HOW POZIERES WAS TAKEN

Nelson Evening Mail, 28 July 1916, Page 5

HOW POZIERES WAS TAKEN

AFTER FOUR DAYS' HARD FIGHTING. FAILURE OF COUNTER-ATTACKS. ENORMOUS ENEMY LOSSES. {Australian and N.Z. Cable Association ) LONDON, July 27. The Daily Chronicle's Paris correspondent states that after- four days' hard fighting we completed the possession of Pozieres on Tuesday night. The Germans on Monday brought uo large reinforcements, some from Verdun, for a general counter-offensive. The reinforcements were thrown '•■ a front of eight miles from Thicpval to Gnillemont, and everywhere fought with reckless courage. '* The movement, however, was a. disastrous failure, gaining nowhere more than a momentary success. The hardest blow fell on the end r[ the lines. A desperate, attempt was made to dislodge the Australians 'rom the centre of Pozieres. while a division of Germans fell upon the South Africans defending Foureaux Wood, Delville Wood, and Longueval village. Aviators, however. notice overnight of large concentrations of GermansAb the village of I'kis. and when the Bavarians attacked our trenches- had been reinforced and the gunners were ready. A Brandenburg brigade charge eight times before Gui'.lcmont and each time ■was driven back with heavy losses. Our artillery was particularly effective, and thousands of grey coats fell before Pozieres, Bazentin and Nonoom. Seven Germans who were captured near Pozieres said: they were the only survivors of their coratwny. The German attacks continued on Monday night and Tuesday. Most of the assaulting columns failed to reach our lines. While the gallant Australians were clearing the !azt bnckh=apH; of Fcciercr. ether battalions were advancing to the rest of the village. The enemy's salient at Thiepval is stronglv threatened. The Press Bureau reports that a captured German divisional order shows the importance attached to the villages in the system of defence. Tt says the conversion of the villages into strong points is of the greatest importance. Such villages are Pozieres, Longueval, Contalmaison, and the Bazentins.

With the capture of Pozieres the last of these villages has fallen into our hands.

The statement in to-day's German communique that British attacks at Trones Wood were repulsed is obvi/ously erroneous, and can only be accounted for by a clerical error. We have held Trones Wood since the 14th. Our position now extends to the outskirts of Guillemont. Sir Douglas Haig reports that with the exception of occasional artillery duels and short local encounters at various points there was no incident of importance to-day.