1916-09-28 — Page 5

THE WAR.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28rn, 1916.

ALLIES WIN THIEPVAL-COMBLES-

FREGICOURT.

MANY PRISONERS AND LARGE QUANTITIES OF BOOTY.

ROUMANIANS FIGHTING FIERCELY IN TRANSYLVANIA.

NEW NOTE OF AGONY IN BERLIN.

FRANCO BELGIAN FRONT.

(THROUGH NEUTRE'S AGENCY.] BRITISH ENTER COMBLES.

FIFTEEN HUNDRED PRISONERS.

[THROUGH REUTIL'S ADENOT.}

CAPTURE OF THIEPVAL

LONDON, September 27th.

[STROUGH RECTER'S AGINOX.]

GERMAN - INFANTRY

WEAKLY

FIGHT

LONDON September 27th. Router's Correspondent at the British Headquarters reports on Tuesday oven! ing as follow:-The victory of the 25th inst, developed with surprising rapidity, the results of the second day at least being equally as great as those of the frat day.

Combles fell as expected. Many of the garrison attempting to escape strayed into our lines and others were killed by

barrage firo,

The British and French frontal ad- vance was effected by the complete docu-

pation of the town.

Everywhere there are obvious signs of the enemy's heavy losses by shell fire. It is clicially stated that Thiepval and The occupation of Guedecourt, bo the high ridge cast of that town, includ-yond which our cavalry patrols had rid muniqué, states:We made 1,500 prisoning the Zollern Redoub, has been den, quite completes yesterday's victory.

LONDON, September 28th,

General Sir Douglas Haig, in a com-

er and entered Combles and are further overeraing the enemy's resistance.

LONDON, September 26th.

The report from General Sir Douglas Haig is na follow-- Yesterday's opera- tions were entirely succesful

preparation for and the execution. of the attack by the artillery and infan try and the co-operation between them

were in all respecte admirable.

There were more than 1,500 prisoners enptury, and there are more arriving

Much war material was captured. Further progress was made during the night, and in the morning a strong re- doubt which had hold out between Les Boeufs and Guedecourt was captured and the garrison made prisoner.

entered Combles from the west, and in overcoming the enemy's resistance there the enemy's lossce were most severe. The British and French forces on our

* right juutly occupied-Cembles.

As the result of the capture of Fregi court and Moryal, we repulsed heavy counter-attacks in the region of Morval ad Les Boeufs, with severe enemy loss. In the bentre we stormed the fortified

village of Guedecourt, driving back the Germans in disorder.

..

captured

FREGICOURT CAPTURED.

PARIS, September 26th. A commaniqué states:We have carried. the whole of Fregicourt

Enemy counter-attacks between Be thune Rond and the Bomme

Were repulsed.

PARIS, September 27th.

A communiqué states.-The French are developing their succes.

They captured a small wood north of Fregicourt, half-way to Morval, and most of the fortifed ground between the woud and St. Vaast Wood, cast of the Bethune rond.

The number of wounded przaunorg cap

tured by the French and already counted is 1,200, and the number of machine guns

is 30,

"WAR OF MATERIAL"

PARIS, September 27th. Immense importance is being attached to the great Somme victories. An expert French official commentator states that the German garrison at Combles, when surrounded, offered the keenest resist- e, succumbing only after being reduc ed to a hundred, mostly wornded

* Op oar left we captured Thiepval and the high ridge to the easf of the place,

The Anglo-French line is now convex including the Zöllern Redoubt

This widzo

was fortified most strongly without any salient from Thiepval to with an elaborate system of heavily-wired Combles, thus yesterday's thrust offers

Trenches and was defended most desper

ately.

seductive prospects.

Wo now possess the ridge dominating the valley of Bapaume, and we have cleared the half-mile stretch on the far side of the crest.

This great success was wori at the small- est cost, thanks partly to the excellence of the artillery and partly to the real collapse of the German defence, The from Transloy were counterattacks crumpled up by sholifre, and the remnants fled, discarding their rifles.

A wide section of a trench between Martinpuich and Highwood was volun tarily evacuated, and several important points were won almost unopposed.

Where the Geriaun Wireless falsely says our attacks collapsed in the northern section, we really captured what trenches" we wished almost without loss. We fail-

ad nowhere, and we had not even a local check, except at Consines and Guede court, which we completely occupied to day.

The German infantry everywhore fought weakly.

The prisoners are numerous and con-

tinue to come

The cannonade is spasmodic.

FRENCH AIR, BUCCESSES.

FORTY-SEVEN AERIAL FIGHTS.

PARIS, September th

A communique states:There were 47 aerial fights in the Somme region. Five enemy aeroplanes were brought down,

17HE BALKANS

[THROUGH EKUTER'S AGENCY.} FIERCE FIGHTING IN TRANSYLVANIA.

BUCHAREST, September 27th.

[THHOUGE ELUTER'S AGENOF.) KING MEMORIALIZED.

ADVISED TO DEPART FROM NEUTRALITY:

ATHENS, September 27th, The resignation of General Moscho poulis, Chief of General Staff, i

A Roumanian communiqué states :- There was fierce fighting in the Juil Valley, in Transylvania, where the premature Roumaninng advanced,

With 500 officers the General has The enemy three tinies attacked in memorialized the King to depart from massee in the "Dobrodja, but they were repulsed.

neutrality,

PROCLAIMS

AUTONOMY.

A squadron of aeroplanes tombed CORFU Bucharest on Monday afternoon. Bombs struck a hospital and an orphanage, killing 60 and wounding many, mostly women and children.

A Zeppelin bombed Bucharest Monday night, killing five children.

THE DOBRUDJA BATTLE.

SALONIKA, September 27th. Corfu has proclaimed its autonomy, pending communication with the Com oh mittee of National Defence.

AERIAL ACTIVITIES.

BUCHAREST September 27th. Details of the great battle in the Dobradja ending on the 18th September how that it extended from the Danube to the Black Ben. The cuemy, mostly Germans, attempted to force its way to Czernavoda, but the effort was defeated by the Roumanian bayonet attacks up ported by the fire from three monitora. Tho fighting was of the most desperate character for two days, and the enemy suffered heavily, massed formations being mowed down by artillery fire. The ene my onslaught came to a climax on the evening of the 19th inst, when the Allies formidably counterattacked and over threw the enemy, of which the right wing fled in disorder. Five thousand rifes were picked up in front of one division. The Allies continued to advance.

FRENCH REPULSE

BULGARIANS.

LONDON, September 26th.

{THROUGE REUTER'S AGENCY.]

TOLL OF THE AIR-RAID.

LONDON, September 5th. It is officially announced that. 29 deaths resulted from the air raid yester day evening.

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY. ]

MILITARY AWARDS.

HONOURING HEROISM

LONDON, September 26th. The London Guzelle annotinçes. the award of 12 Victoria Crosses, 36 Dis tinguished Service Orders and many Military Crosses and Distinguished Con- duct Medals.

The recipients of Victoria Crosses include:-

Chaplain William Addison, for resouing

wounded under heavy fire.

Captain Eric Norman Bell. Inniskilling Fusiliers, who shot a machine-gunner who was holding up our front line. Captain Bell advanced alone on three occasions, when our bombers were unable to advance, and bombed the enemy. When there were no more bombs he stood on parapet under intense fire and used his rife in the coolest and most effective manner. He was finally killed while. rallying and reorganising officerleas in- fantry parties. He gave his life in supreme devotion to daty,

Tho Victoria Cross has been awarded Neither factories nor military works to Naik Shahamad Khan, of the Fun- were damaged,

Seven airships attacked the South East, East and North-East coasts and the Northern Midlands,

The attacks were aimed principally at the industrial centres, from which they were auccessfully driven off.

It is now establ shed that the two air- ships brought down on the 23rd and the

jabis, for most conspicuous bravery. Ho was in charge of a machine-gun section in an exposed position at the front of and covering a gap in our new line with- ân 150 yards of the enemy's entrenched position. He beat off three counter- attacks and worked the gun single-handed after all his men except two belt-fillera had A Dumber of small houses and cottages been casualtied. Ho held the gap for were wrecked

three hours under the heaviest are while it was being made secure. When the gun The airships did not attempt to nor was knocked out by hostile fire he and proach London,

the two belt fillers held the ground with rides till they were ordered to withdraw. Then with three men who were sent to assist him he brought back the gun and matumition and a severely wounded man 24th inst, were the Naval Zeppelin who was unable to walk. Finally he returned and removed the remaining and Z 53, both of the most recent con-

arms and equipment. But for his great... struction,

gallantry and determination our live must have been penetrated by the enemy. Flying Officer Albert Ball, who has the A splendid achievement is recorded of Military Cross and has now been awarded the Distinguished Service Order with a bar to it. On several occasions he attacked & number of enemy machines, bringing down nine altogether” Onto ho dived amongst twelve enemy aeroplanes, went down out of control. Several other and fired a drum into the nearest which

hostile machines approaching, he and drove down another and then re- turned with his machine greatly damaged.

The recipients of Distinguished Bervice Orders include Captain Fredoric Selous, tho distinguished big game hunter.

INDIAN MEMORIAL AT BRIGHTON.

The first was finally destroyed by a

The French official Salonika communi-seroplane after passing through an effec que states-We-heavily, repulsed violent tive gunfir Bulgarian counter-attacks east of Florina. M. VENEZELOS AT ORETE.

A NATIONAL MOVEMENT.

ATN September 28th.

M. Venerelce has arrived at Suda, Crete, and will land to-morrow.

In the statement he made before he left Athens ho said that the movement he

and M. Coundouriotis were leading was purely a national one. in the

It Athens moved in the right direction the Venczelists. would assist in every possible way.

ATHENS, September 27th The departure of M. Venerelos for

three badly damaged were compelled to The fall of Combles, is of the highest descend, and another fell disabled An Dur Buccesses during the last two days value. It is the first canton capital to onemy three-seater was brought down in salonika to place himself at the head of may be regarded as being of very con- retaken since the offensive. Thus Woevre. siderable importance.

forty localities are now liberated from the enemy,

who is now incontestably dominated on the ground between Guede court and Bapaume suitable for attack The Germans officially complain that the whole world's material is against them, but they wanted a war of material, and they have got it.

BATTLE OF COMBLES.

PARIS, September 20th Our reconnaisances penetrated the cemetery of Combles and reached the out- skirts of the village, to the south-east of which we captured a trench, and made prisoner & German company.

Up to the present we have captured 600 prisoners,

PARIS, September 27th.

A communque states-The battic wa renewed north of the Bonume

M. The Allies, Inrgely increased

IMPORTANCE OF COMBLES.

LONDON, September 27th. Combles is a village of 3,000 inhabit their ants. Its importance lies in the fact that it really is a vast series of stategic works the product of two years of unceasing labour, and was defended by the biggest guns and the choicest troops.

They reached their objectives fixed for the second day's fighting.

At the same hours in the morning, the French captured a part of Combles east and south of the railway.

Our air squadrons bombed many imtion against the Bulgarians has created the railitary movement in favour of ac portant points, behind the enemy lines the most profound sensation. including the railway stations at Metz Sablons, the Metz-Thionville railway, blast furnaces at Dillingen and Rom- bach, and an acrodrone at Hervilly.

GERMAN ADMISSIONS

EXCUSES.

AND

SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN

OFFICIAL TONE,

AMSTERDAM, September 26th. Some striking pasanges in the latest German official communique testify to the effectiveness of tho Anglo-French

operations on the Somme...

The fact that the Germans were driven Their patrols co-operated with the out explains the new note of agony,

MAR JAbbaye and through the occupation of almost of despair, in the Berlin com muriqué, which bbviously is preparing the public for the worst.

British, who were cleaning up the north west of Combles.

abandonment of the policy of inactivity,

Public opinion favours the immediate

Everything indicates that the present. Government should be immediately re placed by a Government of action.

DEFENCE OF GREEK MACEDONIA:

ATHENS, Beptember 27th,

M Venezelos has issued a statement to the effect that circumstances compel him to form a Provisional Government, not in order to overlarow the Athens régime, but to organise force for the defence of Greek Macedonia,

M. VENEZELOS IN THE

TIMES.

LONDON, September 27th,

M Venezola, in a message to the

The second was hit by the gunfire of the London defences and was orced to descen; in Essex through the loss of gas,

The casualty details are:-

KILLED Men

Women Children

INJURED Mon

Women Children

43

26

LATER

LONDON, Beptember 27th. The Maharajah of Patiala has started with a subscription of £1,000 the fund

The revind list of casualties of the organised by the Sirdar and Daljit Singh

air raid on the 3rd and 24th inst. is as follow-

Killed

Injured

38.

125

LATER.

for an Indian Memorial at Brighton in recognition of the hospitality of the town. to the Indian wounded.

PLAGUE A LIVERPOOL

Loynoy, September 27th. There have been two fatal cases

The casualties resulting from the airplague at Liverpool. raid last night are:-

Killed

Injured

36

27

There was only the slightest damage, and none of any military importance.

#A

AL ACTIVITIES

{THROUGH BRUTER'S✨AQKNOT.] NORWEGIAN STEAMER. SUNK

LONDON, September 27th, The Norwegian steamer Burjord has been sunk

GENERAL

(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.} COTTON FROM EGYPT.

CALBO, September 27th. The export of cotton sood except for the Allies is prohibited.

ARMY EXEMPTIONS.

LONDON, Beptember 27, It was announced at the Beeston, Tri- bunal yesterday that the War Office will exempt men under thirty years only in the most exceptional cases, Thus it is thought that the men required be re June will be obtainable without raising the age limit.

MOSQUITO-NETS FOR MESOPOTAMIA,

LONDON, September 27th. Three months exemption 18 being. granted to lace workers who are mili tarily liable with a view of their comple tion before Christmas of Government contracts for 4 million yards of mos gaito netting, mostly for Mesopotamia

THE HOWITT PHILLIPS CO.

QUINNET'S WHE

"Quandey's, a comparatively new comedy was the attraction at the Theatre Royal last night, where the Howitt Phil

repertoire. It received excellent trent ment by the Company the artistes being Buited to their various parts with a re

It says The successes which our mies have achieved east of Bancourt villages in line with Guedecourt and Bouchavesnes are admitted. Above all, however, we must remember that our Times, states that he had exhausted every FLOODS IN LOWER EGYPT lips Company are appearing in a varied heroic troops here are faced with the com-

Cazzo, September 27th. The Allies are now astride the road bined Anglo-French main forces and a had secumulated enormous munitions to Bapaumo, a pivotal point whose cap great mass of material prepared during but all were in vain. He was now bound avert the Nile floods in Lower Egypt.

Shortly afterwards the whole of the village was captured.

The booty was large, as the Germans

supplies.

In the subterranean galleries 100 aban doned German wounded were collected. Combles is full of German corpses. A communique states-The whole of Combles has been captured.

Twelve hundred prisoners were taken. Thirty machine guns sad a large quan- ity of booty were also captured,

CENEMY ATTACK FLEURY.

many months by the war industry of the entire world."

ture will shake the whole German Somme position, as the capture of the other pivotal point at Thiepval will shake their whole line northward to AFRICA: Arras.

Since the British were forced to release their hold at Gommecourt at the begin- ning of July, little has been heard of the work of the British Left, but the capture of Thiepval is a reward for their cease- less labour, and the Eghting on that part ent enemy attacks on the Thiaumont of the line may have consequences prob

PARIS, September 26th. communiqué statis: There were

[THROUGH - REUTKE'S AGENCY,]

PORTUGUESE FORCES IN TOUCH WITH BRITISH

OPETOWN, September 26th. An official message from Lourenco Marques states that the Portuguese fores in German East Africa have established the British at

ork and at Fleury, which were repulsed ably of more importance even than communication with ith serious logsea

Combles.

Mikindani.

means to induce the Rulers of Greece to take up arms in defence of their country, Every precaution is being taken to sultant well-balanced performance

TROOPS IN INDIA.

to respond to the call of his countrymen PARCELS FOR BRITISH to lead them to this rescue of their brethren in Macedonia who were: oppress- ed by the Bulgarian-invaders. He had

only taken the supreme stop because he was convinced that the present control lers of the Greek policy do not honestly intend to arm the country to expel the invader. This is not a revolution in the

Charles Howllt as Joseph Quinney

had the bulk of the work, and it must interprétation of a somewhat compler he said he gave an artistic and restrained character study, In the part of "Busan" (Quinney's wife) Miss Gertrude T. LONDON, September 27th. Godart scored & complete success, as did Also Mise Dori Phillips in the part of The Mesopotamia Commission reports Posey." Mr. Wheeler Dryden's repre that it has been officially arranged that sentation of Sam Forlin

Was one of parcels of comforts for British troops in Isabel Fladgate as Mabel Dredge" the features of the production, and Miss India from 11bs, to 80lbe, will be com As James Miggot Mr. Robert Faulk displayed considerable histrionic power,

veyed fro

ordinary sense of the word, and was in * no wise against the King or the Dynasty. It was the last effort to induce the King to come forth as the King of the Hellenes to protect his subjects,

SUEZ CANAL DUES,

LONDON, September 27th: It is announced list the Buez Canal dues will be reincreased fifty centimes per ton from the 1st January next.

ner was very successful, and the same remark falls to be made respecting Mr. Percy Baverstock and Mr. Cyril Rawdon in their representation of Cyrus P. Humaker and Dupont Jordon re spectively. The comedy was well received by a fairly large audience,

Tonight Bomerset Maugham's - cele brated comedy Caroline will be staged;