THE BATTLE IN THE BALKANS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 309, 24 September 1918, Page 5

THE BATTLE IN THE BALKANS

CZECHO-SLOVAKS IN ACTION ON THE ITALIAN FRONT : ; : ALLENBY'S VICTORY OFFICIAL .TALLY OF PRISONERS AND'BOOTY > ———————— [. The news from.the Balkan front to-day shows that a great forward move has been achieved by the Serbians. The enemy on this front is. being constantly reinforced. The Italians in Macedonia, participating in the general offensive scheme, have initiated an attack in their seotor. In Palestine General Allenby has closed practically alt theexits by which the remnants of the defeated Turkish forces could have made good their escape. The tajly of prisoners and booty, has not yet been fully made up. The official count is 18,000 prison: era and 280 guns, but there will be further reports under this head, as Mr. Massey's.dispatch, sent on Saturday, .gave an approximate of 20,000; with more to follow. The Turkish official report is quite unique. .It has a savour which suggests that tho German Lie Factory in the "ffilhelmstrasse at Berlin has established a branch office in Palestine.' There is a lull on the Western front, military activity being confined to artillery duels, local engagements, and. air fighting. ■••'.' —— . . ,e THE. ADVANCE IN THE BALKANS GREAT FORWARD MOVE BY THE SERBIANS ITALIANS JOIN IN THE GENERAL OFFENSIVE Bj Telegraph-.Pr«H Association-Copyright. (Rec. September 23, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 22. A. Serbian communique states: "We advanced over 12 miles northward on September 20.' We are now several miles north of Kavadar. We captured twelve more guns. German-Bulgar reinforcements are continually arriving. —Aus.-N.Z., Cable Assn.-Reuter. I " . /PURSUIT OF THE BULGARS CONTINUES " ' (Rec. September 23, 9.55 p.m.) London, September 22. 'A French' Eastern'communiquo states': "Tho pursuit ot the defeated Bulgarians continues, despite the increasing resistance of the enemy's rearguards. Tim Serbian forces have reached the middle Vatasha. On the left the Allied troops have crossed the Cerna in the region of Cebren. On the left we'have captured tho high summits of Poraa and Dzcna. Tho Bulgars are sotting fire to the abandoned villages. , One of their field batteries was captured intact. Our. airmen are indefatigably bombing and machine-gunning the retreating columns."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable. Assn.-Reuter. \. ENEMY BURNING HIS SUPPLY DEPOTS (Rec. September 24, 0.10 a.m.) London, September 21. A French Eastern communique states: "The Franco-Serbian armies on September 21, on the Dracheviso massif, broke the serious resistance of tho , Bulgarians, who had beon reinforced by German troops. Pursuing their sucoosses, the Allies northwards passed Vozarei and Kavadar,' in the direction of Negotin and Demitkapou. The enemy is destroying material wholesale in the direction of Cradsko and in tho-region of the Vardarand Doiran, •wHoro they arc burning' stations, munition denote, and aviation parks. The number of prisoners and guns captured is increasing. The Serbians captured a complete group of mountain guns and a battery of 1.05 millimetre, guns. Our aviators continuo to harass the retreating enemy in tho eastern part o ftho Cerna bend, where the enemy has begun to retreat. The Allies have /captured Ckaniste and Qrle. Tho. Franco-Greek troops . north and north-cast of the Ozena massif continue to make progress, in conjunction with the Serbians.',' —Aus.-N.Z. Cable .Assn.-Reuter. ADVANCE ON THE ITALIAN SECTOR • (Rec. September 23, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 22. An Italian report from the Macedonian .front states: "In the Cerna bend, in conjunction with the general Allied offensive, the Italians began a vigorous advance on Saturday, capturing-the enemy's front positions. —Aus.-JN.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' •'' ' 'lull in the west artillery duels and local engagements VISIBLE DECLINE IN ENEMY'S DISCIPLINE London, September 22, 2 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We renewed the attack during the night east of Epehy'i and again made progress, capturing the Petit-Priel Farm (ten miles east of Epehy) ,and other organised points of resistance. Wo repulsed ' looal attacks'south of Villers-Guislaiti, and after sharp fighting wo advanced our line on this sector during the night. 'We made a successful local operation on Saturday night in the neighbourhood of Gav'relle, and advanced our lino on a>two-m'ile front. We drove off raiders west of Acheville. ' Tho enemy this morning delivered a local attack north-west of la Bassee, where the fighting continues."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (Rec. September 23, 9.55 p.m.) „ London, September 21. Sir Douglas Hflig reports: "There was active aeroplane work, despite' bad weather. We brought down thirteen hostile machines. Eight British machines 'are missing."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter.- _, (Rec. September 23, 11.10 p.m.) , London, September 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "The hostile attack north-west of La Bassee, reported in the morning, was not pressed, and our position is unchanged. In local encounters we slightly improved our positions south of Villers. Guislain, and. in the neighbourhood of /Silleb'jke."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn-Routor. . ON THE FRENCH FRONT. (Rec. September 23, 7.45 p.m.) • London, September 22, 4.30 p.m. A French communinue states: "The night was marked only by consider able artillery activity in the St. Quentin region and north of the Aisne. On the Vesle front we repulsed two attempted coups-de-main. Our detachments penetrated the enemy's lines in Champagne and Lorraine."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ,- (Rec. September 24, 0.50 a.m.' ®' London, September 23. A French communique states: "South of St. Quentin we extended our jjositious east of Hiimcourt and La Fontaine, and reached the western outskirts of Vendeui), north of the Aisne. Three German counter-attacks we'ro shattered north of Allemarit before they could approach our lines. We gained ' m-ound east of Sancy and took prisoners."—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.-Reuter.

THE ENEMY'S REPORT. (Rec. September 23, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 22. - A wireless German official report states: "Tho English launched a great attack yesterday morning between Gduzeaucourt Wood and Hargicourt. Anticipating such an attack, wo had removed our defence eastward of Epehy to the'old English positions between Villers Giiislain and Bellicnnrt. Tho attack broke down, and a second attempt also failed. Although the English temporarily penetrated the south-western portion of Villers Guislain and Quenemont harm, they were thrown back by a counter-attack."—Aus.-N.Z, Assn.-Reuter. RUMOURED ASCENDANCY OF VON MACKENSEN TO REPLACE VON LUDENDORFF SHORTLY. , Berne, September 22. There are persistent reports that General Maekensen will shortly replace von Ludendorff, and will attempt a new defensive' plan.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn, "THE BOCHE WON'T FIGHT" SIGNS OF RELAXING GERMAN DISCIPLINE. (Rec. September 23, 7.45 p.m.) London, September 21. Writing from Australian Headquarters on September 22, Mr. Keith Murdoch states: "Cold winds begin to drivo over the batilefront, and tho heavy rains bring back the old familiar inuddiness. The detested duck boards reappear._ The cosiest people along the British and French sectors are the infantry in tho front and support lines. They are snug in deep old trenches or new narrow lines in which they are safe from shells—but a man must be earmarked for Heaven if he gets hit in such places. The wreckage from the battlefield provides ideal material for shelter from the weather. There are amplo supplies of German corrugated iron and timber available. For the past two days there has been little fighting, for the Boche won't fight. He has given up his attempts to regain his lost ground, and simply refuses to ' face our machine-guns, in spite of strongly-worded orders by loading generals that these lines are vital to the whole _ system of defence. The First Australian Division captured documents which add to the mass of evidence tending to show the German decline. One signed ,by a divisional commander, referring to the territory from which tho enemy had been evicted on September 18, says: 'The whole of this system must be held for winter quarters. You must fight to the last cartridge and the last.man.' Another signed by an army commander directs that all positions must be held. 'If driven back you must retake them.at all costs.' "Our observations show many signs of decreasing German respect for their officers. At tho Fourth Division's prisoners' cago hundreds of German privates crowded tho entrance as each battalion commander was brought in, sarcastically cheering and waving hands'. Sometimes a battalion commander and staff would cheor back. Such things would havo been impossible a few months ago. Nearly a]l the German officers, however, express manly regret over the capture of their senior'officers, invariably feeling it to be a deep disgrace. Some add that they bare found tho war most interesting, and are sorry they have to leave it. The Australians captured some most striking testimonials to tho Tommies, including a harassed Gorman commander's order that gas disoipline must be made far more rigid on the British front. He says: 'Only yesterday 215 men were gassed in a singlo battalion.' It is suspected that the men are purposely getting this gas in order to avoid fighting the English. No former ever longed for rain with the intensity with which the Boche commanders must now pray for bad weather. If the next few weeks keep fino tho Allied blows may have an extremely far-reaching effect. On the other hand, .nothing, is calculated to hamper attacks more than the mud and rain, which enable any rallying elements in the Boche lines to hold out in isolated posts, possibly'gaining enough time for them to reorganise and stabilise tho posi- 4 tions. The whole weight of the British hoavy gun-power is now turned upon the wire entrenchments and concrete machino-gun posts and tunnels of the inner Hindenburg system. Much is hoped for; tho. atmosphero is charged with tho expectation of a further advance. Our confidence is all the greater because the German artillery is proving much loss formidable than has been expected. Artillery prisoners explain that so many guns have been captured that the Germans are finding it impossible to keep up effective firing. There •js evidence in our hospitals of a considerable amount of effective fi.ro upon the Germans themselves. Many bear unmistakablo signs of having been shot from behind ,and show no disposition to discuss tho circumstances. _ There has undoubtedly been a fair amount cf German fire turned, upon their own men in anger over their retreat."—United Service. A GRIM PICTURE (Rec. September 23, 11.10 p.m.) London, September 23. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes:—"The fighting at Epehy and Villers Guislain w.as of a close and bitter nature, resembling the old' trench warfare amid dirty ditches, barbed wire, swamps, an,\. ruins. Tho enemy brought up four new divisions and assembled many gun s , under cover of which ho launched a series of bombing attacks, in which t] le bombers were well hidden in the old trenches. This was only a minor action, designed to straighten the lino. True, wfi were uuablc to maintain all our gains in the .face of the intenso shelling and the difficulties of tho ground and weather, but the position has improved. Tho Fourth Army's prisoners since August 8 are now 44,000." Mr. Gibbs paints a grim picture of the difficulties of the British troops in wild weather and heavy rains, in a country whero there is littlo shelter save in tents among the swamps and 1 slimy dug-outs and under tarpaulins spread over tho .tops of ruined habita tioiis. Our men light, work", and sleep vx wet clothes. The labour battalions slave hard to reduce the discomfort and improve the roads. Tho rapid advance of the railways is marvellous."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , , STUBBORN HAND-TO-HAND FIGHTING (Rec. September 24, 1.20 a.m.) London, September 23. Router's correspondent at British Headquarter. l ! states:—"The enemy, who.hud been reinforced, ..stubbornly resisted, in the fighting around Epehy. We carried many strong points, the. most important being a web-like trench work called the 'Quadrilateral,' north-east of Holnon. The fighting has been of a more hand-to-hand character than hitherto in the present offensive. Wo arc opposed by the 'Alpin."i Corps a nd two other divisions, besides a new division which has been moved up from the rrsorve. We captured Quonuemoiifc Farm by two o'clock, but afterwards withdrew. Our net gains for the day were satisfactory. We. occupied or destroyed many outposts in a troublesome zone, and inflicted heavy casualties."—Renter.