The sun., 1918-07-06
ANZACS HOLDING
FIRM AT HAMEL
Attempt Of Germans to Re-
gain Lost Positions Easily
Rcpulscd. Z.
VICTORY GROWS IN SIZE
Prisoners Mount to 1,500,
Making Total of 5000 Cap
turCd in Il Week.
VICTORY GROWS IN SIZE

LONDON. July 5.--The little Fourth of
July celebration arranged by the Aus
tralians in honor of their American
comrades. who had just arrived on the
scene. in which the village of Hamel and
captured. together with 1900 prisoners
and 100 machine guns, gives the British
all important vantage point and its loss.
like those on the French sectors, makes
much more difficult any contemplated
offensive by the Germans. Altogether
about 5000 German prisoners have been
taken in the last week on the western
front. In addition to nearly 5000 Aus
trians taken ON the Italian front
4 German counter attack against the
new British positions about Hamel was
rcpulsed last night and no further ef-
fort was made to-day to regain the lost
ground. French patrols were active on
various parts Of the battle front last
night and to-day, but no action OF I'M
portance developed.
Following are the official statements
on the fighting in France:
BRITISH tNIGHT)-The number
Of prisoners captured in yesterday =
operation on Tue NOIllllt anu AZ '''
subsequent German counter attacks
now exceeds l,5Oo. including forty
I officers
Except for some hostile artillery
activity in the region Of Scherpen-
| berg, southwest Of Ypres, there is
nothing Of special interest to report.
/ BRITISH ,DAYI-Thc total num-
, ber Of prisoners taken by us in yes
terday's successful operations on the
| Somme exceeds 1900 One German
, field gun, in addition TO more than 100
| machine guns and "A number of trench
| mortars nave so far been counted.
A hostile counter attack against our
! new position east OF Hamel last night
was easily repulsed, few prisoners
! being left in our hands
A successful raid was carried out by
us in the Reaumont- -Hamel sector, An
| attempted hostile raid in the neiGhbor-
! hood of Strazeele (F'landcrs fronD
! was repulsed.
! FRENCH tNIGHT)-There was
some activity by the opposing artil-
| leries during the day. the firing being
quite heavy south OF the Aisne River
| in the regions OF Cutry and Mont
COLBERT. West of Bussiares northwest
J Of Chateau Thierry) we carried out
surprise attack and captured prisoners.
FHENtH tDA1 b-fTeNCl patrOl
detachments operating between Mont
ddicr and the Disc, in the Champagne,
on the right bank of the Meuse tVer-
dun region) and in Lorraine took pris-
! OnerS.
GERMAN IDAD-East Of Ypres
strong attacks launched by the enemy
were repulsed. On both sides OF the
Somme yesterday morning the enemy
/ infantry attacked after a strong artil-
lery preparation by the British. On
the north bank of the river the attacks
broke down before our lines with san
| culinary losses
South of the Somme the enemy pene-
trated into the village and the wood Of
Ramel. On the height east OF Hamel
! his attack was frustrated by our coun-
! ter attack. East of Nillers- Breton.
neuX we threw the enemy back into
| his position OF departure.
In the evening the fighting activity
| revived on nearly the whole front Of
the army Of Crown Prince Rupprecht
and kept up with increased intensity
during the night especially in yester-
days battle sector. There has been
increased fighting activity oR the west
bank of the Avre and on both sides
Of the Aisne,