Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-07-27
BRITISH HOLD ~
ALL PozIERES
=
Capture of Village Clears
Way For Advance Upon
Bapaune ..-
EXPECT NEW DRIVES
Germans Close Belgian Frontier IN
Order That Their Plans May Not
Become Known

| Become Known
London, July 27-The Allies are
able to congratulate themselves on
another good days record with the
capture of the important positions o.
Pozieres, on the western front, and
Erzincan, in Armenia, while the Rus
sian General Sakharoff, in the fight
ing on the Slonevka river, captured
another 1000 prisoners and five guns.
The capture of Pozieres, report
ed by Field Marshal Sir Douglas
Haig, the British commander-in-chief
in France, gives the British troops
domination of the highest point over
looking the plateau on which the Ger
man lines extend to the eastward.
Some of the most stubborn fight
ing in the recent British offensive,
which now has lasted nearly month.
has occurred in the streets Of this
village. which the Germans fortified
until it became one of the strongest
points of their line,
Every house had to be 70. ght Tor
and taken separately, and the Brit
tish, after obtaining possession OF a
considerable portion of the village,
were subjected to severe counter-ac-
! tacks which they withstood success
fully for several days, and then IN
turn again seized the initiative, ur-
til the whole place fell before their
onslaughts.
The German General Staff regard
ed the possession Of Pozieres of such
Importance that they even brought
reinforcements from troops which had
been fighting in the Verdun sector,
and these held tenaciously to part. Of
the village ESSuntil driven out or cap
tured in the hand-to-hand fighting.
The British Secretary for War,
David lloyd George, in published
statement shows the Importance the
Germans attached to the retentlon' OF
Pozicres by quoting from German
divisional order issued in Contalmal-
son on July II as follows:
Furthermore, the conversion of VIII
lagos into strong points is OF the
greatest Importance. Such villages
are Pozieres, Contalmaison and the
two Bazentin and Longueval." ;"
Secretary Lloyd-George points out
that with the capture of Pozleres,
the last of these villages have fallen
| into the Allies hands. T.
The opinion of the military critics
in London is that no positions SO
strong as the British are now success
fullv attacking will be found between
Pozieres and Bapaume; otherwise,
they argue, the Germans would not
have risked bringing troops and guns
from the Verdun sector to defend Po--
lzieres, and it is inferred from indl-
cations in the official dispatches tnst
the British are already beginning to
establish themselves ON both sides OF
the road from Pozieres to Bapaunl@.
Germany has closed the Belgian
frontier, according to dispatches; from
Amsterdam. She is pouring great
masses of troops into the west and
she frontier has been closed as pre-
kaution against any Of their move
ments becoming known.
"South of the :Somme sudden at
tack made us masters of fortified
house about $50 metres southeast of
Estrces. We took some prisoners.
give cannon, of 1O5 mIllimetres,
taken in battery we captured Mon!
day south of Estrees. are added to
the material already reported as
taken.
son the rest of the front the day
was calm except in Champagne, where
La rather violent artillery action oc-
Cured in the sector west of Prosnes."
The official German statement, is"
sued at Berlin, dealing with the vest
front, admits that the British have es"
tablished themselves in Pozieres.,
.Further to the east, on Foreaux wood
and near Longeval, minor British att
tacks were repulsed. Attempted at
tacks on Trones wood were observed
the statement adds, and, frustrated by
German fire. j.. - : - ,