THE OBJECTIVES.
(Rec. September 20, 0.30 a.m.) London, September 19. _ The object of tho latest British attack is probably the Siegfried line,_ of which we are within a mile, and beyond it in ono or.two places.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. _ . ■ • The British advanco so far is from two to three miles. We have captured many guns. The Anglo-Australian offensive aims at regaining the old line held prior to March 21, which fronts but nowhere crosses the Hindenburg line. That objective has already been attained on ten miles of front. At some points we are beyond the March line, which now runs from west of Gouzeaucourt to Villers-Guislain, east of Lempiro. includes Hargicourt, Villaret, Lovorgieur, Berthnncourt, Fresnoy, and Holuan. The Germans are lighting well.—"The Times." THE OFFICIAL REPORTS • SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S DISPATCHES. ' London, September 18, 1 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "As the result of yesterday's operations we have taken possession of Holnon village. This morning we attacked northwest of St. Quentin. Yesterday evening the enemy attacked at Moeuvres, under coyer of a heavy barrage, and pressed us back to the western outskirts of tho village. By a successful local operation at night time we slightly advanced onr line immediately south of La Basseo Canal."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. . . (Ike. September 20, 0.15 a.m.) London, September 19. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "Our troops of the British- 3rd and 4th Armies attacked with complete success at 5.20 o'clock this morning on a front of about sixteen miles, between Holnon and Gouzeacourt. Our troops on the whole of this front, advancing in heavy storms of rain, captured the enemy's positions by assault, swqit over the old British trench systems of March, 1918, and ; reached and captured the outer defences of tho Hindenburg lino, in wide sectors. Tho English and Scottish troops, on the right, captured Fresnoy-le-Petit, Berthauoourt, and Pontrn, meeting and overcoming strong 'resistance, particularly on tho extreme right. In the right coutro two Australia.il divisions captured Leverguier, Villaret, and Hargicourt. Pushing forward with great determination, they established themselves in tho old advanced German positions west and south-west, of Bollicourt, having penetrated the enemy's defences to a depth of three miles. _ In the left centre the Seventy-fourth Yeomanry! Division, and other divisions composed of East County and London troops, captured Templeux-le-Guerard, Ronssoy, Epehy, and Peizeres, also penetrating to a great depth northward of Pezieres. The Twenty-first Division attacked over the northern portion of thoeector so gallantly defended by it on March 21 and 22. Having captured its old front trenches with a strong point at Vaucelletto Farm and beaten off a counter-attack, it pushed forward more than a milo beyond this line, capturing several hundred nrisoners and a battery, complete with teams. On the left the English and Welsh troops carried the remainder of the high ground southward of Gouzeauconrt, ronching the outskirts of Villers-Guislain and enpturing Gauch Wood. Wo captured over six thousand prisoners and a number of guns in the course of these successful operations. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. THE FRENCH ADVANCE London, September 18. A French communique states: "West of St. Quentin we made progress in the Holnon and Savy district. We continue to enlarge our gains between the Ailette and the Aisne. We made progress by local attacks on the plateau east and north of Alternant. We captured this morning after a sharp fight a strongly-held point east of Sancy. The number of bodies found north of Laffaux proves the heaviness of the enemy's losses in the recent fighting. The Germans on the Vesle front counter-attacked our positions three times in the Glennes region, but were repulsed with heavy losses. South of tho Oise the artillery action in the night time was violent. Enemy counter-attacks. on the plateau in the region north of' Sancy were without result. We maintained our gains. In tho Champagne and Lorraine we effected coups-de-main and took prisoners."—Aus.-N.Z.' Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' (Rec. September 20, 1.30 a.m.) i ■ a London, September 19. A Fronch communique states: "During the day our troops operating in conjunction with the British Army made progress in tho region west of St. Quentin, between Holnon and Essigny-lc-Grand, on a front of over seven miles. Notwithstanding a desperate resistance we advanced- our lines to an ayerago depth of over a mile, and reached tho western outskirts of FraricillvSilency, and captured Savy Wood, Fontaine-les-Clcch. Farther south we hold the southern outskirts of Contoscourt. Wo approached Essigny-lc-Grand and took several hundred prisoners. North of the Aisne wo continued our progress -west of Jouy. Tho enemy delivered strong counter-attacks on the plateau cast of Alleiuant. Our counter-attack drovo the enemy back and resulted in fresh gains of ground and prisoners."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter. THE ENEMY'S REPORTS (Rec. September 19, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 18. A wireless German official report states: "The French by a strong thrust in tho direction of Pinon and southward of,tho Ivaffaux-Chavjgnon Road, temporarily penetrated our lines. Our counter-thrust drovo them back."—Aus.N.Z. Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. September-20, 0.10 a.m.) London, September 19. A wiroless German official evening report states: "The Anglo-French troops attacked on a wide front from Havrincourt Woods to the Somme. Counter-attacks are in progress. The enemy penetrated our centre botween Hargicourt and tho Emignon Brook. Elsowhero all the attacks failed."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. " \ A CAPTURED GERMAN ARMY ORDER URGENT CALL TO RESIST ALLIES' ADVANCE. i London, September 18. Reuter's correspondent at British Headquarters states that a captured document, signed by General von Morgen, dated September 10, and addressed to the Fourteenth Rcservo Corps, near St. Quentin, says: "Hitherto, owing to military reasons, wo have allowed the English, to occupy tho desolate country, Now, however, you have taken up a strong defensive position, and not one foot more of ground will be given up." The order exhorts the men to defend' their homes, families, and tho Fatherland, and adds: "You are more than a match for the enemy, who only attacks with -dash when accompanied by tanks. These we will destroy. I expect every man, from general to youngest private, to do his duty in the imminent decisive battles." Von Morgen is tho,general who streaked off in a motor-car early'in our attack on the Bth.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ) THE INFANTRY STRENGTH. IMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING NEW DRAFTS. London, September 18. Colonel Repington, after visiting the British Trout; warns tho War Cabinet against relying upon artillery, aviators, and tanks. "These auxiliary services," he says, "are wonderful, but it is the infantry which storms and "holds positions. It is essential that drafts should be received to enable the infantry to be properly rested and trained. It was not the tanks that won the battle of August 8. It was the grand Dominion infantry, which attacked with tho firm intention of succeeding. No tanks shone in the supremely wonderful adventuro of the Australians—the night surprise Mont St. Quentin. The way to ruin tho infantry is to teach them to wait for someone else to do their job; the way to ruin the army is for a badly-advised Government not to keep the infantry units to strength."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE NEW AMERICAN LINE (Rec. September 19, 11.30 p.m.) London, September 18. Renter's correspondent at American Headquarters, writing on the evening of September 17, stated that the lino on the St. Mihicl sector now runs from Rounvaux to Manhcullcs, Pingseville, St. Hilairc, Doncourt, Woel, Houinont, between Jaulney and Rcmbercourt, just north of Vandieres, and south of Hampey to the old line east of Pont-a-Mousson. The enemy has been continuing his general withdrawals towards the positions which now constitute his line.—Reuter. 4,400,00 AMERICANS IN THE WEST NEXT YEAR OVER THREE MILLION PRESENTLY UNDER ARMS. (Rec. September 19, 9.40 p.m.) Washington, September 18. General March (United States Chief of Staff) cxnlained to the House Committee that the United States proposed to place an army of 4,400,000 in tho field in 1919. Presently there would bo 3,200,000 under arms, and the remainder would bo called up under the new draft registration.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. 313,000 FRESH AMERICAN TROOPS LANDED IN AUGUST. (Rec. September 19, 0.15 a.m.) i London, September 17. The Press Bureau states that the number of American troops embarked for Europe during tho month of August totalled 313,000, of which 180,000 were carried in British ships.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assii.-Renter. AUSTRIAN TROOPS FOR BELGIAN GARRISONS SEVERAL SANGUINARY ENCOUNTERS WITH THEIR GERMAN ALLIES. ■ Amsterdam, September 17. Thirty thousand Austrian troops are employed in garrison duty in Belgium. Thero wero several bloody encounters between the Austrians and Germans because the Germans alone were ordered to tho front.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn,
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Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 311, 20 September 1918, Page 5
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1,405THE OBJECTIVES. Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 311, 20 September 1918, Page 5
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