GERMAN RETREAT ON WIDE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 9, 5 October 1918, Page 7

GERMAN RETREAT ON WIDE FRONT

i . '% . NEW ATTACK BY BRITISH FOURTH ARMY SEVERE FIGHTING IN FLANDERS ■' '«• ' i rr • i 1,11 , / London, October 3. i -;.. Sir Douglas Haig lias announced that the Germans have retreated on a twenty-mile front between Armentierps and Lens. 'J'liy announcement, apparently '■■ parently confirms the persistent reports: from Amsterdam that tlioroiu'li" preparations have been made for the evacuation of Lille and other places" 'Jlio messages show clearly that the progress of the British ami Belgians makes ' i the evacuation of a considerable portion of the Belgian const necessary in the immediate future. It is reported that preparation for the evacuation of the region west of Britgeu has reached an advanced stage, and it is even said I. that the evacuation will include Antwerp. Presumable'the L.\ Basse*'ittiremenb refers to a withdrawal 'from the salient between 'Wnrnetoii and Loos, 1 including Armentieres, and involving a retreat on twenty-hvo miles of front. Tb'e. movement'is .-the immediate result of 'General Plumer's sn-ift advance. ■> The Germans/themselves announce three'more-'retreats, south of Sti Queiitiii, north-west of Reitn's, and..in the Argonne Forest. Developments are awaited with keen interest.—Aub.-N,15. Cable Asn.. •

NEW ATTACK BY THE BRITISH FOURTH ARMY ; OFFENSIVE ON 10,000 YARDS OF FRONT, . . London, October 3. General Rawlinson attacked on a ten-thousand-yard front at fi o'clock in tlto .morning, between Bony ami Sequ chart, and retook Le Catelet, Gouv, Ramicourt, and Sequehart, and captured 2000 prisoners.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' . HINDENBURG LINE COMPLETELY SMASHED ENEMY IN A BAD WAY. . (Eec. October 5,1.20 a.m.) ■ ' , • London, October 3. The French centre has captured the western portion of the Chemin des Dames,.and cleared the area between the Aisne and the Vesle. The British have broken completely through the Hindenburg line, and both St. Quentin and' Cambrai are practically lost, so that the enemy's plan to hold the Hindenburg line until the winter should'allow him to make a further withdrawal unmolested has completely broken, down. The occupation of the Roulers-Menin road endangers the German hold of Ostend and, combined with our attack on Cambrai, threatens both flanks'of the.German defensive system in tho Lille-area. The attack on Roulers was conducted by comparatively ■ weak British forces. Their striking successes were due to the Allied pressure elsewhere. The enemy thus far has lost since September 26 60,000 prisoners, and guns, of which the British have taken 25,000 prisoners and 400 guns. ; The results of the successes already obtained',largely depend on the weather. 'I'll: number of German infantry divisions on the West has now been reduced to 187, in addition to five Austro- - Hungarian divisions.. The continued disbanding of the German divisions and the substitution of .women for men in the lines'of communication show an increasingly unfavourable man-power situation in Germany. Prisoners from Russia are to'a great oxtent affected by Bolshevism, and there are frequent cases of refusal to return to the front.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. PILES OF BOOTY IN THE UNDERGROUND TUNNEL - .'■■ , . ;-' -;'.;■" ■ ."V '• , ( . (Rec.. October 4, 7.20 p.m.) .......'.'. > ',■■ , London, October 3. .".. Mr. Pereival Phillips.;writes:—"The platforms along the underground tunnel are piled with every conceivable kind of equipment, numberless rifles, boxes of bombs, steel hats, body plates, medical stores, timber, and entrenching tools."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. / ■/.'■. . , . '' ■ • • ■ \' DEBENEY'S ARMY "SMASHING THROUGH." . . ,i ■ • . ■ Mew York, October 3. ■ General J)ebeney's army is smashing through south of St. Quentin.— Aus.Of.Z. Cable'Assn. ATTACK ON THE BIEAUREVOIR LINE • (Rec. October 5, 1.5 a.m.) ■ .-__.< ....-....' London, October 3. ■Mr. Gordon Gilmour, writing on Thursday,• says: "The battle was resumed this morning with a set attack with a view to piercing the rearmost Hindenburg position, the Bcaurevoir line, between two and three miles eastward of the underground canal.' It represents the last strong line of resistance for several miles. Australian troops belonging to units whioh had had an easier time since .the storming of Mont St. Quentin'are already reported in a considerable portion of the Beaurevoirline. The attack is supported by a heavy weight of artillery and a l.umber of tanks. The big guns' all night long, hammered-the trenches. The' British advance on the right is reported to be- satisfactorily progressing."—Aus.-N'.Z. Cable Assn. I CHALLERANGE CAPTURED.BY THE FRENCH New York, October 3. The French. have captured = Challcrange (in Champagne) and.Loivre (on the Aisne front).—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aasn. THE AMERICAN ADVANCE IN THE ARGONNE . . ■'•'..'-,' .'-, NOW York, October 3. '.The United-Press Agency at Paris reports.that the Americans have advanced four and-a half-miles in the Argonne Forest since- the.beginning of the offensive.—Aus.-N.Z. : Cable Assn.'-: . . . ~ . - ; THE ADVANCE ON THE'KREIMHILDE LINE. '•"■■'■■.. ■ . ■'. New York, October 3. Mr. E. \L, James, ("New York Times"),, writing from the American front: saysi-p'The First "American Army. is. advancing .towards,- the .Kreimhildc'line. 'Captured orders show thattjie German High Command, is extrem'ely'arixioiis.'that'the Kreimhilde '.line should be held. The Germans'are afraid to face the American troops'in open warfare, which they; will 'bo compelled : 't'o do if. they give upthe-Kreimhilde lino, 'as there is'no organised defence system'between it and the border. . Our air service reports more-than-a ; hundred enemy aeroplanes and twenty-one balloons brought down since'the.-present--attack-' "started."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

. , ... REIMS DEFINITELY FREE FROM ATTACK . ■' ■ ■'■•■■ ■■'■'■'■' (Rcc. October 4,-7.20,p.m.) ~ ■ . > ■ .. ■ ■■■ . ,'-.-. London,■ October 3. The '"Morning Post's" correspondoni, states that the loss of the St. Thierry'massif- aiid fort definitely"fri'o.s Reims from the risk of. German a*;gressioii: "News from St. Quentin shows that whole quarters of'the town ar<j in flames,'and explosions arefrequent."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. • "';.... THE OFFICIAL REPORTS .; . 'SEVERE FIGHTING IN FLANDERS '' '■ :" ■ (Rcc October 4, 7.20 p.m.) • ' ■-/ .'■■■ "'• - : ' " : London, October 3. A Belgian communique states:—''Notwithstanding the enemy's stiff resistance'the Belgian 'Army improved its position by local thrusts at different points. General Plumer's army, after scvero .fighting, made an important advance in the direction of Menin by capturing . Gheluw.e. Nort'/i and close to Armentieres, -General Plumer captured' Bizet, .and Hencque./ Farm, north of Houplines."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Ecutcr. ( . . . STRONG GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS : TgE GERMAN WITHDRAWAL ON LA BASSEE FRONT. London, October 3. Sir Douglas Hai" reports:—"The enemy strongly attacked this morning north-east erf St. Qiientin with fresh troops, and succeeded in pressing _\ia back from Sequehart, where we stopped'.him.' There was local fightmg north of Crevecoeur and west of Cam brai, with no material change m the situation; The Canadians, as the result of operations yesterday and in the nifht in the neiglihourhood of Cambrni, captured the suburb, of NeuyJle St. Reray and the,high ground west of Bamillies. The enemy early m. the morninu; commenced to withdraw on a wide front south and north or the. La Uassee'CanaL Wo are following up closely, and have taken prisoners. — Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-lteuter. ■ . •■'.'. (Rec. October 4, 7.20 p.m.) London, October 3, o'lO a.m. Sir 'Doufilas Haig reports:—"The progress of the Allied offensives in Flanders and before Cain brai and St. Quentin, combined with the enemy s heavy losses in endeavouring to resist our successful attacks, hftvc compelled the" Germans to undertake an es'tensivo withdrawal df bis line on .the front from Lens to Armentieres. The enemy is evacuating highly-organised positions which ha has held since the commencement of trench warfare, and hitherto defended with the utmost resolution. This, movement, whicii was expected, is being closely followed .up by our troops, who are maintaining touch with the enemy's rearguards, inilicting many casualties and taking prisoners. On the front of the retirement we have already reached a floral line ifroni Cite St. Anguste to Douvrin, east of La Bassee, east of Aubers, and west of Boisgrenier, and our advance continues. Last evening we repulsed an attack northward of Cambrai. We renewed our attacks northward of St. Quentin this morning."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ; ST.. QUENTIN CLEARED OF THE ENEMY London, October 3. A French communique states:—''the enemy has been completely ejectsd from St. Quentin, the whole of which , we occupy, _ also the suburb'.of Isle. Further south we advanced towards Hnncoiirt, and carried Moy, despite.tenacious resistance by the enemy. North of the Vcsle the advance continues, jjoucy, Juvincourl, Bouffignereux, "Villers, Franqueux, and Couroy have been captured. Our lines reached the southern outskirts of Cormicy and Loivre Further south we skirt the western hank as far as La Nctivillotte. Wo have captured Courc.y. Wo improved our position in the Champagne southwest rti Orfeuil, and gained i\ footing in the heights south of Monthois."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assii.-Hnutei , ; (Rcc. October 4, 7.20 p.m.) London, October 3, '1.00 p.m. A French communique states:—"North of Veslo, continuing our advancs. we captured Loivre. Jn the region of Ncuvillotte, ■> violent German counter-attack was launched without result. In Champhgnn fights continued. Last evening we captured Challerango. The Germans made powerful efforts to throw us out of the woods south-oast of Orfeuil. whore we penetrated. Three times-their assaults were shattered. We maintained all our gams ■ P.nd inflicted heavy'losses.- Our- attack was, resumed at, daybreak this morning."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.-Reuter. , ; • ..

THE ENEMY'S REPORTS , ■ -,: (Bee. October i, 7.20 p.m.) London, October 3. A wireless German official report states: —"We evacuated Armontieres and Lens without lighting on the niglit of October 1, and occupied positions to the eastward. Strong attacks against our new lines northward and southwards of St. Queniin failed. Freush local penetrations in Champagne southward of Orfeuil were reduced by counter-thrusts."—Aus.-N'.Z;■:. - Cable Assn.-Reuter. ' ' . . THE WAR IN THE AIR. ■ . ' London, October 3. Sir Doughs Haig's aviation report states:—"The weather "is fine but cloudy.. Our kw-iliers were very active machine-gunning the trenches,,parties of troops, bombing and stampeding gun teams. .Wβ dropped.3U. tons during the day and 16 tons in the nisliti, and heavily attacked the railway junctions at Valenciennes, Aulnoye, and Busigny. There was much fighting on the German side df the lines. Wo destroyed 21 aeroplanes and drove down eight out of control. Fifteen British machines are missing."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. ON THE BELGIAN FRONT. . , i ■ (Eec. October 4, 7.20 p.m.) - , n • London, October 3. A Belgian communique ■ states:—"The British aviators destroyed nine aeroplanes and two balloons."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assril-Reiiter.' WAR — D.C.—WEST. — Aymore — • ■ .COMMENT ON THE SITUATION' : V.;.. London, October.3.; Though there are many indications of the likelihood di a German retreat, there is no sign of a real break in Ger man. resistance Ihe public should not be encouraged to look for peace by Christmas. What really is happening is that we have forced the Germans to put in reserves to hold the -present lines Any further advance will render an attempt to hold the lines dangerous for the enemy. Already the important Lens salient; with its great coal deposits, is threatened. The Allies-are running a ■ with winter, and have onlv a month of campaigning-weather ahead. ■• Even the most successful operations -will take time. St. Quentin, which is atbig'.as Hull, has not been cleaned up yet, and it will probably take threo or tour days.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ' - ' :. ■ ' '. -\ ■■■.■■■,:■"■ ■.:.:.- ••. THE WEEK'S CAPTURES ON THE AMERICAN FttONT. .■ '.' ; London, October 3: AV American communique states:-"Apartial count of the'captures.during the past week show 120 guns of all calibres, vSO trench mortars' 300 ma-chine-guns, a hundred heavy tank guns, thousands of shells, and 1 undreds of thousands of rounds of. ammunition."-Aus.-!\.Z. Cable , Assn.-Beuler.> (Rcc. October 4, 7.20.p.m.) - ■ ' ■ . ~ . . London, October 3. VFrench communique states -.-"During September the Allies in France Reuter. ' ■■ ■ " . - ■, . •..• .• . .■ •■■ - •■ ■• ' INCREASING PESSIMISM IN GERMAN. PRESS - . ' '• (Rcc. October 5, 0.20 a.m.) • ■■ - ; ',:■.-'„ ■ v Amsterdam,. October 3. The tone of tlie German Press, is becoming ..increasingly, pessimistic. Their war correspondents emphasise the fact that there, has been extremely heavy fighting, and , declare; that the employment, of .tanks in, masses ■■ explains the Allies'' victories.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ~.'.. .....