STRONG THRUST IN FLANDERS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 34, 4 November 1918, Page 5

STRONG THRUST IN FLANDERS

I CANADIANS CAPTURE VALENCIENNES i .j POWERFUL BLOW BY THE FRANCO-GERMAN | ARMIES, I (Rec, November 3, 5.5 p.m.) New York, November 2. ! The Canadians have captured Valenciennes. The Anglo-Pronoh troops have ; reached the Scheldt within seven mdea of Ghent.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asm. .. ENEMY BLINDED BY SMOKE SHELLS. , 1 (Eec. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) . ! London, November 2. ; Mr l Philip Gibbs, describing the fighting at Valenciennes, says :-"The Cans- j dians advance"* under the shelter of,smoke shells wh.cn made a dense white ; fo" and pur±he Germans in * haxe so thick that they could not see three, paces. ; The mXe-gunners could not find targets, .and were as helpless as if blankets Wl Iwin thrown over their heads. Soino units surrendered directly the Canad- , al l ArrivedOfficerswho were taken prisoner acknowledge that the situation ; f hnSeles now that Austria is out ot tho war. Around Audennrde we are , fehZ-amongvXges and farmsteads. We have stopped <il use o gas ftwing ; 2fte\resonco of civilians, but tho Germans are using ]t daily. Many babies, , women and rirls have been found dead, dying,.or blinded in Flemish villages, ! \Cdißtribute captured from, the Germans among the v.llagers, but : they "reoflittle use without long trainmg/'-Aus.-N.Z. Cable ton, ■ . i FOUR-MILE ADVANCE IN FLANDERS | | ..,;—„ (Eee. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) ■ tondoB( Nortmte L ■■ • . j A Franco-British local operation between the Scheldt and. the Lys advanced , tho line four m leson a front of twelve miles, most of the high ground between h wo We took fifteen hundred prisoners. Valend- .. ennesTs surrounded on tW sides.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. • . . j A BATTLE PREGNANT Wl]rH GREAT POSSIBILITIES (Eec. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) ' London, November 2. Pane's rorresDondent at French' Headquarters, writing on Friday evening, WhTSS towards llezieres and tho euemy.'s .main communicasays:- operations of,thprbattle which was ! hons with Germany will depend iai| m J. General .Gouraud's army, strik- ; hunched *ofli i Gmni J ing north-eashyard from the A 1^1 hca l>een northwards cast of theAr; S±T ThevTre iS turning a labyrinth of wooded hills ,nd gonne. limy are wj 1 ' d Bou it Forest. When they join hands north of , the hut. natural fortes remaining to j him.'—Keutor. ' , . , i WHOLE SITUATION TRANSFORMED (Rec. November i, o'.& a.m.) : . ! Washington, November 2.. , .t predicts that Germany's ™d e [ * m ! .op J os rf by the Supreme War Council vices indicate that the, armi ' ! ™ it & P lXy mi es beyond the Rhine, leaving j j and the submarines.-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aesn. , •, " . ' - ' j AMERICANS BREAK THROUGH | (Rec. November 3,11.5 p.m.) | New York, November 2. ■; A6sn. . i RAPID RETREAT OF THE ENEMY ! 1 ' —. ■ i 1 (Rec. November i, 0.30 a.m.) • i New York, November 2. ' i mi. (ac\ne the Americans in the Verdun region are retreating, be-- : The retreat in places is so rapid that the Ameri- ; SSf are unable ifSain contact with the enemy.-Ans.-N.Z. Cable Ato. j THE OFFICIAL REPORTS ! •' • -— : ; :i BRITISH AGAIN ON THE . i ' ■'■ ■'.-1 London, November 1. i Sir Douglas Haig reports-.-"The Second Army attacked this morning south- j west of Audcnarde and captured all its objectives and about a thousand prison. ; ers."-Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aeai.-Reutor. , , I (Rec. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) . ■ ' j ' London, November 2, 0.30 a.m.' i Sir Douglas Haig reports'.-"The English and Canadians attacked at dawn bit ! a sis-mile front southward of Valenciennes After sharp' fighting in whuhnre 1 inflictei exceptionally heavy casualties, we forced the passage of the Rhonelle,- \ captured the villages of Maresches and Aulnoy, and reached ".the railivay line . on the southern outskirts of Valenciennes. Tho enemy determinedly counter-at-tacked on the high ground westward of the Proseau-Valenciennes road. We maintatned our positions on the ridw. Counter-attacks in the evening developed north- ; east and north of Aulnoy. We took between two and three thousand prisoners.'- - -Aus.-N.Z. Cable .

: ! . VALENCIENNES CAPTURED I ■ ' i. 1 ' . Later. ; Sir Douglas Haig reports :—"The fighting on Friday southward of Valen- ; eiennes was of tho severest description, and continued until this morning on a ! battlefront of six,miles. Large numbers of the'enemy were killed. Many coun- : tor-attacks woro repulsed, and four thousand prisoners. were taken. The Sevcni teenth and, Twenty-second Army Corps, under Generals Fcrgusson and Godley rej spectivelv, gaihed the high ground southward of Valenciennes, and in the morning \l pressed forward, and captured the village of Presau. Northward the Canadian ! Corps, under 1 General Currie, after hard fighting in the outskirts or Valenciennes, : have passed through the town, jrhich is now wholly in our possession."—Aus.I N:Z., Cable Aeen.-Beuter. •'■'.., ; \ ■ : . SUCCESSFUL LOCAL ATTACKS BY THE BELGIANS ~ London, November 1. A Belgian communique states:—"As the result of local operations we are al-' i.most everywhere established on tho western bank of (he Lys Derivation Canal. ! The hamlet of Daarloen has been captured."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter, i ;; ■-'- v NOTABLE SUCCESSES IN FLANDERS ■ ' • , ' j; f ■ STRONGLY-DEFENDED VILLAGES CAPTUEED. ) (Bee. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) i ■■.■ ■■■•■■ London, November 2. ; • A British-Belgian official report states:—"The operations of tho Flanders armies were continued successfully. The British on the south bank drove the ; enemy-on the Scheldt to Molden, capturing the strong villages of Auseghcm, ; Tieghem, Caster, and Elseghem. The Franco-American troops, in the centre, '' carried 'fiercely-defended heights between the Lys and the Scheldt, and advanced ; to:the Scheldt, between Melden and Eecke on a front of ten miles to a depth of from I";five'to ten miles, capturing in two days' fighting nineteen villages, notably i Deynze, Nazareth, and Audenarde. The Belgians in the north carried out minor j operations on the Derivation Canal, assisted Dy French tanks."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable : Assn.-Eeuter. HEAVY FIGHTING ON THE FRENCH FRONT !.'•'•■'■• j' \ ■■ . London, November 1. ' A French communique states:—"Heavy fighting on tho western slopes of the v St. Ferguex Plateau resulted advantageously. . There were violent artillery ac- ,'■ izons during the night in the region of Guise and west of St. Fergeux."—Aus.-N.Z. ! Cable Assn.-Eeuter, • > [■■■' V NEW OFFENSIVE DEVELOPS ' v Glee. November 3, '5.5 p.m.) ;,- .- London, November 2. !,",._. A French communique states:'-"After fighting all day long between St.. Quen- '' iin-le-Petit and Herpy,' the enemy wa3 compelled to yield ground in the v- region of Banogne and Recouvrance, and also to the westward of Herpy. The I French Fourth Army, with the Americans co-operating, attacked this morning \)oa the Aisne front north and south of Vouzieres. on a front of 12£ miles from of Attigny to northward of Olizy. We penetrated the enemy's positions, ; which were stubbornly defended. We carried Killedy-nux-Oises, east of At;tigny._ Further south our troops, crossing the Aisne, caried Semuy and Voncq. j We vigorously drove back the enemy eastward nearly two miles; penetrating j! Voncq Wood deeply. Equally violent fighting occurred eastward of Vouzieres. j; We, gained a footing on the Aileuz Plateau 'to the north-east of Therron. We f-hare reached tho western outskirts of Vandyemood and the brook eastward, of ; Chestres. ■On our right we advanced beyond Falaise;' and carried the crests M south-west of Primal —Aus.-N.Z. Cable As3n.-Reuter. ■ ■ j"'- ■-• ■■■•" ' ",■ (Eec. November 3, 11.5 p.m.) • London, November 2, 7 p.m. i- ; A French communique reports:—"We resumed the attack to-day on the Aisne [■'front."— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Beuter. .■:. ''.'*'■ /. ■ '''■■' ;:•; ■:] ■ WITH THE AMERICANS NORTH OF VERDUN ! ■'■..■ ■'',-, ; . > London, November 1. I' - An American communique 6tates:-"North of Verdun we ejected the enemy :•■ from'the village of Brieulles, west of the Meuse. , The artillery activity is great |.-cn the whole front."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. ; . (Eec. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) / >..._. London, November 2. ' An Amenoan official report states:—"We continued our attack on the; "west j bank of tho Meuse, in conjunction with the French infantry, artillery, aeroi planes, and tanks. These forces co-operated and overcame and disorganised the '- enemy's resistance, and broke up counter-attacks. We are already beyond : Landres : St. George, St. George, lmecourt, Landreville, ' Chennery, Dayonville, !' Eemonville, Andevanne, and Clery-le-Grand. /A total of 3002 prisoners has •-been counted."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. }y :v , THE ENEMY'S REPORT f" ; '-"',-„ , '. .„„ ~, , , London, November 1. . ; A German report states.— Hostile attacks on the Lvs front from tho Dutch 'frontier as far as the Scheldt broke down."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Reuter; f\'" (Eec. Novemher 3, 5.5 p.m.) "■_ _ . London, November 2. , A German official report states:—"The enemy penetrated our lines southward 1„r Deynze. We have withdrawn from further attacks, yielding ground towards i the Scheldt. Our troops northward of the Courtrai-Audenardo railway have < withdrawn in order to keep touch with their neighbours on the heights on both , ; 6ides of Nokere."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.-Eeuter. - y- ■. . (Eec. November 4, 0.15 a.m.) ;,.-,'.,„ „,'.', , , London, November 3. ! . A wireless German official report states: "We withdrew southward of Deynze ; behind the Scheldt. We evacuated Valenciennes. The enemy near Voncq ad- ■ vanced to the heights on lie" eastern bank of the Aisne and gained li footing at Falaise. The Americans, gained territory on both sides of Bayonville." ! The German evening report states: "The English southward of ' Valenciennes ■ and the Americans westward of the Meuse gained local territory."—Aus.-N.Z. \ Cable Assn.-Eeuter. | THE WAR IN THE AIR , • London, November 1. Sir Douglas Haig reports :—"Our air squadrons on October 30 were instensely . active on the whole front. Over three thousand photographs were taken, and i nearly twenty tons of bombs were dropped. The squadrons successfully attack- ;■ ed an aerodrome, demolishing two hangars containing machines, from a low alti- ' tude, and caused many casualties in the personnel of the aerodrome by niachine- ' gun fire, and stampeding the horse transport in the vicinity. Continuous air 1 fighting,' resulting greatly in our favour, was the outstanding feature of the day."I. —Aus.-N.Z- Cable Assn.-Eeuter. i '•- ' . . , ! THE OCTOBER "BAG" ON THE BRITISH FRONT f ■ '■ , . .(Eec. November 3, 5.5 p.m.) | ,■ ;'•■.._,-,''. • , , , . London, November 2. ; Sir-Douglas Haig reports :-"The British during October have taken 49.000 prisoners in : France, including 1200 officers, and have captured 925 guns : and 7000 maclune-guns. In the area of the enemy's retreat are enor- ! mous s.tpeks of ammunition, material, and stores, which have fallen into our | hands, including several locomotives and quantities of roiling stock."—Vus.-N Z j Cable Assn.-Eeuter. ■