General Sir Douglas Haig also congratulated the Fourth Army in the following terms: O.A.D.151, _September 17_. GENERAL SIR H. RAWLINSON, Commanding Fourth Army. The great successes won by the Fourth Army on the 15th are most satisfactory, and have brought us another long step forward towards the final victory. The further advance yesterday after such severe fighting was also a fine performance highly creditable to the troops and to Corps, Divisional, and Brigade Staffs. Our new engine of war, the Heavy Section Machine-gun Corps, acquitted itself splendidly on its first trial, and has proved itself a very valuable addition to the Army. My warmest congratulations to you and the Fourth Army on a very fine achievement. D. HAIG, GENERAL, Commanding-in-Chief, British Armies in France. The following letters passed between the Commanders-in-Chief of the British and French Armies: G.H.Q. OF FRENCH ARMIES, _September 17, 1916_. TO GENERAL SIR DOUGLAS HAIG. MY DEAR GENERAL――I desire to convey to you my most sincere congratulations on the brilliant successes gained by the British troops under your command during the hard-fought battles of the 15th and 16th of September. Following on the continuous progress made by your Armies since the beginning of the Somme offensive, these fresh successes are a sure guarantee of final victory over our common enemy, whose physical and moral forces are already severely shaken. Permit me, my dear General, to take this opportunity of saying that the combined offensive which we have carried on now for more than two months has, if it were possible, drawn still closer the ties which unite our two Armies――our adversary will find therein proof of our firm determination to combine our efforts until the end, to ensure the complete triumph of our cause. I bow before those of your soldiers by whose bravery these successes have been achieved, but who have fallen before the completion of our task; and I ask you to convey, in my name and in the name of the whole French Army, to those who stand ready for the fights still to come, a greeting of comradeship and confidence. (Signed) J. JOFFRE. GENERAL HEADQUARTERS, BRITISH ARMIES IN FRANCE, _September 19, 1916_. TO GENERAL JOFFRE.