THE BRITISH

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 6378, 19 July 1916, Page 4

THE BRITISH

QET INTO THEIR STRIDE. East of the Ancre. Taking of Montauban. London, July 16. Lloyd's Weekly News's Paris correspondent says : "Sir D. Haig is now progrcsing; with greater success and smaller losses than at the outset of the Somme offensive, the thoronghnes of his preparations ensuring that each step will facilitate he next, "The determination with which the Germans clung to cellars and brick heaps at Chillers contributed to their undoing. They were completely cornered. "Two Bavarian regiments desperately defended Chillers with only a narrow passage to the north-eastward to enable them to escape encirclement. " The British, starting between La Boiselle and Contalmaison, warmed across three lines of trenches, and were soon astride the Albert-Bapaume high road. Another column northward of Contalmaison, with fine dash,, encountered and drove back fractions of the Prussian Guard. The British, advancing in the centre from between Mametz Wood and Montauban, occupied Bazentin le Grand. They next captured a troublesome redoubt northwards of that village. Then, further west, they stormed two other fieldworks, taking prisoner 400 men and capturing much material. A Pomeranian brigade offered a stiff fight at Bazentin le Petit. The British twice traversed the wooded approach to the village, and were twice compelled to withdraw A third assault proved successful. The place was a shambles, 1500 German corpses being found. A whole German company was captured trying to reach Poziercs, but their main body escaped.

" The final defence of Trones Wood by the Prusian infantry was dashingly overcome."

OAVALRY IN ACTION. "A Clean Job," London, July IG. The Times correspondent at hearquarters, describing Friday's battle, says : " The most dramatic incident was the cavalry action. Companies of the Dragoon Guards and Deccan Horse croscd the trenches and made their way into the neighbourhood of the. high wood covering the loft of our advance upon Lougueval. They came under machine-gun fire, but the casualties wore immaterial. The enemy were sniping from the cornfield, and the cavalry went through the field joyfully, one troop with the lance, tho other with the sabre. When the horses came on the Germans, many threw themselves down and shrieked for mercy. They desperately clutched at the horses' legs as they passed but the lance or the sabre did its work eleanly and thoroughly. With the exception of 34 prisoners taken, there were no Germans alive when the little job was finished. The cavalry sent back their horses and dug trenches for the infantry to takeover."