HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE SECOND LINE.

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

HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE SECOND LINE.

FURTHER IMPORTANT

SUCCESSES,

GAINS SUBSTANTIALLY EX-

TENDED

ENEMY'S LOSSES HEAVY

(Australian andN.Z. Cable Association.) (Received July 16; 11.5 p.m.) London, July 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports heavy fighting all day in the Pbzieres and Guillemont sector of tlie second line of defence, with further important s\iccesses. We captured eastward of Longueval,! in spite of a desperate resistance, the! ■whole of Belbille Wood, arid repulsed a I , i strong counter-attack. The enemy's I losses, were severe. Our troops northward of Bazentin-le-Grand penetrated the third line at Faurenex Wood, in which we obtained a lodgment. A detachment of the enemy in this neighbourhood were successfully accounted for by a squadron of the Dragoon Guards. It was the first opportunity for a mounted action afforded our cavalry since 1914. We captured the whole of the wood westward of Bazentin-le-Petit, and repulsed two counter-attacks. The prisoners taken here include the commander of a Bavarian regiment and his whole staff. ■ ■ . •« W'e made a further advance eastward' of Ovillers, and fought our way to the outskirts of Pozieres. The aerial results in the last 24 hours have been four Fokkers, three biplanes, and a double-winged aeroplane brought down. An enemy train was derailed.