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Show BRITISH SMASH FORWARD ON FRONT OF SIX MILES LONDON, Aug. 23. On a front of about six miles, from the southwest of Albert to the neighborhood of Grandcourt, east of the Anere river, the British hav I pushed forward and gained ground after heavy fighting, says Field Marshal Haig'sl communication from headquarters to- , night. South of Grandcourt a German counter-attack was repulsed. The advance of the British was to a depth of two miles, and a large number of Germans were killed and made prisoners. prison-ers. Five villages to the north of Achiet-le-Grand were captured and the British pressed on eastward from them, says General Halg's statement. The town of Achiet-le-Grand has been captured by the British, and also Bihu-court, Bihu-court, just to the southeast of Achiet-le-Grand and about two and one-half miles from the railroad junction of Bapaume. The text of the communication follows: We pressed our attacks vigorously and successfully today on a front of thirty miles from Xenons to Mer-catel. Mer-catel. South of the Somme we carried car-ried the villages of Herleville, Chuignes and Chuignolles, with the woods lying between the villages and the river. In the course of an advance of over two miles Into German positions, great numbers of Germans have been killed and prisoners taken. On the left of the battle front we stormed the villages of Gomiecourt, Ervillers, Hamelincourt, Boyelles and Boiry-Becquerelie, and made progress east of these villages. On our right-center we advanced against the German positions on the east bank of the Ancre from southeast south-east of Albert ' to the neighborhood of Grandcourt and gained ground after heavy fighting. A counter-attack was repulsed south of Grand-. Grand-. court. We have captured Achiet-le-Grand and Blhucourt and the ridge overlooking overlook-ing Irles. We continued our attacks this afternoon. Several thousand prisoners pris-oners were taken and heavy casualties casual-ties inflicted on the enemy. |