THE WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 October 1917, Page 3

THE WAR.

[PUB PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.]

THE WESTERN FRONT.

THE FRENIH SUCCESS.

THE AlSi'lE ADVANCE

11,000 ''PRISONERS

LONDON, October 20. A French communique says: M o made a general advance this morning beyond the positions reached lastevening. Bordering the Oise-Aisne vana land the village of Forest Paony else the village.of Pargiy Fita.n, which our patrols penetrated, we occupy the farms, of Stmanneus, ClWpcno. and St- Dermthe. The enemy junder our pressure vas compelled to abandon much material including twenty gunß, several *» , which are six inch mortars. Altogether a hundred and twenty guns were captured. Since the 23rd October we counted an additional several hundred mmthrowers and machine-guns. We took over two thousand prisoners during the dav, and over eleven thousand prisoners,’ including two hundred officers have been taken since the beginning of the operations. The Germans on the right bank of the Meuse follower! up in the morning the bombardment, of Bois le Chaume with an attack which our fire Btopped. A COMPLETE VICTORY.

BIG CAPTURES

'LONDON, October 26.'

A correspondent at tho Frews® Headquarters writing on the niternoon of the twenty-fifth, says: On tho right our victory was completed by the Rapture of tho i villages Pargny, Fili'an, and Therebonts, and in the forest of Pinon the enemy was forced 1 to abandon large numbers of guns. We made progress on the left beyond 'the limits assigned for the 23rd. Oetobor. Patrols were in touch along- the Oise-Aisne canal at nine this morning the Tanks cooperating. HAIG’S REPORT. RAIDS REPULSED. SAARBRUCKEN BOMBED. LONDON, October 20. Marshall Haig reports: The enemy attempted a raid last night eastward of Loos but was met with rifle and machine-gun fire and failed to reach the wire.

Two raiding parties attacked our lines northward of La Bassee cana l Ono was repulsed; before reaching the trenches, and the other entered the trenches but...were, driven out. MV took a few prisoners. .'! During the night there were pntroi encounters ehsilward • oi( Poelcapelle. Our artillery is active, and the wen- - ther on the' British front on Wednesday had slightly improved. Our aeroplanes homhed an aerodrome at CJourtrai. Eight enemy machines were Jbrought down and six of ours are missing. Our aeroplane squadron last night attacked factories and railawy ‘communications in the . vicinity of Saarbrucken with excellent results. Naval machines dropped oyer 3} tons of explosives on BurbncK woods, westward of Saarbrucken, causing considerable damage, and many fires. Another squadron bombed railway stations, junctions and good , sidigs, round about Saarbrucken, securing many direct hits and numerous explosions. A big bomb destroyed a train proceeding to Saarbrucken. A total of five tons were, dropped .

THE FRENCH ADVANCE

german devastation,

(Received this day at 12.80 a.m.) LONDON, October 26

The Daily Chronicle’s correspondent at French headquarters says after the terrible blows on Tuesday, the minor German commands seem in disorder. Papers taken reveal that one battalion whereof six hundred were captured at Pinon received contradictory, orders, to retire and hold Pinon at any cost. For some days French aviators *? i'i hoeP reporting that the Germans wore cutting down the fruit trees and demolishing farms in Ailetto valley, recalling the Somme retreat. .. It seems that the Bocho has got “the ■wind up,” very badly in this region. The French are making steady unrelenting progress.. . The. canal is not an obstacle, but .there is a good deal of marshy ground in Ailette Valley. The question also arises whether the enemy will attempt, to hold the remainder of Chemi-n des Dames. After two days triumphs, our troops are in splendid spirits.