THE LATEST COMMUNIQUES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 277, 12 August 1918, Page 5

THE LATEST COMMUNIQUES

MONTDIDIER ENVELOPED AND CAPTURED MANY PRISONERS AND BIG HAULS OF BOOTY. (Ren. August 12, 0.5 a.m.) o- 71 , ti • , r„n, „ , London, August 11, 0.30 a.m. Sir Douglas Haw reports: Tho attack winch was launched on the evening of August 9 in accordance with the A hod plan by the right of the French, first Array south of lloutdidier, was developed by the Allies during tho morning with eoiupletft success. Wo enveloped Monldidier from the north and south-east, mid it iell into tho hands of the French before midday, with many prisoners and a quantity of materia.. lhe advance of the French First Army continued all day m co-operation with the French army on tho right, and right of the British lourth Army. Iho British are pressing hard on tho retreating Germans. Southward of Lihons wo overcame tho enemy's resistance, and made substantial progress. The general line reached by the Allies now runs from north to south through Lihons, liresnoy-le-Boye, ligmeres, and Conchy-les-Pots. Tho number ot prisoners is increasing. Brilliant Actions by the Frmich. n„, A i F n eil ? h com , !nuDi, s ue . 6tateS: " onr attacks on tho Avro hattlefront eon\Ttil day , w i t , l , 1 I . ncr . CMln 1 B 6Ucces ?- Montdidter was outflanked on the east aim north, and fell during the morning. Continuing our victorious advance on Clio right of tbs British wo pushed on over six miles east of Jlontdidier on tho AMlcciiy-Li). Boissierc-Freschauips front. Extending tie action south-eastward, wo attacked tho German positions on the right and left of the St. Just-Hoyo load on a front of over twelve miles. We captured Eollot, Orvillors. Soiel, Ressens, biirmatz, Conchy-les-Pots, Nouville-sur-Sonnons, and Elincourt. advancing HZSI m P , at cel -', tain ,l )oint ?- ! rho Frenoll iu tllT( =° fighting have ad" []?n,l^ Ver - l,VClvom 4 M ? lollsthD i ,l, ? lons ; Eos,o road - <™l caplarod over eight Uiousand prisoners. We have counted so far two hundred guns among tho enormous quantity of material abandoned by the enemy.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeu-MORE CAPTURES BY THE FRENCH EIGHT THOUSAND PRISONERS AND TWO HUNDRED ADDI* TIONAL GUNS. (Bee. August 11, 11 p.m.) Tkn-nwi.!. i ,-,,,,. , . New York, August 10. iho irench have captured eight thousand prisoners and two hundred additional guns—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Acsn. s AUSTRALIANS CAPTURE DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS * (Hee. August 11, 11.25 p.m.) „ , , ■ ' , London, August 10. Kcnters correspondent at British Headquarters states:—"Tho British-Ameri-can assault between the Ancre and the Sonuno (mentioned by Sir Douglas" Haig) was pushed home in forty minutes, when tho vitally important Chipilly spur y.aa carried and Morlancourt captured after hard fighting. South of the Soiivmc the cavalry and strong infantry patrols enteral Folios, Beaufort. Warvillers Eoslercs, Vauiillers, and Koyc-cn-Santerre. By dark the Australians entered Linous, so swiftly that they captured the German Divisional Headquarters. Tho complete train which tho cavalry captured was a leave train. The Americans yesterday gave a magnificent account of themselves"—Eeutcr. CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM GENERAL BIRDWOOD (Rec. August 11,11.25 p.m.) General Sir William Birdwood has cabled Senato; Pearce:—"All 'our divisions participated in the recent successful operations, and again distinguished themselves by their gallant bearing, which could not be beaten. Our corps alone captured five thousand prisoners and one hundred guns. Our casualties were extraordinarily Binall, owing to the complete surpriso of. the whole operation."—Press PROGRESS ON THE VESLE „, ... _~ , _ , ,' London, August 9. Writing on Thursday, Renter's correspondent at the American Headquarters states :~-"In spite of bad weather, General Potain is continuing his advance. Ho has already pushed a sufficient force across the Veslc to hold bridgeheads on the right bank. The enemy risks having his line cut through at tho weakest point and the severing of the north-western end of the plateau from tho str'on"ly-held ridges to the east. Thus wo are threatening the direct lino of the retreat across tho Aisne of the force now holding the ridge."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. AT THE HEIGHTS BEYOND THE VESLE ADVANCE BECOMES MORE DIFFICULT. (Rec. August 11, 5.5 p.m.) Eeuter's correspondent at American Headquarters, scribes tho fighting m the Veslo Valley. He says:-"Thc enemy h-,,1 mcHinHi eally thought out the problem of holding tho heights beyond He Ve le Once across: the river our troubles precipitately increased, lie enemy withdrew tho bulk of ins automatic guns to the wooded slopss, leaving only a few in the corn where they could enfilade our advance from tho river. Many o these re™ silenced by individual deeds of daring. When lhe outpost g ns lad been tl posed of it bridgehead was formed, and mo>o troops got ovei" Wo advancedto tho foot of tho hills. Wo are now lying on the hillside, practically in the open and (he German gunners nro watching every movement from a belt of trees above their invisible machine-guns, win eh kvv> a clear field of fire. Our" unners aro shelling theirs with gas but hitherto without sensibly keeping down their lire .he Americans were tho first across tho river, their engineers constructing trestle bridges from material cut under firo.'-lteuter constructing COMMENT ON THE SITUATION ENEMY OUTFLANKED ON THE AVRE. Tho advance is still progressing. Late yesterday armoured care, and tanks had reached Franierville and Lihons. This means an advance ot eleven miles at the greatest depth; tho infantry's greatest ad! vaiice is seven miles, or an average of five or six miles over the whole front , Between nine i-nd ten thousand prisoners have been taken. The Germans have no«r been driven beyond gun-range o Amiens, and they will be unable to stay on tho Avre, where then- lino is completely outflanked on the north The Ger man position on the Awno is.not affected by.the advance, but the enemy can hardly stand on tho Jlontdidier front, which will undoubtedly be waouated Pho Germans continue to retire on the Lys salient. They have'withdrawn nn proximately two thousand yards «>n a front of six miles from tho Lawe Biver to tho Bonrro Eiver. ""' tu Messines Outclassed. Corr.espondent 8 declare (hat even the Mossines Battle days as a bnllianl success.. A German officer's captured diary frankly and bitterly admits the Allies' air supremaoy. The dropping of bombs, ho says was past all counting. It wont on day and night with clockwork regLity S from a height well beyond the reach of anti-aircraft guns.-Aus-NZCaMe

"THE ENEMY.HAS BEEN GIVEN NO RESPITE" General Maurice, writing in fbo "Daily Chronicle," pays fi,« work of the newest tanks south of the Soranie, where tlev recent lin/, i ft, Th f """my n. alert ™th of the SommZnWWiehft hood of Moreuil. consequently progress was less there than in the cen re 1 progres m Ihe centre w most important, as the enemy at Montdidler Is Lj in it pronounced salient. The advance east of Villcrs Bretoiineu° wifl Lt« al position very uncomfortable.. Already Amiens is out of Z go of all e? n he longest-Tango guns. Mow important still, (lie enemy has been "iven So re spite. Wo are keep.ng him on the defensive while wo are getting Sp the heavv' guns on the Vcsle. . It is premature io say definitely that wo L™ ™, Hie initiative, but we should do so if the battfe develop asi **& Douglas Haig's success is.due to the surprise, in which the elemenl™ iJrt . SnT n Md tkß A CSg ALLIES CONTROL THE INITIATIVE. - Army officers rejoice in Sir Douglas Haig's blow, and deSSKt ftscorn Rioted the evidence that the Allies control the initiative, and Mm GeneTi S^nu^rC^^ a . rCSpit ° in to'inK OUR RECONQUESTS ON THE AIARNE The •Allies on the Marno front have regained 1500 L square miles) of territory, and two hundred towns and villages hive to, ™ covered. The Allied front has been shortened by Cty. thre mte The G* nans used thirteen divisions to cross the Marno, and used se en e'en divisions" GERMAN "LAST STAND ARMY" FOR THE RHINE ,i N 7 York "Times" correspondent on the Americ a n W front k says g tha t t Dinformation has reached the Allies of the "Last Stand Army," of half a million AutlzTble& ? th ° KaiSet ' 6 Oi ' dolS So!dy t° defend the Ehine.BLOW AT THE VITAL CENTRES WHAT LIHONS AND OHAULNES MEAN TO THE ALLIES. (Rcc. August 11, 5.5 p.m.) On the aflernoon of August 9 (lie position of the British and Domi'nion°troo'ps north ol (h;> Soiume was vague, as poor nsibility impedes communication, but Wicy were making progress, ft is rep Tied that the British have entered Itosieres, and though the report is not wnilirmed, it is believed to be correct The lnliiiitrys total advance is ten miles, but (he cavalry is somo miles nhend, and (letails regarding (hem are lacking. In Loudon it has been reported that the Jnilish have captured Lihons, but the latent news suggests that this is not correct (lie importance of Chaulnes cannot be exaggerated, as the city is vital to the enemy on the whole of this sector. If wo capture Lihons the enemy will be unable to maintain communications with Iho Mohtdidicr and Eoye sectors We (ire now able to use Amiens -as a railway junction. Our airmen aro taking a brilliant part m the battle, bombing the fugitives, and destroying communiontions with which the German positions wero hitherto overrun. Thesa are nninlv irenches protected with wire. No pill-boxcs havc.bcon encountered. Vonßoehm commands the enemy.—Aus.-N.Z. Cftble Assn. " ra " n