, 1916-08-09

Canal on Aug. 4th were defeated and put
to flight by a counter-attack, Gays an ohcial
statement issued today. The Turks, adds
the statement, are being vigorously pursued
by the British who have taken more than
$500 prisoners, including some Gelmans
The official announcement says the enemy
made a frontal attack on the British en-
trenchments in conjunction with a flank at
tack around the southern flank employing
1000 men and heavy howitzers for the oper-
alton. The frontal attack was unsuccessful.
Before the fank our mounted troops retired
slowly until the euemy became involved IN
sand dunes. Late in the evening OF the Attn
a coanter-attack was then made by all arms
which was completely successful, and at dawn
on the 9th the pursuit of the retreating enc
my was taken up with vigour and is being
continued at the time this report is sent.
The enemy suffered heavy losses. By 8 pm.
on Aug. 9th over $500 u~nwounded prisoners
including some Germans, four mountain guns
and a number of machiue-guns had been
captured. Our casualties were not heavy.
Australian and New Zealand mounted troops
displayed steadiness in holding the strong
flank attack, and an energy and initiative
worthy of the highest praise in the pursuit.
Territorial troops from England have done
exceedingly we'll, especially in maneuvering
~ ANoNJ o"AA "a PRtO "a Ia hAO0V AVoNs
Monitors firing from the Bay of Tina aided
materially in the operations, while the work
done by the Royal Flying Corps was excel
lent.
Paris, Aug. 6th-A further gain of ground
by the French in locOl operations northwest
of the ThiaumODt work, on the Verdun, was
announced by the War Office this afternoon.
A German counter-attack in this sector was
repulsed. Progress for the French south
west of Estrees and Oh the Somme front as
the result OF small engagements also was
announced. The text of the statement is as
follows: South of the Somme two small oper-
atoms have enabled US to progress into Ger
man trenches southwest of Estrees. North
of the Aisne an enemy surprise attack on our
positions on the Vauclerc plateau failed un-
der the curtain of fire of our artillery. On
the right bank Of the Meuse during patrol
fighting at some points we have sensibly en-
larged the ground conquered by us TO the
northwest of Thiaumont work. We have re-
pulsed a counter attack in the same region. In
the region of Fleury and i'll the sectors of Cha
pitre and Chenois artillery fighting continues
without any Infantry actions. On the night
of August 5th-6th our air squadrons drop
ped 40 shells in the region of Combles, 81
on the station at Noyon, 80 on the stations
at Stenway and Sedan. forty on the
station of CONTAINS, 50 on the Sablons sta
ton at Metz and the railway establishment
there and 40 on the military establishments
of Rombach north of Metz. Several Of these
squadrons made two consecutive raids. One
of them made no less than seven raids
during the same night. On the Somme front
our aeroplanes set on fire two German cap
tive balloons. A German aeroplane dropped
four bombs on Baccarat. There were no
casualties and the damage was insignificant.
Paris. Aug. 6th.-The official communica-
ton issued by the War Office tonight reads:
On the right bank of the Meuse the Ger
mans bombarded violently from S O'Clock in
the afternoon the Thiaumont work and our
positions at Fleury in the Chapitre wood
and at Chencis. There we're no infantry
attacks during the day. The cannonading
was %ermit on the rest of the front.
This morning one of our pilots brought
down successfully two enemy %aeroplanes in
the region OF Verdun, one fell in the French
lines, the second between the German aud
our trenches. The same morning, after a
combat, another German machine was COM
PEELED to land within our lines at Moyepneville
north of Estrees. Two enemy a~viators were
made prisoners. The machine was of a re-
cent model and was intact. Belgian commu-