THE CAMPAIGNS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17274, 15 September 1916, Page 4

THE CAMPAIGNS.

Another notable advance has been aiaUo by the i' renoh north of the iomuie, progress to a depth of a mile jeing recorded on a i'rout of three mdes. On the left the Germans were pushed back along tho Comblcs-Ranc'curt road to tho borders of Rancourt, in the .jcntro tho village of Bcuchavcsuos wits .upturn!, and on the right, close to tho Somme, the attackers carried Hill Tli and almost reached Feuillaucourt, a /ilh.ge on tho Tortlllo, about a m£e and a half north-west of Peronne. The new front north of the river is thus Incomparably better than that to the south; where the old salient had a sharp angle, affording no length of front for the continuation of tho offensive. Now tho French can attach the bridgehead on the Somme above Peronne and at tho same time they can push east on a front of three miles. Already, therefore, the German front has been subj:cted to an extraordinary strain, for the All ed salient has added anything from five to ten miles to the length of the trenches to be defended. It is quite ucl'Uiu, UiUOsU, tn~t the u.uSu oo odinUniig iciiiui cements uoui o<."Oi srCWS kIIU that U.O bIOOUtiS Uillsl Do coimauou, tor othoiiwou the line uomu Uivak. nieio is the aiioiuai.ve of a roneat from aov«iiceU uubiwous nuitn and soutii ol tho oom.no and a consoqaent skortouiiuj ol the troiil to be deiciiued, and it ;s difficult to believe that the enemy can long dei«y that movement, for his pjs.tion north of the Aucre is already insecure. The prcb.cm ILus created is discussed in our iNotos oa the War, and we need not enter into it I hero. Apparently the Britisl) took no part in the latest attack. Their right links up with the French left in tho Leuze Wood, west of Combles, and the advance was made between Combles and the Somme. The turn of the,British will come soon, and in the meantimo the only incident reported from their sectors has been the repulse of a strong German attack west

of Pozieres. Wo have little news st : ll from the other fronts. The position in Macedonia remains rather ob-.cure, for the threatened Allied offensive is slew to devolop. It is stated that the British troops who crossed the Struma were withdrawn. On the British left the Italians, now in line, assumed the offensive west of Like Putkovn, and on th" Se r b : an wing there has been some fighting beyond Lake Gstrovo; The only news from Rumania is concerned with tho advance in Transylvania.. There is, as yet, no news from the Russian front.