SOMME BATTLE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17335, 25 November 1916, Page 9

SOMME BATTLE.

BRITISH FRONT. ENEMY SHELL NEW POSITIONS. Australian and N.Z. .Cable Association and Keuter. ' LONDON, November 23. General Haig reports:—The enemy shelled our new front yesterday night on both sides of the Ancre and in the neighbourhood of Hebuterne. GERMAN LINES SHELLED. , (Received November 24, 8.20 p.m.) LONDON. November 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—We bombarded the enemy lines in tho neighbourhood of Messines and Annentieres. WITH THE FRENCH. , ARTILLERY ACTIONS. (Received November 24, 8.20 p.m.) PARIS, November 24. A communique 6ays:—There was intermittent artillery fire on the whole front. AERIAL WARFARE. FRENCH ACTIVITIES. LONDON, November 23. A French communique states:—There k only aerial activity. We dropped many borobn at stations and bivouacs onthe Somme. The aviator Guynemer has brought down his twenty-second machine. / ■■ ZEEBRUCCE BOMBED. DESTROYER AND SHEDS HIT. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, November 23. Naval aeroplanes bombed seaplane shads at Zeebrugge and also bombed

destroyers alongside the mole. A destroyer was hit and sheds were damaged. Our machines returned safely. . THE AUSTRALIANS. UNSTINTED ADMIRATION. AMERICAN CORRESPONDENT'S PRAISE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, November 23. Mr Frederick Palmer expresses unstinted admiration of the Australian soldiers. Interviewed by the Australian Press Association, he said that he had seen soldiers throughout the woild, but never anything like the Australians advancing to the attack. " They impressed. me as the finest soldiers and men on every battlefield. The world does not yet realise the greatness of the feat in the capture of Pozieres Ridge, which was due to the Australians' dash and tenacity. " The Australians made a world-name at Gallipoli, and a new and greater test awaited them in France, when they <vere pitted against Germany's best. Yet they entered the fight smilingly and with unwavering confidence. The. result the world knows. " I am interested in the individual Australians as a distinct typo, courageous and unflinching in danger with dashing and amazing initiative and resourcefulness. While not underestimating the magnificent heroes at the front, the Australians stand out for adaptability and general intelligence." "The Australians do not show unthinking courage. They fere clearbrained, capable and conscious in the seemingly unequal conflict of the new-lv-trained against Germany's superskilled legions. They not only accepted the challenge, but forced the issue and gloriously triumphed. "It was originally difficult to restrain them when they reached their objective, but they are rapidly learning the necessity of discipline and the futility of one section outpacing the lines. This light curb of discipline is moulding perfect soldiers. "I was forcibly struck by the Australians' early insistence on the eguality of privates and officers. It was typical of the grand, free, independent spirit of the colonies. But now they understand that the officer.s must be paid formal respect and are becoming adept at saluting. The Australians' democratic ideals are leavening the English Tommies, and _ I predict that the result will be a striking growth of the democratic spirit in England after the war." COMMONWEALTH PICTURES. Australian, and N. 4. Cablo Association. LONDON, November 23. The Commonwealth has appointed an official photographer with the Australian forces on the West front. NEW METHODS. FRENCH ARMY IMPROVES. Reuter's Telegrams. LONDON, November 23. New infantry tactics, by which fewer men are employed, and are much more powerfully armed, are described by Router's correspondent at French Headquarters. Hand grenades, rifle grenades and machine-gun rifles are largely displacing rifles and bayonets as the main weapons. The users of the now weapons are all specialists and a demonstration showed that hand grenaders are trained in groups combined like a football team. They are interspersed with voltigcurs,,namely, men armed in regulation,fashion, whoso duty it is to protect the others at close quarters and clear the way at difficult moments. These methods make greater demands on the intelligence and initiative of the men, especially where waves of assault are necessary, when speed and combination are of' essential importance. A demonstration showed that the attacking line was able to bring a terrific and impassable fire to boar and gave an equallv convincing lesson on the art of smothering places where the enemy groups were holding out after the wings were driven back. The value of the new tactics was evidenced by the fact that the French sustained fewer cas-

ualties in the first four months of the Somme offensive than in a few days fighting in the Champagne last year. Furthermore, the casualties in the advance south of the Somme and the recapture of Douaumont and Thiaumont are well under half the number of prisoners. The new methods are also being taught to artillery and engineers.