ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13652, 21 August 1916, Page 3

ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

IMPORTANT SUCCESSES. ALLIES 'PUSHING FORWARD. . ENEMY ADMITS.REPULSE. (AuslrsiiAH'and N-.Z, Qable Association), LONDON, August 18. Sir 'Douglas Haig reports; • We have further extended''our gains north-west of Bazcntin-le-Fctit. AVc found the 1 enemy" trenches geratly' damaged and full of dead. (Australian;»nd N.Z. Cable Association.) Received. August 20, at 7.5 p.m. . . '. . LONDON, August 19. . General Sir Douglas Haig ' reports figh.tiug' during the afternoon on the whole Pozicres to Somine front, We captured several strong positions, and gained ground towards Gttinchy. ..aiuf. Gujlleniont., -, , ... .., '.,„' ~ A".'faris" communique ""says: AVc extended -onr positions between Maui-epas-, and the Soininc and eastward of the Maurepas-Clery road, and considerably • made progress eastward of Vaux and Chagsitr,c and in the vicinity of Vaux fort and the,, road.. Received August 20, at 5,5 p.m. LONDON, August 18. A German communique- says: „ North of the Sommc the enemy is continuing his efforts.regardless of sacrifices. The English brought up fresh divisions, south-west of Martinpincli. They pressed back our first line on a narrow front,. The High. Coiiiitii-sMoiicr reports:— . •' LONDON, August 19 (10,10 a.m.) : ....' . (Olliciiil). The French attack north of the ' Somnic, against that portion of Maurc-, pas, . occupied by the Germans enabled us-...t0 capture, in the course of a brilliant assault, another part of the village* Two hundred wounded prisoners were taken Between M'aurepas and the Somnie we extended; pur positions. On the'right of the' Mouse we continued our offensive, pursuing the enemy. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON; August.l 9 (-1,10 p.m.) A Frqnch official message says: 'file enemy counter-attacks towards Maurcpas and Glory were broken except once norfh of M'aurcpas. Left of the Mouse last night two German grenade attacks tvere made on' a salient cast of Avocourt redoubt,.and the trenches ut Hill 304.' These were not successful in reaching our lines. The enemy retiring and .leaving dead and wounded on the ground. We'took fuot by foot an island and a. ruined house east of Floury. All the'village'is ours despite two counterattacks. ..... (Australian and S'.Z. Cable Association), -j Received. August 20, at's.s p.m, .. .' _' LONDON, August 10., The military experts in Paris are satisfied with recent events on the j .Somme, and it is hoped that the cncircleYmcnt of .Guillcmont and llaurepas will, soon be effected,.thus obviating the costly, village, fighting. The recent Ger-J man counter-attacks delight the military ' experts, jwho.declare that the German's are sustaining Josses infinitely heavier than the Allies, thus, necessitating the ceaseless calls opon drafts. The offensive may not/break flic line, but it will have the important effect of holding the main enemy forces lightly in France. Received, August 20, at .7.5 p.m. ;. , ', ■■■ .. LONDON, August 19. Mr Philip Gibbs writing id the Daily Chronicle says: Left of flic baffle line above Pozieres stands a windmill which shouhl become as famous in history as the '.ferryman's house on the Yser,' the chateau at Yermilles or the lower bridge at Loos. Waves of men have stormed the slope towards it, under a storm of shell fire. To the Anzacs. -fighting for the.-high ridge on which it ■r { stalls above Marlinpinch, it lias been t'!<on\ of great endeavour, wlicrefor u- have (riven their lives, The enemy defended it. as if a treasure house, The windmill is ours now and our line sweeps round it. Our shell lire barrages the enemy's way to and from Mnrtiupiiicii. Our heavy shells occasionally crash iuto Thicpval, to which town our men- are slowly but surely creeping closer. Received August 20, 5.5 p.m. LONDON. August 19. '• Lord Derby, in a speech at Soiilliporl. mil 'hey could lake it from him that Hie high military authorities were absolutely satisfied with the way Hie olfennive was going. There was not the least doubt that (lie war was filming gradual. l.y in favour of Hie Allies, ' bill lliey must not be impalicnl. They would not find (lie old political parties autaf-nos-tic after Hie war, but a central parly, with business men ami delermined to creel greater induslries than ever, Received' Aligns!: 2il, at 5.5 p.m. LONDON, August 10, 'General Sir Douglas Ilaig reports; . Our success,, reported last night, has

been maintained and extended. Several cneiny night attacks against the captured positions were everywhere repulsed, except ou the extreme right, where the enemy gained a little ground. "We advanced our lines'on a frontage of over two miles lo a depth of' between two hundred and six hundred yards from High Wood to the junction with the French. We hold the western outskirts of Guillemont and the line theuec northwards to a point midway between Dclvillc Wood and Guinehy, also the orchards north of Loiigucval. We captured somo hundreds of yards of trendies between High Wood and the Albert-Bapatmie road. Wo advanced our line three hundred yards southeast, of Mouquet farm and pushed on a .half mile in front between Ovillers and Thicpval. We captured several hundred prisoners in these operations. A Paris communique says: The enemy's counter-attacks from Maurepas to Clcry broke, The enemy obtained a foothold in a trench northward of Maurepas. Two enemy grenade attacks north-eastward of Avocourt wore driven back. .At Flciiry two counter-attacks were sanguinarily repulsed, deceived August 20, at u.o p.m.' ; i ■ . .AMSTERDAM, August 19.,, n | A German communique reluctantly ' admits last night's successes and adds:"The Germans have .withdrawn from the salient between Guillemont and Maurepas according to plans," Sir Douglas Hiiig reports; North-cast- ■ ward of the windmill, the enemy bombarded our positiou, but there were no infantry attacks. BEHIND THE GERMAN LINES. APPALLING.EFFECTS OF BBITISH GUNFIRE. LONDON, August 18. Herr von Wicgand, Berlin correspondent of the New York World, says: "There is appalling devastation and desolation for miles behind the German lines ou the Somme. The Allies are not shelling the towns more than is necessary, yet Roye is partially in ruins. Peronne is burning, and Bapaumc is a picture of destruction, Hundreds of inhabitants, who refuse to leave, are living in cellars. There many German bomb-proof shelters thirty feet under ground. I saw a substerrnncan hospital below the ollicers' quarters, FRIDAY'S FIGHTING. BRITISH AND GJSBMAN REPORTS. (Australian and N./5. Gallic Association,) Received August 20, at 11,0 p.m. LONDON, August 20. A German communique says: We victoriously resisted a stupendous effort by our combined enemies on thewest front. Anglo-French masses, after the most violent bombardment assaulted over twenty kilometres of our front between" Ovillers and the Soinme. The battle raged far into the night, The enemy penetrated our lirst line at several points but were driven out, We occupied of the trenches on both sides of Guillemont. The enemy's efforts on the whole failed, costing tremendous losses, Fighting at Floury village continues, Received August 20, at 11.0 p.m. LONDON, August 20. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Operations were carried oat on Friday at various points southward of Guillemont by about eleven miles. The operations were most successful. Wc captured a ridge south-eastward, overlooking Thicpval, and the northern slope of the high ground northward of Pozieres. We hold the western edge of the High Wood, and the enemy's trenches extending half a mile westward of the wood. Wc advanced our line half way to Ginchy and hold Die outskirts of Guillemont including the railway station and the quarry, which are of considerable military' importance. We captured sixteen oiliecrs and 7.50 men, Wc made further progress north-eastward of Pozitrea, on both sides of the Pozieres-Banaume road, for lluce hundred yards,