GENERAL WAR NEWS

Southland Times, Issue 17784, 13 July 1916, Page 2

GENERAL WAR NEWS

EARLIER CABLES VALUABLE FRENCH GAINS. tEy Telegraph—i ress Assn. —Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) I PARIS, July 11. 'The Gormans are fighting at a disadvantage, with their hacks to the river Somme. The majority of the bridges have been destroyed since the beginning of the Allied offensive. After capturing Hill 97 the French commenced a further attack, linking up Hill La Maisonette with Biaches. The enemy continued up to a late hour on Monday to resist at some points. The French, however, are in possession of two lines on a hill dominating those at the right hand. Meanwhile, the Germans are opposing tile British advance inch by inch. Their losses in the Trones Wood district were enormous. The British progressed on both sides of Contalmaison, but the Germans are still clinging to one of its outskirts. BBITTSX SUCCESSES. OOSTALHAISOH TAKEN. LONDON, July 11. Sir Douglas Haig reports; —Last night, after a brisk bombardment, we again carried the village of Contalmaison by assault, taking 180 unwounded prisoners, including a battalion commander ami four other officers. A strong counter-attack during the night was beaten off, with heavy enemy loss. The whole village is now in our hands. Further eastward we stormed several lines of trenches in Mametz Wood, and tlie greater part of the wood is now in our possession. We captured a heavy howitzer, three field guns, and 286 unwounded prisoners, including three officers. Heavy fighting continues at Trones Wood. In aerial combats on July 9 one of our aeroplanes was shot down by a direct hit from an anti-aircraft gun, and three other machines have not returned. GERMAN SAVAOERT. LONDON, July 11. The Times correspondent at British Headquarters states that at only one point in the fighting did the Germans allow the British to recover their wounded. In most cases the Germans bayoneted or shot our wounded. They played machine guns over the fields of dead and wounded lying together, to make sure they would never fight again. This evidence comes from far too many quarters to admit of any doubt on this point. QUIET OS THE SOMME. PARIS, July 11. j A communique states: In the Somme sector it was calm. The prisoners taken in the last two days exceed 1300. The great artillery activity at Avocourt and Chattoncourt (west of the Meuse) redoubled in intensity. At Fleury and east of Chenols (east of the Meuse) the Germans attacked over the whole front. East of Fumin Wood and Chenols Wood they entered out advanced trenches, hut a counter-attack drove them out. The Germans in Lorraine attacked a salient cast of Keillon and penetrated ourt first line along a front of 200 metres. Taking advantage of four mine explosions the enemy attempted to seize our trenches north-east of Veho, but our rifle fire caused them to fall back, leaving their dead and wounded. W'c occupied craters in the Vosges. W'e penetrated and occupied the first line and supporting trenches north of Fontenelle and cleared the enemy out of them. GERMAN FEARS. »m»B t.tttp rOaTIfIBX). AMSTERDAM, July 11. The big German guns are heavily bombarding the front from Hulluch to La Basse*. The Germans are feverishly strengthening the defence of the Rhine, employing 200,000 prisoners of war on these works. THE XHTTUTtVI. FINALE? HASSES FROM GERMAN? WASHINGTON, July 11. Von Weigand’s despatch to the New York World from Berlin says:—“ Germany is in a vice-like grip, under a pressure which is likely to increase on all the fronts. The question is, whether the Allies, with their 670 millions of people, can crush the lIS millions of the Central Empires; and it will be answered In the next few weeks. “For the first time in the war the military initiative has passed from Germany, who is now fighting on the defensive almost everywhere, even in the west.

“At Lutsk, Von Linsingen’s counteroffensive has slowed down, and only at Verdun is the Crown Prince keeping up a show of pressure. ••The Austrians may not be able to hold the Russians until the Carpathians are reached.” teas of defeat. NEW YORK, July 11. Von Wiegand’s despatch is regarded in America as the first open indication of the fear of defeat in Germany. The paragraphs praising the German troops are interpreted as a significant admission of disquietude, suggesting that Von Weigand believes a German collapse is possible, and wishes to say so between the lines, thus escaping the Censor’s vigilance. He says: “The thin, anaemic line of Von Hindenburg, Prince Leopold of Bavaria, Von Linslngen, and Von Botlimer is struggling against almost overwhelming odds, about four or five to one. Fresh Russian armies, equipped with ammunition from Japan and America, arc heating against those thin lines with the ceaselessness of the sea. That cannot be otherwise than discouraging to the stoutest hearts. "Germany,” he continues, “is practicallv without news from her own side. In no great battle of equal proportions during the war have the German military authorities given so little information. Undoubtedly there is great suspense in Germany.” amratAL frowse. AHE f TT f i "BTOSXWAU. BRIGADE.” (Reuter’s Telegrams.) LONDON, July 11. A number of the wounded state that General Prow.se was cheering on his troops when a shell dropped near him and he fell. Several men rushed to his assistance. Although dying, General Prowse continued to cheer on his men, his last words being: "Keep up our name of the ’Stonewall Brigade.’ ’’ THE EAST SUXXETS. LONDON. July J I. A special message from France describes the experiences of a battalion of East Surrevs, which was selected to start the attack. Each platoon was provided with a football, and the platoon commanders kicked them off. Officers and men dropped rapidly, but the dribbling continued. Two balls were actually kicked into the German trenches, and were afterwards recovered. When the bayonets got to work one of the footballers slew 17 Germans. Another handed his rifle to a comrade and polished off a Bosche with his fists, explaining that “the bloke was too old to shoot and too thin to bayonet. ’ppc Surreys captured a machine gun and turned it on the enemy, devastating an ammunition column. A GERMAN COKHUHIQUX, IXDNDON, July 11. A Berlin communique states: Between the Ano re and the Somme the English launched strong attacks, and were shot down along a wide front on the BapaumeAlbert road. Repeated enemy attempts to recapture Trones Wood failed, with heavy losses. Black French troops attacking La Maeacvetto were repulsed by an overpowering lire. in the Lcintrey (Lorraine) zone we badly damaged the French positions, which the Germans penetrated.

DEFENCE OF KOVEL. London, ,iuiy 11. A Russian communique states : The enemy have received reinforcements and have brought up powerful artillery. They are offering a desperate resistance in the Stokhnd region. Wo repulsed considerable forces northwest of Kimpolung (Bukowina), and after a violent combat the enemy wore put to flight. The approximate total of the prisoners taken by General Brussiloff between June 5 and July 10 is ">620 officers, 2(>6,000 soldiers, ,’!]2 guns, and S6G machine guns. A Berlin communique states ; The Germans penetrated the enemy's lines. It. is quiet between Riga and Rinsk. The Russian announcement of our evacuation of Pinsk fails. Strong enemy forces with futility attacked our Stokhod line, the enemy being driven hack near Hulcwicze by our counter-attack. AUSTRIAN PERSPICACITY. AMSTERDAM, July 11..I 1 .. The, Nieue Erie Pressc (Vienna) bitterly complains of the failure of the Germans and Bulgarians and Turks to show a livelier interest in the Russian advance In Galicia, which, it says, is threatening East Prussia and Constantinople equally as much as Austria-Hun-gary. BULGARIAN CAUTION. ROME. July 1!. It is reported that the Kaiser and the ■Emperor Franz Josef have made an urgent request to King Ferdinand to despatch Bulgarian troops to the Galician and Trentino fronts. An Austro-German delegation visited Sofia on Sunday and pointed out that the continued Russian and Italian success would bring Koumania into the war. Ferdinand replied that the withdrawal of Bulgarians would invite an immediate attack by the Allies from Salonika. Ferdinand. however, promised to consult Ills General Staff. PERSONAE AIR RECONNAISSANCE. SALONIKA, July It. General Sarrail was up in an aeroplane for three hours inspecting the enemy's front. DUTCH FISHING BOAT SUNK. AMSTERDAM. July 11. Submarine U4 sunk the Dutch lugger Gurtruda, firing 20 shots without warning. She was homeward bound after six weeks’ fishing. The submarine commander declared that in his opinion the lugger was bound for England. THE DEUTSCHLAND. NEW' YORK, July llOn being interviewed, Captain Koenig (not Karig, as at first cabled) stated : "A microphone aboard the Deutschland enabled us to hear a bell-buoy five miles away, also to hear the screws of passing ships. Twenty cruisers could not prevent our return to Germany.” The Deutschland brought mails for Count Bcrnstorff. WAITING OUTSIDE), ANGLO-FRENCH SQUADRON. WASHINGTON, July 11. The British and French Consuls have submitted protests against the Deutschland's presence in an American port. It is .stated that a cordon of Frjnch and British cruisers will wait outside the three miles’ limit, while many special motor boats, designated “submarine catchers," will also be in readiness for her departure. NO SPECIAL FEAT. (Reuter’s Telegrams.) LONDON, July 11. An Admiralty official, interviewed regarding the Deutschland’s feat, said : ”It was nothing new. Ten British submarines built in Canada crossed the Atlantic last summer. It is known that the Deutschland is merely an ordinary submarine with her fighting equipment removed. "The idea of submarine traders is ridiculous. The fact that Germany has to crawl underseas is the finest demonstration of the efficiency of our blockade.” AMERICA’S DECISION. NEW YORK, July 31. The Naval and Customs officers. ;fter inspection of the submarine Deutschland, made the following report to the Government : We have inspected all spaces except those occupied by cargo. There is no evidence that tlx- vessel is armoured or can be armed without extensive structural changes. We regard the ship as a merchantman. RUSSIA’S FINE HARVEST. ROME, JJuly 11. The harvest in Russia is 10 per cent, superior to that of 1915.

TRANSATLANTIC FOUT. WASHINGTON, July 11. A despatch from Amsterdam states that Germany will inaugurate in August a Transatlantic passenger and freight Zeppelin service. AHOTHEH SUBMARINE TBXF. NEW YORK, July 11. Rio do Janeiro learns that a sister ship to the Deutschland is now crossing the Atlantic to Brazil. QUITE A COME ST. BERLIN, July 31. The Vossischc Zeitung states that several similar super-submarines to the Deutschland are being constructed with the object of restoring German commerce with neutrals. tab COMMITTEE ADDITION. LONDON, July 11. The Hon. B. S. Montague, Minister of Munitions, has been appointed a permanent member of the War Committee. THE WORKSHOP'S PART. LONDON, July 11. The boilermakers and shipwrights working on the east coast agreed to dilution of labour similar to that on the Clyde, for the Admiralty have expressed their gratification at the men's readiness to do their utmost to maintain the supremacy of the Navy. A GERMAN STRIKE. BERNE, July 7.1. Five thousand munition makers at Brunswick struck as a protest against Dr Liebknechfs sentence. The Social Democratic Executive Council also protested at the infliction of a term of servitude. Their protest is all the weightier in view of the Socialist leaders' (well-known disapproval of Dr Lebknechf's methods of agitating. MO EWE BEFITTED. AMSTERDAM, July 11. The Moewe has been overhauled and refitted with heavier guns. Two other commerce raiders —the Adler and the Fuche—arc also awaiting an opportunity to escape into the high seas. QUEENSLAND RECRUITING POOB. BRISBANE, July 12. The report of the Queensland Recruiting Committee states that recruiting has fallen off to such an extent that not half the men required for the reinforcements are enlisting. The, report concludes by pointing out the urgent need for conscription. TAX OH AMUSEMENTS. SYDNEY, July 12. The New South Wales Farmers’ Conference passed a resolution in favour oi a tax on all sports and race meetings and amusements for the assistance of maimed soldiers and hospitals. NEW ZEALANDERS IN HOSPITAL. LONDON, July 11. Sir T. Mackenzie visited three hospitals at Salisbury and Southampton, and found the New Zealand wounded progressing. He has taken steps to establish social clubs at Salisbury and Brokenhurst t>> provide entertainment for the troops*