THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

Waikato Times, Volume 87, Issue 13269, 26 August 1916, Page 5

THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME

SUCCESSFUL FRENCH RUSH AT MAUREPAS.

INTENSE BRITISH BOMBARDMENT AT THIEPVAL. i TONS OF METAL SHOWERED ON GERMAN DEFENCES. CAustralian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) LONDON, August 23. Mr Philip (iibbs. the war corespondent, in his latest despatch, says: "A letter written by a German officer shows what German life is like below tlje Pozieres ridge. He —'We lie in shell-holes, with the English about -iOO yards away. Hundreds of dead bodies make the air terrible. Flies are present in thousands. We get nothing to eat or drink, and the ceaseless roar of the guns is driving us mad' " AMSTERDAM, August 2.">. A German communique states: "British attacks against the projecting angle at Thiepval and Pozieres, and also at Guillemont, have been defeated." PARIS, August 25. A French eorjiinuniquc says: "We have carried by a single rush a portion of Maurepas that was held by the enemy, also trenches in the vicinity. We advanced 200 yards along a front of 2.} miles from the railway northward of the village. The British bombardment in the Thiepval sector is increasing. Tons of metal are beins showered on the German defences. The recent British gains have made a crescent-shaped front at Thiepval, giving an excellent springboard for an eventual assault. The Germans are continuously strengthening their defences, but the British guns demolish them with equal rapidity. There has been an almost uninterrupted shelling of the enemy's positions at other points on the Somme front during the past three days.

Two Bavarian regiments who carried out a recent attack south of Thiepval arrived on the previous day from Verdun. Although they gained a temporary footing, a British counter-attack cut them to pieces, and hurled their shattered remnants back to their original positions. (The Times.) LONDON, August 23. A corespondent at headquarters describes the British bombardment south of Thiepval as the biggest, grandest, and most intense of the war. Countless guns were concentrated on a few acres of land. Shells burst with most wonderful accuracy, tearing the German line to chaos. When the British attacked it seemed impossible that they could win across the blasted area, but they crossed with small losses, because the Hermans were unable to oppose them after the whirlwind of British artillery. They reached the Herman position amid dense clouds of smoke and fumes. Such of the enemy as were not bayoneted or shot scampered to our lines with their hands up, staggering, stumbling, and falling in their anxiety to escape from the shellridden hell. The British guns still bombarded uninterruptedly over tin 1 attacking troops on the German second line. When our troops attacked the second line the guns shelled the rear lines and support trendies. Clouds of smoke descended and blotted out the horrible but glorious scene. It was a most important operation, and was immensely successful. A strongGerman position, including the Leipsic redoubt, is now part of our general position.

Our losses were incredibly small, totalling under one hundred, while the enemy's were tenfold. BRITISH MAKE PROGRESS AT THIEPVAL. ENEMY ATTACK AT BAXENTIN FAILS. (High Commissioner's Cable.) LONDON, August 25. South of Thiepvul on Thursday we further advanced 300 yards, capturing an enemy trench iOO yards in length, many prisoners being taken. A hostile attack following a bombardment against our new trenches north of Bazentin-le-Petit was easily repulsed.