the number. Exciting contests ensued, and the ringing cheers with which Auckland’s narrow victory over Wellington in the relay race was greeted might almost. have beer heard in the enemy front line. Two well-known Ansae Generals attended, and the Otago Band played during the afternoon. By way of rounding off the day we bombarded and brilliantly raided the German front line,' killing several Germans, and capturing prisoners and a machine-gun.

THE ENEMY’S LOSSES. Information from recently captured prisoners entirely coufirms statements from the Somrao regarding the heavy enemy losses. There are opposite us regiments all of which got a severe, handling and had to be relieved. . in these regiments arc many Hanoverians, leading to the conclusion . that the enemy has had difficulty in keeping these Silesian regiments up to strength. Prisoners assert that their losses are up to fifty per cent'and over. Other information indicates that' the German organisation has considerably deteriorated as a result of tho recent pressure all round.

AUSTRALIAN CASUALTIES,

LOSSES IN JULY FIGHTING

(Received August 17, 9.5 p.m.). SYDNEY, August 17. To-day’s casualty lists partly reveal the cost of the Uozieres and Armen : tieres fights. The ldllejl. number: 20/ and the wounded or nmsmg 1368, principally between July 19 and - .