SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17328, 17 November 1916, Page 5

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT. GAINS SECURED. ~-■ t The rligh Commissioner reports:— LONDON, November lfi. A British official report says:—During the night we made secure the ground won by us. More prisoners were taken. The number will be reported later. Aunrelian end N.Z. Cablo Association vaX. Router. (Received November 16, 7 30 p.m.) LONDON, November 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We made a further advance en tho front north of the Ancre. The prisoners taken now total 5678. Our troops have shown conspicuous skill, dash aud fortitude. Our success was not won without a hard struggle, owing to the enemy's strong resistance and tho condition of the ground, but our losses, considering the gains, were not high. One division advanced a mile, taking 1000 prisoners, at the expense of 450 casualties. We established the positions won on Tuesday eastward of tho Butte de Warleucourt. Our artillery dispersed enemy massing at one point for a counter-attack. Our aeroplanes successfully attacked aerodrome, railways, station and rolling stock. LOSSES SMALL. OVERSEA TROOPS NOT ENGAGED. Auitrtlian and N.Z. Cable Association. i • LONDON, November 15. The "Daily Mail" states that the British losses on the Ancre are small in comparison with the magnitude of the victory. The oversea troops did not participate. English, county regiments largely shared in the battle and all behaved magnificently. WITH THE FRENCH. ENEMY ASSAULT FAILS. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, November 15. A French official messajjo says:—A heavy German attack from Ablaincourt tn Pressor, and as far as Cbaulnos Wood, accompanied by liquid flames and tear shells, failed except for enemy fractions which secured a group of housOß eastwards of Pressoir. Auttralian and N.Z Cable Aaiociation and Reuter. PARIS, November 15. A communique states: —We progressed to tho northern spur of St Pierre Vaast Wood. After an intense bombardment the Germans strongly counter-attacked the positions captured by us on November 7 from the sugar refinery at Ablaincourt to Chaulncs Wood. Despite the obstinacy of the assault and the large use of liquid fire and tear shells the enemy wore repulsed with heavy loss, though some fractions managed to reach a group of houses eaet of Pressoir. f Tho bombardment, whfch wo are effectively checking, continues throughout the region. VIOLENT GERMAN ATTACKS. SMALL GAINS AT HEAVY LOSS. (Received November 16, 9.30 p.m.) PARIS, November 16. A communique says:—A furious battle continued all day on the Somme front. The enemy attempted a powerful effort, with great effectives, north and south of the Sommo simultaneously. They were baffled by the French resistance and only gained limited advantages at the cost of heavy losses. The attack north of tho Somme was made after an intense bombardment on the front Lcsbcoufs to south of Bouchavesnes. The enemy gained, a lodgment on the west and north edges of St Pierre Vaast wood, but eyerywhere els© the 'attacks collapsed

under machine gun and curtain fire. The Germans south of the Somme renewed their attacks in tbe afternoon on the front Ablaincourt-Chaulnes wood. Desperate fighting ended in tho defeat of tho Germans, who lost sanguinarily and returned to their trenches, except in the eastern part of the villago of Pressoir, where they/ progressed. There was intermittent cannonade on the rest of t ,tho front.. THE GERMAN SIDE. BERLIN'S VERSION. AMSTERDAM, November 15. A German communique says:— " Yesterday was a great battle day on tho Ancre, equalling the battle of November 13. The English attacked in heavy masses and captured Beau-mont-Hamel, but elsewhere failed." The communique shows that the Brandenburgers and Prussian Guards Division were among the troops opposing tho British. THE BRITISH ADVANCE. GAINS OF GREAT VALUE. Australian and N.Z. Cable AMooiatios. PARIS, November 15. The " Petit Parisien" says that Beaumont-Hamel and; Beaucourt constituted formidable German bastions. for many months. The number of prisoners is 6000, and the total of th'e enemy's losses is estimated at 15,000. The British penetrated BeaumontHamel on Monday morning, and a terrifio struggle ensued. Gradually the enemy retired until the occupation was complete. Tho configuration of the ground favoured tho enemy, who regained a foothold in the village and .opened a withering fire. Furious hand-to-hand fighting forced . the British to yield ground, but they soon returned to the charge and swept through the village, takiug prisoner every German who was not killed. / Tho British further engaged in brisk fighting r.n tho Refiuraont-Hamel road,, but the _enemy line soon cracked tip, the British gaining the road and linking up Beaumont-Hamel and Beaucourt. The British entered Beaucourt after a thirty-six hours' violent struggle, the advance here amounting to a mile and a quarter in depth. British fire dominates Grandcourt and Miraumont, which are Bapaume's outposts. THE FRENCH OPINION. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received November 16, 10.55 p.m.) PARIS, November 15. 41 Liberte" saya that BeaumontHamel will go down to history as one of the bloodiest fights of tho war. The Germans regarded tho village as being even stronger than Thiepval or Comb Jes. When the British carried five lines of trenches thoy encountered concealed maohine guns behind the village walls and also, intense artillery filre. The hand '>to hand struggle lasted for ten /hours. The Germans must have lost at least eight thousand in Boaumont-Hamel alone. M. Marcil Hutin in tha " Echo de Paris" says that there is no doubt that Germany's unreserved admission of defeat with heavy losses on the Ancre tended to justify tho general mobilisation plans.