ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13667, 8 September 1916, Page 3

ANGLO-FRENCH OFFENSIVE.

TERRIFIC GUNFIRE. (V MADDEST THE WORLD HAS EXPERIENCED. • IIVERY INCH SHELLED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) -Received Septembers, 1.5 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Septemljer 7. .. Correspondents emphasise tho-tor--rifle character of tlio Anglo-French bombardment. The Berliner' Tagcblatt says; ''lt is tho, maddest gunfire the world has ever experienced. Never anywhere have .guns' been brought together in such masses' : as in front of Miurepas. Clearly, the enemy attempted to cover every inch of the German lines with shells. The,-.enemy-js flgljtingi with: nothing else'' hut the brutal 'inoney-' with which ho bought his shells." • Tho German Army Chief on tile SommoiSaidl ; i'iVV.c jixay =1066 ! the' l-pro-jecting .points, but, they can .licvqr, break through;" "

FRENCH RESUM OFFENSIVE. 1 1 FURTHER POSITIONS CAPTURED. SUCCESS OF BRITISH OPERATIONS. Yhe Higli Commissioner reports:— LQNDON, Sept. 6 (12.55 p.m.) A French official message says: North of tlie Somme, there is violent artillery activity. South of the Somme, this afternoon the French successfully resumed the offensive, capturing trenches southeast of Belloy-en-Santerre and a greater part of the village. Between Vemiandovillers and Chilly, the struggle is bitter. We conquered northward of Vermandovillers, the new trenches between Chaulnes and Chilly, and pressed our first line to the borders of Chaulnes. Nnmerous prisoners were taken. LONDON, Sept,' 6 (10 a,m.) ; A British official message says: Severe fighting continues about Ginchy. A large party of the enemy emerging from Courcellette, and numerous working parties were caught by artillery lire and 'dispersed, i ; .'. The enemy's artillery is activo against'portions of our front iu Iho '<■ neighbourhood of Thiepval. (i A : I North of Arras. between la Bas- • • iseti canal and Ricliebourg l'Avouc we successfully bombarded the .enemy's line.

' SJIASHING THfi*'PRUSSIANS, i f.' ! i-."i

AMAZING 'DASH OF THE BRITISH.

FLOWER OF GERMAN ARMY. CRIMINGLY DEFEATED BY FRENCH, STEADY INEXORABLE PRESSURE. (Australian aud N.Z. Cablo At-sociation.) , NEW YORK, September (5, The Paris correspondent of the New York Times who has visited the Sonime front, says: In a two-days! battle the French inflicted a crushing defeat on tlic lluwer of the German forces, and stormed what the .Germans claimed impregnable fortifications with a minimum loss on their own side, while they caused 50,000 German iiiisuallicis, The correspondent asserts that the Germans aiutrviiig to light the war on the lines originally laid down, but tho French have adopted their tactics to tlic changed conditions, witli the result thai since July, the French have advanced along a lil'tecii-mile l'rout to a depth of from live to ten miles, and arc holding and the captured ground, not trying to break through tlic,German lines, but exerting a. steady and inexorable pressure, before which the whole sector will eventually be forced to give way.

WAVES OF toiß^BLrt'TOMiyriEs!

—' '/ 'S '"1

(Australian ana K.Z, Cnlilc Association.)

1 Received' September .7, at G. 15 p.k LONDON, September G, Mr Philip Gibbs writing to the Daily Ohroniclo gives a vivid description of the capture , of Guillomoiit, Lcuzo Wood and Falf onion t farm. lie says: - Oudoutly enough the onemy did not seem to expect, an attack, alter they had flu'niv thousands, of gas shells into the British trenches, The British went forward steadily, despite the .machine .giuis which were sweeping the ground. They quickly reached the outskirts of ruined Giiillemoni; and rushed the. village showing tho finest valour, The first wave reached the. German' dug-outs with little fighting. Underground a few proud Germans refused to surrender, but quickly enough tho rest canio out immediately, rejoicing in .their luck. Ilair an hour later tlic supporting troops advanced-to th&sunken road, where

. other Germans wero captured, After re-organisation, some of tho victory I at Guillomont advanced to Falfomoat farm.; But this was too far for one day's work and they were

AFTER THE RECENT THRUST. ALLIES STAND FIRM. (Australian and N.Z. Cabin AssociatioD.l LONDON, September G. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured the whole of Lunze Wood and made a successful gas attack at Gpmmccourt. Fighting continues between Lcuze Wood and Combles and also round Girichy, The artillery on both sides is active northward of Pozieres aud at Mouquct farm, We effectively shelled tlic hutments at Polygon Wood, castward of Ypres. A German communique says: There is undiminished intensity in the battle on both sides of the Somme. Twentyeight Anglo-French divisions arc engaged, The enemy gained ground in small places and dory remains in his hands, We maintained'our first positions against a French attack at Darleux, to the south of Chilly. Up to last nijrht, south of Somme, *ve had taken l-lOS prisoners. A French communique says: Our curtain of Jire • broke many attacks against our new positions southward of Dcnicooui't and stopped an attack at Fleury.

driven.to;the outskirts of the wood yp by a counter-attack by the Prussian Guards. The Germans, for onto, faced tho British bayonets. The at. tack on Falfemont farm and the capturo of Wodgo Wood were continued next day. Wcdgo Wood is a solitary copse of naked sticks, and leuzo W9.od on tho right abovo. Soir/e waves broke into Wedge Wood, which was soon crowded with British soldiers who seemed to bo in a'kind of scrimmage, 'whcnco they presently came with a body of Gorman prisoners." Waves of Britishers, advancing ■stoadjtly from Falfemont farm crept nearer the edge of the wood. Finally- another body of German prisoners was brought in. Then strange things began to . Jgppcn in the German lines. Parfrom Leuzc Wood dashed to Falfcm'ont farm. The Prussian Guardsmen, advanced shoulder to shoulder and mado,a serpentine lino across thp ground, Then suddenly tho right' end of the line crumbled away. Big gaps were opened by our machine guns raking them, Then the line fell like nine-pins, The-Prussian Guards fell on their faces forward unwounded. They fell with the dead to escape the bullets. A counter-attack, twenty minutes later and a second German counterattack were also broken up. In the confusion we took the Wood. The battle ended in the darkness and a great rain