WESTERN THEATRE

Southland Times, Issue 17778, 6 July 1916, Page 5

WESTERN THEATRE

SIB DOUGLAS BAXO’B BEFOBT. BBZTX3B PROGRESS SLIGHTLY. AERIAL ACTIVITY. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, July 5. Received July S, 9.20 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports ; The fighting continues all day long in the southern sectors. AA’c slightly progressed at some points. The remainder of a whole German battalion surrendered. In the vicinity of Fricourt there has been fighting and a bombing encounter. At La Boisselle our troops are in complete possession of the village, and easily repulsed with loss. A bombing attack was made on the positions held by us south of Thiepval. Between Thiepval and the Ancre our newly-won trendies were heavily shelled. There Is considerable artillery activity at Loos and Hohenzollern. A German raid south of Arment.ieres broke under our rifle lire. Our bombing aeroplanes successfully attacked the railways at Comienes, Combles and Saint Quentin. The offensive ‘patrols worked far into the enemy’s country and encountered hostile aeroplanes' in great numbers. There was much fighting and seven Gorman planes were downed. FRENCH EXTEND POSITIONS. ENEMY REDOUBLE EPPOBTS. AND RECAPTURE THIAUMONT. PARIS, -July 5. Received July £>, 9.20 p.m. Communique: On the French sector north of the Somme all is calm. Soutli of tho Somme, in spite of the bad weather, we extended our positions towards the east and south, and captured the woods between AsseviUers and Barleux, also the village of B.edley and Knsanterre. AVc captured Etetrees, except an isolated position which the Germans are holding, and took prisoner five hundred men ut Estrees alone. The enemy have redoubled their efforts at Thianmont, and after we repulsed several attempts, large enemy forces succeeded in capturing the place for the fourth time. There is intense artillery activity at Damloup and La Laufec. Our aircraft bombed Longuyon station, some cantonments at Challeerangc and Savigny, and the military establishments at Laon. FRENCH NEARING PERONNE. ENEMY PROBABLY’ PALL BACK. PARIS, July 5. Received July 6, 12.25 a.m. The French are three miles from Peronne. Our guns completely dominate I’eroniK-Chaulnes railway. From the plateau of Flaucourt we shelled the station, interrupting German communications. This will probably compel the enemy to fall back beyond the Somme. SLOW BUT STEADY PROGRESS. VISIT TO THE BATTLEFIELD. BY A CORRESPONDENT. AN INTERESTING DESCRIPTION. STATEMENTS BY PRISONERS. A GLORIOUS SELF-SACRIFICE. LONDON, July 4. Received July 5, 8.25 p.m. Mr Philip Gibbs, in the Daily Chronicle, says: We are slowly but steadily gaining ground, and progress has been made since Saturday. The Germans’ guns are also retiring in order to escape capture or direct hits, proving that we arc pressing the enemy hard, and lie is unable to bring up supports to make secure his defence. Describing a visit to a portion of the battlefield, lie says that a great bombardment was still raging at Fricourt, the enemy shelling the captured places. Onr guns were putting a heavy barrage upon the positions, and onr batteries in the direction of Cental Maison were all concentrating on the enemy's lines behind Fricourt, Mrunetz Wood, and La Boisselle. Shells from the heavy guns go screaming overhead, and the field batteries are tiring rapidly and continuously. Our guns had the mastery and onr infantry tool something behind them. It was not all Mesh and blood against great engines as in the earlier days. The enemy replied, chiefly about La. Boise.il", and though nothing like our bombardment, it was heavy enough to increase the cost wc had to pay for progress. We could see onr men moving up in a quiet, leisurely way. the shells whining and rending air above their heads, occupied in laying telephones over the newly captured ground. Up at La Boisselle the shelling was still intense, but our troops had already surrounded a part of the position, and after a concentration of our fire, they advanced and captured about 250 of the enemy who stayed in dugouts. While our shells smashed the ground a Gorman doctor, a giant mun with a great heart, attended to the wounded until the bombardment was such that none could live there. He carried wounded men to a ■ logout and stayed there, expecting death. When the Englisti soldiers came lie said: “My friends, 1 surrender.” He afterwards helped to attend our wounded and did good work. Our gun lire found another German wno, although wounded in nine places, still maintained his deadly machine-gun fire. Mr Gibbs visited Fricourt, and says that it is just a heap of frightful ruin, every yard being littered with wires. .Many of the prisoners expressed their joy at having escaped out of our terrible gunfire. The officers acknowledged the

new power of our artillery and the courage of our men. A German doctor said: "We are killing each other to no purpose. It is a war against religion and civilisation. 1 see no end to it. Germany, England and France are strong, and it is impossible for one side to crush the other.” The action at the Gommecourt salient was one of the most heroic in British history. The enemy concentrated a great mass of guns here, in the belief that the main attack would extend to Lille and Iloye. As soon as our men left the trenches, the enemy barraged the front support trenches with a most infernal lire. We advanced through tails barrage as if om parade, and in spite of heavy losses made our way for over five hundred yards "through No Man’s Land to the enemy’s front line. The Germans also behaved with great courage and carried their machine-guns right through our barrage until they met our men in the open where they swept them with fire so that large numbers fell. The attack failed, but it served to draw on the enemy's Reserves and was a glorious act of self-sacrifice. FRENCH WELL ON THX WAT. TO A STRIKING SUCCESS. THE POSITION DESCRIBED. (The Times.) LONDON, July 1. Received July 6, 6.5 p.m. A Paris correspondent states that it is now possible to state without exaggeration than the French south of- theSomme are well on the way towards a striking success. A wedge has now been driven into the German third line at Flancourt, and the French are also masters of the plateau of Perohne and within three miles of the township. The battlefield south of the Somme consists of two zones. The northerly section of the valley, wherein the stream scatters its waters into large ponds and marshes, is dotted with clumps of trees. •The southerly section is a bare and well fitted plateau for defensive positions. The capture of Feillers and the neighbouring hills enabled the French artillery to assist in the sterner struggle north of the Somme. After passing the German second lines the French on Monday found the way to Peronne barred and tremendously fortified. The occupation of the little village of Flancourt, which was stormed with great dash, is exceedingly embarrassing to the Gormans, because it leaves thejri with only three supply roads, which the French dominate. Sometimes the roads are borne a kilometre across the marshes, and the slender bridges are easy marks for the artillery. The fortified villages of Belloy and Ensanterre bar the way to Peronne, but the success on the Assevillers front will enable the French to reach the open country, compelling the Germans to evacuate Peronne. GERMANS IN BELGIUM. GARRISONS BEING DEPLETED. AMSTERDAM. July 1. Received July 6, 6.5 p.m. All the German garrisons in Belgium are partly depleted, and troops are hastily reinforcing the Flemish front. The remaining troops are ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The cable news in this issue accredited to The Times has appeared in that journal, hut only where expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of The Times. COEONZAE GAT.T.AWTRT, LARGE NUMBER OP BOTS OPPOSING TEE APEXES. PARIS, July 1. Received July 5, 10.15 p.m. Apart from tlie main British activity isolated attacks continue, the Worcesters, New Zealanders and Australians repeating their gallantry. The discovery of large numbers of boys opposing the eastern end of the jcrcneh front and taken prisoners as far westward as the Somme is interpreted that Germany is in desperate need of men, as only the direst strain could justify the sacrifice of hoys so urgently needed after the war to build up trade and repair the losses of the population. THE EYES OP THE ARTIEEERT. THE ENEMY BLINDED. (Reuter's Telegrams.) PARIS, July 5. Received July 5, 10.15 p.m. Semi-official: A message records the remarkable fact that since the first of July no enemy airmen have been able to cross the French lines, anil adds that, as aircraft are the eyes of the artillery, we have blinded the enemy. GERMAN EXPLANATIONS. AMSTERDAM, July 5. Received July 5, lo.l;5 p.m. German newspapers abound with explanations regarding the events on the western front and assert that they hud •l fore-knowledge of the offensive. They justify the evacuation of various points, stressing the terrific bombardment, accompanied by poison gases. The Lokal Anzciger boasts that the Germans have seven lines of defence works. WHAT THE PIGHTING PAZEED TO REVEAL. BRITISH PROGRESSING NORMAEEY. PRODIGIES OF TAEOUR. PEOPLE MUST BE PATIENT. v LONDON, July 5. Received July 5, 9.20 p.m. The correspondent of the Morning Post says : Fighting on the west front failed to reveal that the Germans were in possession of any surprises, and their

much-heralded terrible weapons have not materialised, but patience is necessary to overcome their unscrupulous tactics and tricks. The IJritish plans are progressing normally and the officers and men are performing prodigies ot valour. Tl\o home people must patiently trust in them ami not expert rapid developments. Our reserves are busy at Mamet/, burying onr dead. The doctors worked like heroes, separating the living from the dead, and attending to the wounded win) had lain in the open for hours. The correspondent relates an incident that happened between Mamet/ and Fricourl. Me was posted where he was tolU lie would see a fine scrap. A few hundred Germans tenaciously clung to the trenches, and our infantry, supported by bombers, dashed to the ctjd of the trench. The Germans threw grenades, fired a few rifle shots, and then ran for their lives with uplifted hands in which were handkerchiefs, yelling "Ka.marad." Some of the dugouts were palatial, and in them were prodigious quantities of sausages, potted meats, preserved vegetables, cheeses, and casks of beer, whisky and gin. An officer’ suite was fitted with electric bells to summon the servants from the adjoining kitchen. He adds that prisoners state that such was the devastation by our artillery on the French front that thirty-one German battalions were completely disorganised, the trenches being wrecked preventing control by the officers commanding