WESTERN ATTACK.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 September 1916, Page 5

WESTERN ATTACK.

WHEN COMBLES FALLS. FRENCH AND BRITISH LINK UP. ENEMY ROBBED 01 VIEW POINTS. AVIATION TACTICS, Received Sept. 14, 5.50 p.m. London, Sept. 13. Mr. Philip Gibbs says that when the French get Combles they will link up with the British to the right of Ginchy and Leuze Wood, where a few hundred Germans are defending themselves bravely in a loop trench "flung like a lassoo north-east of Guillemont. We are still below the line at Ginchy and the telegraph line on the high plateau, so have not yet obtained a full observation of the valley and slopes on the other side. The capture of Ginchy robbed the enemy of his view points, and his only means of observation now are in the air. Accordingly the Germans send up kite balloons. Our airmen mount above them and then dive, dropping bombs until the great balloon bags burst into flames. The Germans' latest means of defence is a gun below the balloons sending up a high-reaching flame, scorching the wings of the British aeroplanes coming too close, but our flying men are willing to take the risk. DESPERATE COMBATS. POSITIONS EXTENDED NEAR COMBLES. WHOLE SYSTEM OP TREXCHES TAKEN. IMPORTANT BOOTY SECURED. Received Sept. W, 7.30 p,n», Paris, Sept. 14 A communique states: Desperate combats continue on our centre and right. Northward of the Sommo the Germans recaptured the Boislebbe farm, but the whole position lias since been re-occu-pied and all gains maintained. Two thousand three hundred unwounded prisoners were taken between Tuesday and Wednesday, We appreciably extended our positions opposite Combles, and carried by assault, southward of Priez farm, the w'holc system of powerfully organised trenches. The important booty secured includes ten guns (several 'heavy) and forty machine guns ontho Bouchavesnes sector alone. German attacks recently on our conquered positions east of Fleury were completely repulsed. SPEED OF FRENCH DASH. PERONNE IN DANGER. COMMANDING POSITIONS TAKEN. Paris, Sept. 13. The, extraordinary feature of the French advance on Tuesday 'was the speed, which was unprecedented since the trench -war began. In some cases positions were taken in fifteen minutes. The French now command Hill 70, two miles north of Peronne, also Mont St. Quentin, both important artillery positions. Unless the Germans hold" these they must evacuate Peronne. London. Sept. 13. General Sir Douglas Haig reports: The situation is unchanged. A French communique says: The battle was continued north of the Somme. We achieved pronounced success in the evening, capturing the entire village of Bouchavesnes, a brilliant action overpowering the strongly entrenched positions. The Germans have not attempted to counter-attack. We crossed the Bethune road south-cast of Bouchavesnes and took by assault the farm at Bois I'Abbc, with many prisoners and much war material. We progressed at Vaux Oliapitre. A brilliant French dash, under General Fayolle, on Tuesday carried the hill commanding Raneourt and the road from Combles. Mont St. Quentin is now seriously outflanked. The gains included a commanding hill two miles north of Peronne. A few yards more will necessitate the evacuation of Peronne and produce disorganisation in the German system of victualling the Roye army. ANGLO-FRENCH CAPTURES. A FORMIDABLE TOTAL. Times Service. Received Sept. 14, 7.50 p.m. Paris, Sept. 14. Since the beginning of the offensive by the Franco-British on the Somme, and t'he French at Verdun, we have captured 2iiu guns, 047 machine-guns, and 54,000 men. PRINCE EITEL'S SUITE. TAKE FRIGHT AT FIRST SHELL. Received Sept. 14, 7.40 p.m. London, Sept, 14. (Prince Eitel is commanding the German army on the jiorth sector of the Somme. A naval gun bombarded the headquarters, reducing the .chateau to ruins. Prisoners state that Prince Eitel's suite were panic-stricken at the first shell. They fled downstairs and rushed off in motor cars. ENEMY ATTACK REPULSSD Received Sept. 14, 5.55 p.m, London, Sept. 14. General Sir Douglas Ilaig reports that the situation is unchanged. An attack on our lines from the. direction of Mouquet Farm was repulsed with considerable loss. GERMAN REPORT. London, Sept. 13. A German communique says: There was heavy fighting between Combles and the Somme. The French penetrated Boudhavesnes. The enemy attacks on Phiaumont and SouviUe failed with heavy loites- \