FURTHER PROGRESS.

Waipawa Mail, Volume XXXVI, Issue 7752, 22 July 1916, Page 3

FURTHER PROGRESS.

FRENCH SUCCESS ON THE SOMME. CAPTURE FIVE MILES OF TRENCHES. PLUCKY TERRITORIALS. The news to-day from both fronts proves good reading. In the Eastern theatre the Russian blow in Volyhynia promises to open up great possibilities of action in other regions, whilst on the Western front steady progress continues to be made by both the French and British forces. A stirring story is told of the fighting qualities of the British Territorials, who are playing so prominent a part in the great offensive. United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.

GREAT ACTIVITY.

ON THE WESTERN FRONT. FRENCH & BRITISH ADVANCE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, July 21. | A communique states: North of the Somme we are consolidating the positions won this morning. South of the Somme we extended the front of attack in the afternoon and captured the whole first German positions from Estrees to Verraandovillers Hill. During the fighting to-day we captured 2900 prisoners, with three guns, thirty machine guns, and much material. We continue to progress by bombing in the rest of Thiauuiont work. Our air squadrons bombed the stations at Thionvillc, Montmedy, Brieulles and Koisel, and the military establishments at Lonarch, north-east of Basle. LONDON, July 21. Sir Doup’as Haig reports: North of the Bazeniin-Longueval line we advanced about 1000 irds, despite stubborn opposition, x.eavy fighting continues in the northern outskiits of Ixmgueval village and Dc'ville Wood. The remainder of the main battlefront is unchanged. Our aeroplan yeUeiday dropped many tons of explosives most successfully on railway centres, aerodromes, and other important points. ENEMY PUSHED BACK. COUNTER-ATTACK FAILS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. * (Received This Day, 11 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. General Ilaig reports that the British advance north of the BazentinLongueval line has been pushed on to Buis des Foureaux, whence we drove the enemy. During the night the enemy coun-ter-attacked after au intense bombardment with gas shells. They succeeded in effecting an entry in the north wood, hut failed to dislodge our troops. Tlie northern half of the line elsewhere is unchanged. ENEMY RETIRE IN DISORDER. RAIDERS REPULSED WITH THE BAYONET. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received This Day 11 a.m.) PARIS, July 21. A communique states: — The enemy late on Wednesday coun-ter-attacked south of Soyecourt, and a battalion which led the assault was caught in a curtain of fire from our mitrailleuses. The enemy fell hack in disorder, having suffered heavy losses. The night lias been calm on both sides of the Somme. We repulsed with the bayonet a strong party of enemy raiders in the Chaulncs region. PUBLIC DELIGHTED. AT THE MARKED ADVANCE. A VERDUN COMPARISON. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, July 21. The British and French public are delighted at the news of General Foch’s capture of five miles of the Somme front. The British advances having been brought up to a line approximately level with the French, General Foch recommenced the offensive at daybreak with the most gratifying success. He has taken the German line and captured five miles of trenches on both hanks of the Somme, threatening Combles and also relieving the pressure on the British angle at Longueval and Delville Wood. The positions which the AngloFrench have seized on the Somme are at least as difficult and twice as extensive as the Germans have seized at Yctdun. The Anglo-French accomplished in sixteen days what the Germans accomplished in five months, with a five-fold expenditure of lives. The Germans fully realise the dangers of t lie Anglo-French advance upon the confines o the Plains of the Cambres, and arc endeavoring to contine the fighting to the Somme sectors, as there is an even greater danger of the likelihood of further branches of the German lines being rolled up in sections. The Allies’ great advantage lies in the fact that the Germans are tied up to their positions and forced to rely on heavy guns, which are excellent for offence but difficult to utilise for defence, where mobility is all-important. The newspapers give prominence to the excellent results of the Australian j raids, which are on a more extensive ; front than any that Sir Douglas Haig has yet reported.

LONGUEVAL.

SHREWD PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. United Service. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. The.“ Daily Mail’s” correspondent in France writes r The German attack on Longueval was shrewdly conceived, and if successful would have endangered the front where the Franco-British ’meet. The enemy pretends that only a brigade was engaged, but French experts estimate there were six divisions on a 2J-mile front. Despite tremendous odds and exceptional German fury, the British magnificently withstood all attacks. RUSSIAN BLOW. OPENS UP NEW POSSIBILITIES. AUSTRIAN ARMIES SMASHED UP. PETROGRAD, July 21. The new Russian blow in Volhynia opens up possibilities of action in the Vladimir, Volynsky and Lemberg regions. The enemy is no longer able to counter General Kalabin cither north or south. Nearly all the Austrian armies are now broken up, and the Germans are unable to send assistance. General Pflanzer’s forces are retiring beyond the Carpathians into Transylvania. Meanwhile the Austrian population is panic-stricken and hurriedly removing valuables from Lemberg. Correspondents at the front pay a tribute to the desperate bravery of some Germans who voluntarily fettered themselves to their machine-guns. Three were fettered to each gun, including an officer. The Russians found some still working their guns though standing in pools of their own blood.

A STIRRING STORY. CAUGHT IN A DEATH TRAP. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. Mr Philip Gibbs, describing the British offensive, says:— The Territorials proved great soldiers, both in attack and resistance. The Queen’s Westminsters, Queen Victoria’s Rifles, London Rifle Brigade, Rangers, and London Scottish, advancing at Gammecourt, reached the German lines and captured a network of trenches with amazing speed. The enemy put up a barricade of high explosives through which no living thing could pass. The Londoners were caught in the death trap and escape was cut off. The barrage smashed our communication trenches preventing supports reaching the men in the captured salient. Their comrades desperately attempted to send ammunition. One party of sixty with hand grenades set out, hut only three returned. The enemy organised a series of counter-attacks. Some enemy parties approached the Londoners from northern positions, whence the enemy enfiladed the London Scottish on the right, the soldiers holding the redoubt and building barricades. Ammunition grcAv scarce and the bombs were almost exhausted. The Londoners gathered German bombs, but the position became uglier. The men never lost heart. An officer rallied six good men, and ordered the others to retreat with the wounded, to charge across “No Man’s Land” while he put up a last fight. He stuek to the until all but two were killed. He was the last to leave. Gradually the Londoners withdrew under a great shell fire. Many wounded remained in the field, suffering great anguish for days. One officer wounded in the leg crawled about the field for twelve days before lie was rescued. THE BLOCKADE. AND NORWAY'S ATTITUDE. GERMAN DISGUST. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. Norway’s attitude regarding the blockade disgusts the “Cologne I Gazette,” which says:—“lf it were i not so immensely sad one might laugh ' at the idea of Norwegians, after all the British sea tyrant’s excesses, still regarding England as the champion of the independence of the small nations. This proves that Germany, when fighting- for the freedom of the seas, cannot reckon upon the northern nations, though blood relations.”

LIE CAMPAIGN. THE CLIMAX. GREAT REVOLT IN ENGLAND. United Service. (Received This Day, 9 a.m.) NEW YORK, July 21. The Germans’ campaign of lies has reached its height. It was announced to-day that Berlin had officially wirelessed on June 3rd that a great revolt had occurred before the British Admiralty owing to the Jutland battle, and the theatres were closed. AEROPLANE IN TROUBLE CRASHES INTO A VESSEL. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received This Day 11 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. A strange aeroplane accident occurred at Southampton. A large vessel was outward bound whilst three seaplanes were manoeuvring overhead, flying low. One of tlie seaplanes suddenly swerved and crashed into the main mast of the vessel, breaking the steamer’s wireless rigging. The seaplane fell on the deck, killing the pilot and seriously injuring a seaman. _ BATTLE AT SEA. RUSSIANS PURSUING THE ENEMY. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. COPENHAGEN, July 21. Violent cannonading was heard between Landsort and Gottskasando on Wednesday night, and a large German torpedo boat was seen in the morning steaming rapidly southward. It is supposed that tlie Russians are pursuing the Germans, as the firing is still audible in a'more southerly direction. Firing was also heard near Sunsvaal. LONDON, July 21. It is reported that a naval engagement took place in the Baltic on Wednesday night. There are indications that the Germans were repulsed. KILLED IN ACTION A RHODES SCHOLAR. (Per Press Association). NELSON, This day. Word has been received that Lieut. Athol Hudson, son of tlie late Dr. Hudson and Mrs Hudson of Tapawera, was killed in action. Lieut. Hudson was an old boy of Nelson College and Waitaki High School. He was selected as the 1915 Rhodes scholar from Victoria College. GOAL SHORTAGE. SERIOUS FALL IN OUTPUT. Australian and N.Z. Cablj Association. (Received This Day 9 a.m.) LONDON, July 21. The Admiralty has informed the South Wales miners that the coal output of the United Kingdom has fallen thirty-five million tons since the war, whereas the National and the Allied demands necessitated twenty million more than before tlie war.

TERRITORIAL PLUIK