The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1916-08-10
BRITISH HOLD
EMILE Front
Three Counter-Attacks Made by
the Germans.
BERLIN REPORTS PROGRESS
Desperate Infantry Actions Around
Thlaumont Work-ParIs Asserts
New Gains Were Made
During the Day.

New Gains were MADE
During the Day.
With the British Army in the Field
Aug. Under the merclless concen'
tratiOn of shell fire the Australians are
holding on to their gains after their ad.
vance ON Saturday on a two-mile
front. The Germans already have de-
livered three powerful counter-attacks
in efforts to retake the lost ground,
but all failed. In one ,counter-attack
the Germans came forward holding up
their hands.
Behind them the British guns had
placed curtains of shell fire through
which 1t was impossible for them to
retreat, while the Australian machine
gun and rifle fire moving them down
made it hopeless to continue their
charge. 1t was death whichever way
they moved, death If they stood still
or laid down Ia the bullet-swept space,
and they surrendered rather than con-
tinue their vain effort.
Attack by Left Flank.
Their last previous attack having
been by the right flank, the British re-
newed the offensive by the left flank
after a week of bombing and sapping.
Here the task fell to the Australians,
who added another victory to the bril-
liant record of the taking Of Pozieres.
In the grilling heat, under a blaziHg
sun, they had been working under
continual shell fire, digging their new
trenches on the left of the break the
British have already made by their
previous attacks.
Upon this section of strong field for
tifications with deep dugouts the Brit
ish kept up tornado Of shell fire Of
all calibers. They smashed the de-
lenses into irregular mounds of earth
which had no semblance of trenches.
.n Resistance is Desperate. a"'
Meanwhile, not only did the German
guns return the compliments of the
Australian front line, but kept up a
curtain of fire behind it.
"When we co." say the Australians,
1--WE don't try for nibble, but for a
big bite of the cherry" They have
taken the Germans by surprise, and
somewhat took the British staff by sur
prise, when it found the first reports
correct, the Australians having
taken every rod of the front which
they attacked with their usual swift
rush.
Some 600 prisoners were started
back, but even after surrender their
lives were not safe, as they had to
pass through the German curtain of
shell fire behind the Australians which
had been maintained with increased
volume all day. With this additional
front, the British now hold five miles
of the former German second line.
French Official Report.
The official report from Paris says:
South of the Somme two small
local operations have enabled us to
make progress into German trenches
southwest of Estrees.
North of the Aisne an enemy sur
prise attack on our positions on the
fuCISIe plateau IdlISu uIuSI our Dur-
rage fire. ......
"On the right bank of the Mouse,
during small operations at several
points, we have seDsibIy enlarged the
ground conquered ny us at the north
west of Thiaumont work. We have
repulsed a counter-attack in the same
region. In the region of FIeury and
in the sectors of Chapitre and Che
nois artillery fighting continues with
out any infantry actions" ...'
49,. Berlin Reports Progress.
The Berlin official report says:
western theater-Fighting con-
tinues near Pozieres. In the evening
local enemy attacks in Foureaux
wood and directly north of the Somme
were repulsed.
''In the region of the Meuse (Ver-
dun 'front.', especially on the right
bank, there was active artillery fight
Ing. Around the Thlaumont work
there were desperate infantry actions.
The number of prisoners taken in the
Fleury sector has increased to IS off,
GERS and 576 men. In the Capitre
wood we have made further progress.
The number of unwounded prisoners
captured at this point is three OFF,
GERS and 227 men.
"An undertaking near Granville
and on Combres Height was success
full"
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Hurt While Haying.