WESTERN THEATRE

Southland Times, Issue 17831, 7 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN THEATRE

A BRILLIANT BATTLE.

EVERT OBJECTIVE GAINED. DESPERATE COUNTER-ATTACKS BROKEN. OPERATIONS NORTH OF TBXBFVAD. STRATEGIC VALUE OF THE ADVANCE. (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright) (Australian & N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, Sept. 5. Received Sept. 6, 5.30 p.m. Aoglo-Frenoh military experts regard the battle ou Sunday and Monday as the moat brilliant since the offensive began on Ist July. Seven thousand prisoners were captured. Even Hlndenburg, who has just completed the inspection of the Somme front, describes the battles as on a great scale and fought with great violence. Hlndenburg had a frenzied reception on the Somme, and his visit put new spirit into the defenders, but they were unable to cope with British doggedness and French dash* Unlike the Ist July there was no element of surprise. Owing to the enforced delay, due to bad weather, Von Gallwitz was able to bring up considerable reinforcements of troops and material. The Gormans even attempted to forestall the Allied attack, bnt were ignominlously defeated. The weather twice forced the AnglOuj French commanders to postpone the , operations. The advance commenced on a front of eighteen and three-quarter miles as the crow flies, or twenty-nine and ahalf miles as the trenches run. The British attacked at dawn and the French at midday. Five hours later every objective had been gained. The capture of Onillemont meant the talcing of the greatest German stronghold on the Somme. With Thlepval it was a key position of the German line. The Fifth Brandenburg division, which made a name at Fort Donaumont, defended the Quillomont sector foot by foot, and a detachment held out in a small fort on the Combles road until Its ammunition was exhausted. The British found ten defenders alive. The Germans made desperate efforts to recover their losses, but six coun-ter-attacks were broken by the Allied machine guns. The situation was still more satisfactory on the French front than on the British. The greatest difficulties are in the Thlepval region, where the German communiques continue to record full blooded infantry attacks. These are untrue. Since the failure of the attack north of the Ancre early In July /Sir Douglas Haig has refrained from frontal attacks oh Thlepval, grudging the loss of life. He is content with a flank advance which will eventually force the Germans at Thlepval to earrender. Recent British operations aimed at taming the enemy’s position at Beau-mont-Hamel. Accordingly the British advanced along the road running west along the edge of Thlepval. This advance Is still blocked by field works near Monqnot Farm. Until these are token the Germans will hold Thlepval. Sir Douglas Haig says that nothing will be gained by extending the bulge at Highwood until the rest of the line has advanced, hut the capture of GuiUemont was essential, and was the most conspicuous success since the Australians captured Fozleres. A particularly brilliant episode was the capture of Fallemont Farm, standing on a spur overlooking and commanding Combles. Its seizure greatly strengthens the French position, while the capture of Clery paves the way to crossing the Somme towards Feronne.

FRENCH STILT. MOVING. MASSED ATTACKS REPULSES. f GOOD TALLY OP PRISONERS. PARIS, Sept. 0. Received Sept. 6. (1.55 p.m. French communique ; We made important progress eastward of Le Forest, and north-eastward of Fiery, and also captured the village of Deniecourt. thus rucking up positions north and south of the Somme. We repulsed repeated massed attacks in the Barleux and Beloy en Sande.rrc sectors, inflicting sanguinary losses. Wc have taken prisoner 55 officers ivnd 3002 men southward of the Somme since Tuesday. The total prisoners since the 3rd, n „ r tU and south of the Somme, number (IC-10, together with 36 guns, of which 2S tire heavy pieces. SERIES OP BRILLIANT COMBATS. PROGRESS BEYOND CLERY. UNAVAILING GERMAN ONSLAUGHTS. PARIS, Sept 6. Received Sept. «, 0.40 p.m. Communique : In the series of brilliant combats northward of the Somme on Tuesday the troops, showing irresistible dash, seized positions north-east-ward of (Mery and at the extremity of the hill traversed hy the BouchavesnesClery road. We have captured since the 3rd in the northern sector 24 heavy and S light guns, a large depot of shells, a captive balloon, and many machine guns. The battle southward of the Somme lias waged with extreme violence. Despite the enemy's repeated onslaughts we maintained all the positions ,and carried a line of trenches eastward of Soyecourt. We also reached the outskirts of Deuiecourt Park. There has been a strong cannonade in the FJcury and Chcnois sectors

BRITISH ADVANCE CONTINUES. PROGRESS ON TUESDAY. LONDON, Sept. 6. Received Sept. 6, 6.55 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports : We continue advancing, and are fully in possession of all the ground between Fallemont Farm and Leuze Wood, and between the latter and the outskirts of Ginchy. Tuesday’s fighting further strengthened the position at Leuze Wood, of which we hold the greater part. It is definitely stated now that von Gallwitz is in command of the Germans in the Somme region. He was one of von Hindenburg’s generals and it fell to his, share to break across the Narew in the great struggle for Warsaw. Subsequently he took part in the advance on Dvinsk, his position being immediately on the left flank of Prince Leopold, Avhose right linked up with Mackensen’s left at Brest Litovsk. Von Gallwitz was withdrawn into reserve when the great German offensive ceased, and subsequently he appeared in command of an army on the Danube when the attack on Serbia commenced. According to London correspondents the commander responsible for the Britisli share of the great push is General Rawllnson, eom-mander-in-chief of the Fourth Army. On his left, beyond the Ancre, is General Gough, Rawlinson had the Fourth Corps covering the retreat of the Belgians from Antwerp and subsequently he took part in the defence of Ypres, so that he has been through all the fiercest fighting of the war, or, rather, the fiercest on the British front.