BRITISH AND FRENCH MAKE PROGRESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CV, Issue 16080, 29 September 1916, Page 7

BRITISH AND FRENCH MAKE PROGRESS.

RECENT FIGHTING DESCRIBED.

THE REVOLUTION IN GREECE,

AFFAIRS IN GERMANY.

Pres, XswKii»tttm—By Tel.^—Copyright.

Received 7.25 p.m., Sept. 2Sth. LONDON, Sept. 28. General Sir Douglas Haig reports— We have made excellent progress. We carried trenches on a front of two thousand yards northward of Flers.' There has been fierce fighting fighting northeast of Thiepval, whero we stormed ''Hold tho Stiff" redoubt. We took 10,000 prisonors during the past fortnight.

ON THE FRENCH, FRONT.

ENEMY COUNTER ATACKS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) PARIS, Sept, 2-S. enemy strongiy attacked our new positions from Bouchavesnes to "southward of Bois L'Abbe farm. ±' • -«. .. ..' Tho French, in a brilliant counter offensive, threw back the assaulting waves in disorder with heavy losses. . Wo appreciably progressed eastward, and south-east of Rancourt and pene.trated Saint Pierro Vast Wood.

GERMAN COMMENT

"MAD ALLIED ATTACKS."

A ' RETIREMENT FORESHADOWED.

LONDON, Sept. 27

Tlis "Frankfurter Zoitung" refers to the-mad Allied attacks on the Somme as full of unparalleled courage and savagery.-"' We are .endeavouring to keep back the enemy and preserve an elastic connected front, - but we have loss long-held positions and villages, 'and possibly more important shortenings o:i the West Front are contemplated in the interests of all the fronts.

BOOTY TAKEN AT COMBLES. Northward of Flers we are now level with clin east side of Eaucourt-VAbbaye. The "Stuff" redoubt is on the main ridge, two thousand yards ■north-east 'ward of Thiepval. Upwards of 1800 rifles and many thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition and grenades were taken by lis at Gombles, where our Allies also jmade large, captures of material. . We destroyed two aeroplanes and two kite balloons on Tuesday. Two of our machines are missing.

PARTICULARS OF GAINS. Received 0.50 a.m., Sept. 29th. ("Times" Service.) PARIS, Sept. 28. Since beginning the offensive fortyfive villages, and 117 square miles have been captured. Sixty-one German divisions were gruelled, each losing about 3000.

EXCHANGE OF CONGRATULATIONS. : (Australian, and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received 7 p.m.. Sept. 28th. LONDON, Sept. 28. The King, replying to M. l'oincaro's congratulations of the British army on its two days' successes, said that these could not have been achieved without tho splendid support of the gallant French troops on our right. They wero fighting for one common objective.

TfRECENT FIGHTING DESCRIBED. "BY WAR CORRESPONDENT. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) Received 8.25 p.m., Sept. 28th. Mr Philip Gibbs, war correspondent, states: "In the night the enemy troops between Morval and Sailly melted away. Our cavalry patrols -were out trying to find the rearguard. Our gunnera were quick to find the target and clouds of shrapnel burst over masses of men and threw them into a panicstricken rout. They flung down their rifles and packs and fled to Le Transloy, leaving many dead and wounded in their wake. It was the worst thing that has happened the enemy, and is breaking his moral." '"The onemy fought well, but saw that if he held on longer he must die or be made prisoner. As soon as our men swept across the trenches and

COMMUNICATIONS WITH THE KING,

sunken roads and entered the villages, the garrisons came from underground and surrendered in heaps. They could have fought longer and harder perhaps, but only with their backs against the wall asking for death, and they had not tho spirit to do that. They were done and dazed by the appalling intensity of the shell fire, and were disheartened by the unfailing regularity with which the British have captured strongholds since July. Their confidence and faith in the German war machine has been destroyed, and they wero stupefied by the grim way we attacked, reckless of loss.

"I saw twelve hundred prisoners brought in, mostly Prussians. Many confessed that it was a great British victory. These men, as a whole, have none of the braggart confidence of prisoners captured a year ago."