HAIG SUMMARISES THE BIG OFFENSIVE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 828, 5 October 1916, Page 7

HAIG SUMMARISES THE BIG OFFENSIVE.

RECORD OF GREAT SUCCESS. TOWNS, VILLAGES, PRISONERS, AND BOOTY TAKEN. By Calls. — Press Association. — Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Calk Association, (Received October 5, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, October 4. Sir Douglas llaig's further dispatch reviews the recent fighting. lie pays a tribute to the British overseas troops, who; under unrelaxing pressure behaved witli the discipline and resolution of veterans. It is now possible, to give a fuller account of the fighting succeeding the advance of September 15. That advance, - which won Courcelette, Martinpuich, Highwood, Flers, arid Bouleaux Wood, created several minor salients on our front, and it became necessary to advance our line between them. This was the task of the succeeding week. We carried the quadrilateral work on September 18. There was a redoubt of considerable strength and tactical importance, that had successfully resisted our attacks on September 15, thereby limiting the extent of the successes on our rigid flank. The weather was wet and stormy between September 19 and 21. We captured two lines of trenches on September 22, enlarging the advance between Flers and Martinpuich. We gained ground eastward of Courcelette on September By the evening of September 24 we had completed the preliminaries for the next stage of the general advance on the 25th from Combles to Martinpuich. The country is gently undulating, with villages! This area is surrounded by trees, and is a natural stronghold, fortified by every resource of modern engineering. We carried Lesboeufs and Morval on September 25, advancing tlte line over a mile. The capture of Morval, combined with the French pressure in the south, virtually isolated Combles, which fell the next day as the result of a combined Anglo-French movement. The capture of Gucudecourt, Thiepval, and the Zollern Redoubt.followed. Several thousand prisoners and a large amount of war material were taken. The. Germans fought stubbornly, hoping to check our advance. Since September 15 they have brought against us seven new divisions, and against the French five. The severe and prolonged struggle demanded great determination and courage on our part. Since the opening of the battle on .Inly 1 we have; taken prisoner 20,7135 men. and have engaged 38 divisions, of which 29 were exhausted or broken. We hold the upland giving direct observation northward and north-eastward. Tin; Germans have fallen back upon their fourth line behind the low ridge, westward of the BapaumeTransloy Road. The importance of the quarter's offensive must not lie judged by the distance advanced or the number of trenches taken, but by the effect upon the enemy's strength in numbers, material, and moral. Our aircraft has shown the highest degree of spirit. They patrolled regularly far behind the enemy's lines, and engaged in many air battles. For every enemy machine crossing our front, 200 British crossed the German front. A captured German Corps report describes our aeroplanes as surprisingly bold in their work, and as showing conspicuous skill, judgment, and daring.