DETAILS OF THE ADVANCE

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 14140, 17 July 1916, Page 5

DETAILS OF THE ADVANCE

ENEMY DRIVEN BACK STEP BY

STEP.

COUNTER-ATTACKS CRUSHED

FOUR-MILE ADVANCE AT ONE

POINT.

ALL GOING WELL

(Australian and -N.Z. Cable Association)

(Received July 16, 5.5 p.m.) London, July 15. Sir Douglas Haig, in a report giving •details of the action, says it began at daybreak. "We having driven back the, enemy step by step to their second system of defence on the 11th, the 12th was spent in necessary preparations for a further advance. After an. intense bombardment this morning aji assault was launched, and the enemy were driven from the trenches on the whole front attacked. As the result of an all-day battle, we are in possession of the enemy's second position from Bazentin-le-Petit to Longue- \ ral, capturing Trones Wood. "We relieved a party of the "West Kent Regiment who were separated from our troops in the recent fighting. The Germans surrounded them, but they gallantly held the northern end of the wood for 48 hours. Our fire completely crushed two determined counter-attacks on our new position. Later in the day the. Germans, by a fierce counter-attack, recaptured Bazen-tin-le-Petit, but were immediately uriven out. < In a later desaptch Sir Douglas Haig reports that all goes well. We have forced back the Germans at one point to the third system of defence over four i&iles in the rear of their original front trenches alj Fricourt and Mametz. • Tke total number of prisoners taken by us since the beginning of the offensive exceeds 10,000. We. have secured large quantities of war material, j To-day's British casualty lists contain the names of 417 officers, of whom ' 104 are dead. , The War Office announces that since July Ist, owing to the success of the bombardment, tho proportion of slight wounds as compared with serious cases is very high, proving that the enemy's artillery has been successfully dealt with. The troops are at last convinced that they have the mastery of the Germans, and advance to each assault with greater dash and courage.