Evening star., 1916-09-28
BRITISH KEEP Up I
ADVANCE IN WEST
Push Ahead Between Martin
puich and Guendecourt and
North of FIers. I
GERMANIC ATTACKS Y
AT VERDUN REPULSED
French Forces Have Thrust Out
Forcefully From Rancourt and
Bouchavesnes.

LONDON, September 2S.-Britisl1
troops last night advanced at various
points on the Somme front between
Martinpuich and Gueudecourt, says the
British official statement issued today.
The French have been thrusting out
forcefully east from Rancourt into the
st. Pierre st. Vaast wood, and at
Bouchavesnes to the south they are
almost in a direct line north Of Peronne.
against which the speedy development
of their enveloping movement is now
to be expected.
Meanwhile activity has been resumed
at Verdun, the Germans again attack
mont and Fleury. The assaults were
repulsed by the French. with heavy
losses to the crown princes troops,
Paris declares.
British Take Trenches.
German trenches on a front of 1000
yards to the north of Flers and a Ger
man redoubt to the northeast of Thiep-
val were captured by the British dur
ing the fighting Wednesday north Of
the Somme, according to the official
communication issued shortly after
midnight Describing this fighting the
British official statement says:
Excellent progress was made .ooay
wednesday, on the battle front.
North of Flers our troops carried fur.
ther enemy trenches on front OF
1000 yards and are now level with the
east side of Faucourt LAbbaye.
There has been fierce fighting north
east of Thiepval, in the course of
which our troops stormed and now
hold an enemy work known as the
Stuff redoubt, on the main ridge 1000
yards northeast of the village.
Captures of Material.
More than 1900 rifles. four fiammen-
werfers and many thousand rounds of
artillery ammunition and grenades
were taken in Combles. where our al
lies also made large captures of ma
terial.
THE prisoners taken in the last two
days fighting bring the total for the
operations of the last fortnight to TO-
> .sTwo enemy aeroplanes and two kite
balloons were destroyed yesterday.
Two of our machines are missing
"Our new positions gained during the
last two days have been secured dur
ing the night. and patrols and detach-
ments have been pushed forward at
many places into close touch with the
enemy"
Latest British Report.
The British announcement today
says: sz1ul
During the night our line was ad-
vanced at various points between Mar
tinpuich and Gueudecourt and posts
were established west and southwest of
Eaucourt LAbbaye and within 500
yards of that village.
.-On the left of our front our posi-
ton was consolidated on the ridge
northeast of Thiepval A battalion of
enemy infantry with transport was
caught on the march by our artillery
and successfully shelled.
The fighting in the last few days
has been .singularly economical Our
losses were small, not only relatively
to the import;;nce of our gains but
not more than twice the number of
enemy prisoners taken. One division
which had a specially difficult task al
lotted to it took as many prisoners as
it suffered casualties.
Aircraft Bomb Germans.
A British official communication issued
last evening tells of the bombing Of Ger
man positions by aircraft, as follows:
Attacks were carried out this morning
on enemy airship sheds at Evere.
Berchen, ST. Agathe and at Etterbeek.
near Brussels, by naval aeroplanes.
Bombs were observed to straddle the
sheds, which apparently were hit.
'"The bombs dropped at Evere struck
buildings presumably ammunition stores,
in close proximity to the sheds. Heavy
explosions were heard and large volumes
of smoke were observed. All the ma
chimes returned safely.
Luxembourg Foundries Attacked.
BERLIN, September 2s. via London.
SIS p.m-German troops yesterday
repulsed the :Anglo-French
forces on a greater part of the battle
front between the Ancre brook and the
River Somme, says the official state-
ment issued today by the German army
headquarters staff.
Attacks by entente aircraft upon
foundries in Luxembourg are declared
bv the Luxembourg newspaper Ober-
mosel to be unjustified. Luxembourg.
it declares. stands ready to furnish am
to any customer. 1t cites Swift
zerland and the United states as III
similar position regarding the furnishing
Of ammunition supplies to belligerents.
and are, nevertheless, exempt under IN
ternational law from attacks upon their
nunition plants.
British Munitions Destroyed.
The story of the destruction by German
,yiators the night of July 20 of huge
British ammunition stores at Audruicq. jn
,orthern France. ten miles south or Ca
ais, is now published by the semi official
Allgemeine Zeitung, Acc
.ording to this newspaper, German avia-
ors kept watch fer months as the arp-
nunition storehouses were being built
me plant consisted of dozens Of sheds
nd buildings Of all sizes. equipped with
-ast switching facilities and unloading
,latforms.
When the aSiators had satisfied them
elves that the storehouses were filled they
the attack in the night. drop
ing bombs which are said to have caused
he explosion of every one of the store
louses and set fire to barracks and ether
military establishments over wide area
photographs taken by the aviators the
Glowing day, when contrasted with pic
ures taken the day before the attack
howed only huge craters where the am-
,,,ritioy, MA Mt had haen leaving doubt