FRENCH CONSOLIDATE NEW POSITIONS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14051, 22 July 1916, Page 3

FRENCH CONSOLIDATE NEW POSITIONS.

PARIS, July 21. A communique says : North of the Somme we are consolidating positions won this morning. South of the Somme an .extended front attack took place in the afternoon. We captured tho whole of the first German position from Estrees to Vermand and Ovillers Hill. During the fighting to-day we captured 2900 prisoners, three guns, 30 machine guns and much material, and continued to progress. We are bombing Thiaumont work. Our air squadrons bombed the stations at Thiauville, Montmedry, Brieulles, Boisel. and [ military establishments at Lonach, north and east of Bale. CAPTURE OF FIVE MILES OF SOMME FRONT. LONDON, July 21. The British and French public are delighted at the news of General Foch's capture of five . miles of the Somme front. The British advances having brought the line approximately level with the French line, General Foch recommenced the offensive at daybreak with most gratifying success. He has broken the. German line, and captured five miles of trenches on both sides 1 of the Somme, threatening Combles and also relieving the pressure on the British angle at Longueval and DeleVille Wood, where they have been making a grand fight though outnumbered by ! 4 to 1. The position which the Anglo-French seized at Somme were at least as difficult and twice as extensive as the Gernians seized at Verdun. The Anglo-French have accomplished in sixteen days what the Germans accomplished in five months with fivefold the expenditure of lives. The Germans fully realise the dangers of the Anglo-French advance upon the confines of the plains olf Comibles, and are endeavouring to confine the fighting to the Somme sectors. As an even, greater. . danger there is a likelihood of further ; breaches 'of the German line, which would be rolled. up in sections. , . " „ . . The Allies' great advantage lies m the fact that the Germans, are tied up in their positions, arid are forced to rely on heavy guns, which are excellent for offence, .but difficult to utilise in defence, where mobility is all important. The newspapers give prominence to the excellent, results of the Australian raids, which were on a more extensive front than any Sir Douglas Haig ha. yet reported.