ON THE WESTERN FRONT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLI, Issue 9514, 23 November 1916, Page 5

ON THE WESTERN FRONT

6RANOECOURT HEAVILY SHELLED BY ENEMY BRITISH RAID VARIOUS TRENCHES. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright, Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, November 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—The enemy heavily shelled u.s south-west of Grandecourt. „ . -C, Wo raided trenches at Gommecourt, Rochnconrt, and Ypros. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received November 22, 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, November 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Thorn is considerable hostile shelling on our front on both sides of the Ancre. ~ . ; An official message from Par.s states that tho usual cannonading is pioceeding, but no infantry fighting. GERMANY’S MOST VIOLENT EFFORT ON SOMME ABSOLUTE CHECK OF GREAT ENEMY FORCES'. LONDON, November 21. Tho correspondent of the Exchange. Telegraph Agency states that the powerful counter-attack by tho Germans north and south of tho Sornmo last week-resulted in a sangumary defeat. Considerable forces were employed m tho Abiaincourt-Chaulnes Wood attack, which later extended to the north ol the Somme, between Lcs Booufs and Bouohavesnos. After a .series of furious assaults, the enemy finally captured some advanced elements in tho village of Pressoir, and on the outskirts of St. Pierre Vaast M ood, at a cost of heavy losses The operations resulted in an absolute check to the most violent effort" yet made by the Germans on the Somme front. LONDON, November 31. Correspondents at British Headquarters report that it has. -been • freezing for three clays. The water on the roads is frozen solid, and the whole earth is blanketed in white. The British and Canadian troops ware responsible for tlie latest gains, which were achieved with unusually light casualties. ■ The only serious resistance was encountered south of Grandecourt, where the enemy’s machine-guns, dominating the sunken roads and gullies, afforded the enemy a temporary respite. The captured positions are 'of less strength than the Grandecourt line, although tho’Gormans attempted, by digging .in tbe mud and ooze, to maintain a grip on tho hillside. The dugouts were poor, flimsy affairs compared with the deep defences above the Ancre. The Saxons were genuinely glad to surrender. ' A thaw set in at midday, resulting in a mass of slime and- slush, and there was a raw November, fog. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official Correspondent with the Now Zealand Forces.) November 17. Since leaving the Somme there has boon nothing Af LmportaiiOo to report. There have boon raids and counter-raids, and we hard captured ;ome prisoners and lost some men. Last night our raiders entered enemy trendies and found the German front line flooded and untenanted. The weather is wet and foggy, alternating with clear frosty days. Tho health of tho troops continues good, BRITISH CAPTURED LINE ON THE ANCRE BUILDING UR NEW AND FIRM FRONT. Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association. ' LONDON, November 21Mr Gibbon, writing from British Headquarters, says;—On cm- now line northward and southward of tho Ancre there is slowly developing A definite result by small adjustments and patrol enterprises. Lonely little groups of British bombers aro mounting guard over strings of shell-holes and scores of points. It is not tho Customary fighting, but rather isolated [heroism in the building up of a new. and firm front which might bo a spring-board for fresh victories. - . . \' , . Beaucourt-Hamel preserves its sbaipc : as a village; other places have suffered beyond recognition, not a single fragment Of a'• house remaining. Beaucourt is desolation and of Grandecourt only a few' brick-heaps and an occasional gable sticking up like a tooth are to bo seen. . A. few groups of rain-sodden prisoners continue to straggle, in with their arms hold up stiffly as they walk. The British and Gorman corpses strewing tho ground Towards Beaucourt —grim evidence of tho fierceness of the fighting, in which every inch was taken at the point of the bayonet—await tho attention of the' overt worked burial'parties. - Most of tho corpses are wearing gas helmets, indicating tho nature of tho alarm: Several of the British and German soldiers are locked as in their final struggles. . ' The weather continues to improve And the spades-are at.work on the entire new front, repairing’the trenches. The Germans are likewise busy on the trenches, which we shall occupy before long. GERMAN LOSSES ON THE ANCRE 30,000 ' Publiohod in “The Times.’’ / (Received November 22, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 22. “The Times” correspondent at British Headquarters states that the Garman losses on the Ancro since the 13th number at least 30,000. ,