ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIII, Issue 13653, 22 August 1916, Page 3

ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

VERY MUCH ALIVE, FRIDAY'S BBILLIANT ATTACKS. SMASHING GERMANY'S BEST. TROOPS. . ("The Times" Service.) Received August 21. 0.40 p.m. LONDON, August 21. The Times correspondent at the British Headquarters writes: The Germans lately have repeatedly said that the British offensive is dead, but we again hit them hard. We advanced fo a depth of 300 yards to 500 yards and captured the trenches which put an end to a stretch of several'miles, We only failed at the top of High Wood to the west, where we cleared out the furthest trench. The position being untenable, we fell back to the old position. Elsewhere we drove the enemy from his trenches and strong points, We hold all the captured ground. Our advance covers fivesixths of the attacked front. We attacked iu full daylight .in. the; afternoon 'and early ■ evening. ;. On; the "largest .and. most important,, we cleared,the 'whole, of, an elaborate front .line,,, till. our Jront was some 1500 yards "north of Oviilefs and La- Bqiselle .of-<Poz-■ieres: cemetery,, There has .been no' smarter action .since the commencement of the '/battle than the 'Australian: push' which 'carried them'. 300- yards.on . ail' average on the whole,circuit.from life quarry>to the Albert:Bapaume road, beyond .the' windmill; by a width.of more than 2000 yards. It must be understood that the windmill and Mouquet farm are mere'names, There is no farm anil the windmill is a mere hummock 'in the sky'line. 'Beginning with the capture of Pozieres, the-Australians; .have; done extremely well, on'this front, and'are now just about a mile north of,the centre of the'village. They'have" taken' over a mile of the German second line system, with minor trenches and innumerable strong points. Every rood; of the ground is honey -combed' with every kind of defence'that "German industry' and ingenuity can invent'arid perfect/ Yet 'nothing stopped them, except temporarily. The number of their prisoners ' is' not ' yet' known. , East' of Bapaume road,' in the Munsteralley region, they again 'thrust' on towards -'Martin-' puich, .breaking through another, stretch of German : line'and'adding new ground. On "the right, of Munsteralley, one of the, most notable' of Friday's 'gains, was' all the land east ofAVat'erlot farm, which is ours. We forced our way to'G.mllenibnt. I am not inclined to attach importance 1 to the stories of the Germans incrcasthere are willing snrrendercrs and.large iirg the war-sickness. It'is true that numbers of deserters. I presume;there are over 15,000 prisoners.since the be-' ginning of the battle, lint it is unsafe to argue from local symptoms, Amazing though it'seems, we daily, break the' best Germair troops, and perhaps the British, have never .proved their superiority better than on Friday. \. GERMANY'S SERIOUS PLIGHT . j .. AMERICAN-OPINION.', / . (Australian and NiZ, Cable Association,). ' Received August 22,1.0 a.m. :. .NEW YORK,'August'2l. ; Americans in Paris state that the Germans are vainly endeavouring to disguise their serious pllglit, by regrouping their forces. General Joffre's staff .possesses mathematical evidence tiiat the Germans are stopping the gaps at'the expense of the depletion of another part Of'the line. The French have thorough command of'the initiative at Verdun. '' t • ' • ■ ENEMY TRENCHES CAPTURED FRENCH MOVING FORWARD. Received August 21, 7.0 p.m. LONDON, August 21. ' General Sir Douglas-Ilaig reports:— We gained further trenches northward of Bazentin-le-Petit. A French official message says: We , captured a strong wood between Guillemout and Maurepas, with important stores. '' The High Commissioner reports: • LONDON, August 21 : (1.20 a.m.) The British official report for Sunday says: "The enemy strongly attacked our new line, near High Wood,' and reached the line at certain.points, but was 'immediately driven out. Subsequent . attacks collapsed under our artillery fire. DECREASING ACTIVITY ON THE SOMME. ■ GERMAN REPORT. - _ ("The Times" Service.) LONDON, August 20.' A German communique says: The activity on the Soiiime has ■ gradually decreased. Isolated British attacks north-west of the Pozieres'-Fourneaux road have been repulsid. '.'. Eight. British aiid four' French divisions participated in-.the attack on Friday last.' ALLIES' RECENT SUCCESSES.. 'OFFENSIVE. DEVELOPING , : SATISFACTORILY. '■ ;' " (Australian and N.Z. Cable. Association.) . . .LONDON, August, 20; A .correspondent . at, 'the • BritishHearqnarters in France says:. The. weekend fighting.developed.into.one,of the most important and successful battles of the Western offensive. Besides satisfactorily progressing towards complete mastery of the ridge, we captured 1000 prisoners and'' much material, while several formidable and . strong points wove destroyed, The way is prepared now for further progress, We were'most successful in the-neighbour-hood, of the Leipzig Redoubt and Martinpuich. 'The enemy's morale has been badly ■shaken under incessant; punishment. A whole squad of Saxons, deserted, being unable to face the music. LONDON, August 20.' , Sir Douglas Ilaig reports:' There were bombing encounters last night at some points between the Somme and the Ancre, but the Germans have not made any serious attempt to.recover the ground we captured on Friday. We successfully raided other parts of the line and inflicted considerable casualties, . . "CHACKING THE NUT," CONFIDENCE OF WAR MINISTER. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, August. 20. The Rt. Hon. David Lloyd' Georga (Minister of War) speaking at Cricpith, said that he was satisfied with the way things were going, He felt for the first time in three years that the nippers were gripping and Britain would soon hear the crack, when the Allies would soon be able to extract, the kernal, The rigour of the Allies demands would be proportionate to the sacrifices made. The Allies would have a complete and unchallengeable victory that would be a warning to kings and their counsellors of the reckoning demanded by civilised nations for their outrages, Concluding Mr; Lloyd George said : -Let us have'done with/war now and forever' ... ;_/. , ■,;, _..L^..

. SIGHTING ON THE BELGIAN . FRONT, ■ DESPERATE ENCOUNTERS EEPORTED, (Australian, and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, August 20. • A Belgian communique says: There are daily bombardments and desperate bombing encounters from Diximule to Boesinghe. Our aeroplanes 'dropped many bombs on the military-works at Praetbasch, in the region of Zarren, causing violent fires.