GERMANS FORCED TO A FURTHER RETIREMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 11, 8 October 1918, Page 5

GERMANS FORCED TO A FURTHER RETIREMENT

RETREAT ON THREE DIFFERENT SECTORS INCREASING SIGNS OF APPROACHING COLLAPSE New York, October 6. The French' have smashed the German front on a wide area in tho Cham-pagne.—Aiis.-N.Z. Cable Assn. I . LAST LINE OF HINDENBURG SYSTEM BROKEN (lleo. October 7, 7.40 p.m.) London, October 6. Yesterday's attack north of St. Quontin on eight miles of front broke through the last line o£ the Hindenburg system in this area. .We advanced

from two to three miles along a thirteen-mile front between Lens and Armentieres, but have not yet entered Armentieres. Tiie French made a substantial advance south of the Aisne, clearing the whole of the area between the Aisne and the Vesle. They also subsquently advanced in Western Argomie, capturing Orfeuil and Mont Blanc, which, is a high hill of considerable tactical importance. They have advanced ten miles on this sector since September 26.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. SIGNS OF COLLAPSE EVERYWHERE "* EXTRAORDINARY SCENES ON THE BATTLEFRONT. • (Rec. October 7, 11 p.m.) London, October 6. Mr. Keith Murdoch, writing on October 5, says: "The German efforts to stabilise the situation have provided extraordinary spectacles. Some small sectors are almost deserted. One sees English or Australian advance guards in sunken roads and shell holes. They signal the aeroplanes that no shells approach them. All is deserted and lonely. The nearest visible Germans are a few scurrying forms a thousand .yards away. One wonders why wo do not advance, till suddenly, as a Tommy runs across the open, the fierce rattle of the enemy's machine-guns breaks out, showing that some game Germans are holding obscure outposts on the ]ino of the advance. Everywhere are signs of wreokage, while the dead are scattered amid shattered tanks, smashed wire, and all sorts of debris, speaking eloquently of the previous intense combats. The German machine-gunners die beside their guns.i Dead riflemen lie with many empty cartridges beside them. They must have continued to, tiro till the tanks were on top of them. It is evidence that the German Army fights with its. bravest men forward and the others running away. It will not be sirprising if winter falls with the enemy holding an irregular, jumbled line, from whichhe will 1)6 able to shout 'Peace I' while preparing a shorter, water-front-ed line; parhaps, the Meuse, to which he will retreat hi the spring."—United Service. GERMAN RETIREMENT SOUTH OF CAMBRAI (Rec. October 7, 11 p.m.) London, October 6. The Germans were retiring yesterday from one to two miles on a sevenmile front south of Cambrai. Owiug to the capture of Mount Brehain and Beaurevoir it is expected' that the enemy will soon abandon. Cambrai. Another retirement is proceeding in the salient in the Reims area, the enemy T akiug ■lip new positions on ten miles of front. There are indications that the enemy is preparing for a. further retirement between Lens and Arras, possibly to the Sensee Oanal—perhaps as far as the Haute Dulle Canal.—-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ■ ENEMY SHORT OF HEAVY GUNS (Rec. October 8, 1.25 a.m.) London, October 6. There are indisputable eigns that,the Germans are getting short of heavy field artillery aiid ammunition. We have already captured one quarter of'the enemy's artillery on the Western front.—Reuter. COMMENT ON THE SITUATION "GROGGY OPPONENT" SHOULD BE HAMMERED TO A ' FINISH.--London, October 6. General Maurice, writing in "Lloyd's News" on the question whether the war will be over this year, says that Germany, since July 15, has lost not less than a million and a. quarter of men, of whom a quarter of a million are prisoners. The part taken by the British Army in this fighting is the most -glorious in its history. Though in strength considerably Jess than half the total of the Allied forces on the West front, the British reconquered more than.half the ground won, and took half the prisoners taken. Germany probably still has four million men on the West frout. They are a proud people, who for more than a generation have been regarded as the world's first military Power. Is it reasonable to expect that they will surrender until they are convinced that the struggle is utterly hopeless? Therefore, on military grounds, there is no justification for the hope that we will be sble to compel the Central I'owere to surrender this year." General Maurice admits that he was surprised by what happened iu Bulgaria, and he may be surprised again by what will happen in Germany; "but the only way to end the horrors of this war quickly is to maintain and to intensify our efforts and increase our power to its extreme limit. When a boxer finds his opponent 'groggy' he goes in to win. That is the plain duty of everyone to-day." —Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assn. GERMAN RETIREMENT FROM FLANDERS London, October 5. Reuter's , Agency learns from authoritative naval sources that there is every indication that the Germans will soon abandon the whole of the Flanders coast. It is known that tfie Germans are already removing their guns. There have been three heavy bombardments of the Flanders coast during the past few days.—Reuter. (Rec. October 7, 7.40 p.m.) London, October 6. Reports from Holland state that the Germans continue to withdraw their heavy guns and munitions from Zeehrugge. They are destroying docks at Bruges.—Aue.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE OFFICIAL REPORTS ON THE BEAUREVOIR LINE London, October 6. Sir Douglas Haig reporte: "There was stubborn .fighting all day at Montbrehain and Beaurevoir. Having captured Montbrehain early in the morning with SCO prisoners, the Australians were severely counter-attacked, and the enemy throughout the remainder of the day repeatedly attempted, with his reserves, to regain the village. All his attempts were repulsed, and the enemy suffered heavy losees, the British tanks doing great execution, and the village remains in. our hands. The possession of Beaurevoir was fiercely disputed, and remained for a long time doubtful. The )enemy was strongly reinforced, and spared l no effort to retain the village. After making progress during the day by hard fighting, the English in the evening made a fresh attack, carried the village, and. established their line firmly to the east, north-east, and north, of Beaurevoir. We are in possession of Auben-cheul-aux-Bois, and have established ourselves on the high ground to the northwards, towards Lesdins. We took over a thousand prisoners yesterday northward of St. Quentin."—Aua.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. (R«c. October 7, 8.50 p.m.) London, October 6. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "We improved our positions slightly in local engagements south-east and northward of Aubeucheul-aux-Boi3. To the northward of the Scarpe we obtained possession of Fresnoy, and established ourselves in the eastern outskirts."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter/ FRENCH FORCE A GENERAL RETREAT BEILLIANT OPERATIONS ON VESLE AND CHAMPAGNE FRONTS. London, Ootober 6. 'A French communique states: "The victorious attacks of the French and Americans during several days on the Veslo and Champagne fronts have compelled the enemy to make a general retirement towards the Suippe and Arneg rivers. He is hastily abandoning formidable positions which he had fortified during the past four years, and wliich he has defended with undeniable desperation. He is now retreating on a front of forty-five kilometres (28 miles}. Fort Brimont (five miles north of Keims) and the Moronvillers Massif (15 miles tast of Reims) are ours, and the Nogent l'Abbesso Massif (five miles east of Reims) is completely surrounded. Our advance guards aro keeping in close touDh with the enemy, whose rearguards have passed the line of Oraineville, Boureogne, Cernay-lez-Reims, Beine, and Bethenville. Further east we hold the wnole course of the Arnes. We have crossed the Suippe at Oraineyille and the Arnes at several points." , ■ Later. A French communique states: "The pursuit continued all night on the whole Suippe front. On the left our troops., after crossing the Aisne Canal in the region of Sapigneul, reached the neighbourhood of Aguilcourt. Further eastward we are approaching Aumenaricourt-lc-Petit. The massif of Nogent l'Abbesse is in our possession, and our troops have passed considerably beyond it. We are progressing on a general line running north of Pomade, north of Lavannes, and north of Epoye. On the right we occupy the village of Pont-Faverger, on the Suippe. On the Arnes our advanced troops have reached a wooded crest north of the river. Several hundred prisoners wore taken yesterday and during the night. South of the Ailetts Italian troops operating in the region of Ostel and Soupir, after previously capturing important points d'appui at La Cour de Sotipir and part of this village, yesterday engaged in severe fighting on the plateaux to the north-east. They carried by assault the etubboriily-'inld trenches on the height of La Croix Sianste and Metz Farm. North of St. Quentin. fighting continued with the same bitterness. In the region of Lesdins we made a fresh advance east of that local'ty."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter. THE AMERICAN ATTACK WEST OF THE MEIISE London, October 6. 'An 'American communique states: "Onr attack west of tho Meuse continues, in spite of the determined resistance of the enemy's artillery and machine-guns from well-entrenched positions. Strong hostile counter-attacks were repulsed with heavy enemy losses."—-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assu.-R«uter. THE ENEMY'S REPORT London, October 6. A German official report states: "On the Flanders front the enemy followed us via Eois-Grcnier, Fmirnes, and Wingles, and across the railway to the eastward of Lens. The English have captured le Catclet. Tho French won a footing in Lesdins and Morcoiirt, but we recaptured Lesdins. Tn the Champagne wo withdrew unobserved between I'nuiay and St. Maria Vy." — Aus.-N-.Z. Cable Assn.-Ueuter. (Roc. October 7, 8.20 p.m.) London, October 6, 6.25 p m A wireless German official report states: -"We have relinquished the projecting positions between Crevecoeur and Beaurevoir. Tho An°-10-Froncli troops continued their attacks between lo Catelet and northward of St Quentin. The enemy retained liis positions at Beaurevoir, Montbrihain ward of Reims, and astride tlie Suippo. We evacuated the Brinioiit and

Berru positions. The Americans contined with strong attacks between the Argomie and tlio Meuse, and advanced as far as the wooded heights norths ward of Exremont."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asen.-Reuter. ■ ! . j THE WAR IN THE AIR (Rec.' October 7, 11 p.m.) I mu -n « Londcn, October 6. ' onerX* -Ttl^"T , , , • SlatCS ,; "? heJ }°y &l Air Force and' Navy contingents coi opeiaung m the Belgian oftensivo between September. 29 and October 5 Sdir m •Tγ? tOnS 1^ hS °'\ the W Milff «y communications' f b mn r P 'i • hlfc f-? ral trams ' and caused explosions in important Si™ f nll l V '7 blU,dings ' and ill,licled numcrou » casualtie » among ™ downZ,' H tran f Spo s t - W e destraj-ed twenty-five aeroplanes and sen Sir tw i u ° ° f contnoL Ten British maollil,cs avo missing." | ™™L I s , reports: J)es l )itu «l<rady and unsettled weather our aeroplanes dropped m tons of bombs. W e brought down twenty of the , A sn' V ReiT a Htsl ' miicl,inca nre ™«si..g.»-Auß.-Ni Oaffl