ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13657, 28 August 1916, Page 2

ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

STERN TASK AHEAD. ■ ■ ■ • ■' / EIGHT MILES OFFORTRESS. . TERRIFIC ONSLAUGHT BY THE ■■< ALLIES. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) Received August 27, at 5,5 p.m. LONDON, .August 28. The Daily Mail's correspondent in Picardy says: The eight mile fortress, extending from Thiepval to Gineliy has a great, bastion at each end. We stormed the outworks of both on Thursday, Germany has concentrated) especially at Thiepval and Guillfemont, enough men and guns to garrison eighty miles of trenches. The Germans have hundreds of. cannon, indeed hundreds >of batteries of all'■■calibres.- Troops are not,reckoned by:the hummed or thousand or ten thousand but by army corp3, The intensity of the-German'effort to prevent the bastions falling, came to a focus at Guillemont on Wednesday night in the vain bloody counter-at-tack. But'it is'equally-apparent in the massing of men and guns at .certain places behind'the lines, that he German j,. never in the war period have lost nearly so many men in defensive fighting and the losses among the supports, equally with the attacking troops, imve been unpreeedentedlv heavy, They forced, despite machine gun fire, more men and emplace more guns in vulnerable positions, when we gain as we are doing almost daily, some hundreds of yards of trenches at small loss ourselves or high enemy loss in which lie applies all his skill' and energy, He cannot dp more/and we will win all I lie time, Received August 27, at :l,. r i p.m. , " LONDON, August 20. General 'Sir Douglas llaig reports: The enemy bombarded the front line of trenches along-the »ronter portion of the. front, South of the Ancre lie Attacked this morning, west of Gullemout, between the quarries and 1 Montauban(liiillemont road but was repulsed. We made further progress east and soulli-■ west, of Monquet farm. We have cap-tured-another four hundred yards of trenches along the Oourcelle'tto-Thiep-Val road, The importance of the enemy attacks on Thiepval sector is'shown by the great effort .to-recover the ground at Leipzig salient. He recently affected a great concentration of guns in this area, and' iii-support of last night's attack south of Thiepval village, with the Prussian Guard. The attack was pressed determinedly but was everywhere repulsed with very heavy loss, The success bf the defence was largely due to the gallantry of the Wiltshire? and Worcester, wli.o, despite heavy bombardment, held on, A Paris communique says': After intease bombardment- soiith of Ma.urepas, the enemy attacked at Iwo points, westof Taliuve and gained'a fooling in a. small salient, but was bombed out, Received August 27, 'at 3.3 p.m. LONDON, August 2fi, A German communique snvs: We repulsed attacks in the High Wood sector near Manrepas. . Five enemy aeroplane's were downed, ("Renter's Telegrams.") Received August 27, at 5.5 p.m. ■LONDON, August 26. Renter's correspondent at- the British Headquarters reports that an escaped British prisoner emphatically asserts that, all the German machine gunners lie saw wore Red Cross bands, HEAVY .THRUSTS AT MAUREPAS. . FRENCH AND BRITISH COOPERATING. GERMAN ATTACK SMASHED. FRENCH HOLD FLEURY, PARIS, August 25. A communique says: We have consolidated the ground won • north-east of Maurepa's, -There has been a lively artillery action on the Avre and the Aisne, both sides being active. At the Thiaumont work our fire completely checked an attempt against Floury. The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, August' 26 (i!, 10 p.m.) A French-otlicial says: There is heavy nrlilloryiiig on the Somme, German attacks were repulsed westwards of Tahurc, Thiaumont and Nouvillora, The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, Augnsl 20 (4,3(1 p.m.) General Sir Douglas ITaig reports: The'enemy, covered bv artillery, attacked westward of Guillßjtnimi, but failed to reach our lines andfwas repulsed with heavy loss. We mide progress east of Mkmquet farm ami also to the south-west, We took 400 more yards of trenches on the CouUeletle-Thiep-val road. The enemy is concentrating guns at Thiepval to oppose us and sup-

port his attacks, At "night the PjussianGuard attacked with determination,-but were repulsed with heavy loss, • The High Commissioner reports:— LONDON, August 25 (12,50 pirn.) - The British official report-says;- On Thursday night, east of, •Guinohy ■■ 'tlte' enemy's attack was repelled by oiir'ifta'- . chin gun fire.. The enemy-boffibanM the recently captured trenches. ■ Our" aeroplanes bombarded the priricipaH'ailway communication,sidings and l-inea'of communication, hitting several trains, . and damaging rolling stock. Hostile , aircraft generally avoided a combat. ' Received August 26, at S.o p.m. PARfS, August 26. It is understood that .the; Germans ' at Maiirepns comprised the Erst Division of Prussian Guards, personally com- • manded by the Kaiser's second son, .' i Prince Eitel, The Trench victory was i neither difficult nor costly, i A Paris communique states that' the " i prisoners taken in Thursday's 'combats . total six hundred. The' Germans gained a footing in the advanced trenches , at Aillj* Wood but were immediately .• i expelled. '■ ; ARTILLERY DUELS CONTINUE l ■ ' ALLIES' OFFICIAL. BEPOBTS. : 1 (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association),' " Received August 27-, 11.30 p.m. LONDON, August 27. ■ 1 General Sir Douglas Haig reports: 1 The enemy's artillery continues active at Mamctz Wood, north of Delville. v | Wood, Boiilencouvt, Laconture, and, east. '• ; of Zillebeke. Our counter-attacks destroyed many gun positions and damag>ed others. . . . ...- .■ , On the Somme our aircraft attacks ! upon points of military importance'con- - • tinue, ; Received August 27, midnight, , „ PARIS,. August 27. . ■ ■: ! A communique says: There are vefy ' lively artillery exchanges northward of > Manrepas ami westward-of Clery,,and on the Thiaumont-Fleury sector. ■