THE WESTERN FRONT

Hokitika Guardian, 15 August 1918, Page 2

THE WESTERN FRONT

[per PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.] THE AUSTRALIANS CAPTURES. SOME 810 BOOTY. LONDON, August 13. Mr Murdoch, correspondent at Australian Headquarters, writing on the 11th., states: As fresh Hun troops arrive, including the Grenadier Guards resistance becomes normal and is characteristic of close and intense fighting. The importance of our successes on our left flank are shown by the great scale, almost frantic in nature, of the Gormans’ hold on file ridge in front of Lihons. The German gunners were told to sacrifice ythomselves at the guns in order to hamper the advance of the infantry. They wore told to die on the ridge. This ridge is the strongest position between Brettonneux and Roves. It- dominates the plain and is the beginning of the old Somme battlefield ana the old trenches are overgrown with grass, but are serviceable and are av

ailable for the defenders. The Australians did some bitter fighting and they found the ridge and eventually outflanking the Germans, driving them hack in a fierce counter attack,, capturing a number of guns.

’Hie Australian losses are under half the number of prisoners taken. The booty continues to pile up, the llosieres dump alone for the north is valued at a million sterling.

EIGHT FOIt ITSMETTE. LONDON, August 13. Heavy local fighting has occurred on the Vesle at Fismettc and north of Flames. The Allies hold the positions on the north •bank hut a heavy counter attack compelled them to retire to the south bank. Subsequently they regained the ground. The enemy is exhausting his reserves. The enemy is drawing troops from the lines and extending the divisions on the flanks. This process cannot be continued long.

RATTLE CONTINUES VIOLENTLY. LONDON, August 14. The battle continues violently,on the whole forty mile front, between the Oise and the Ancre. The maximum depth the infantry penetrated is thirteen miles and an aver nge depth of nine to ten miles. The Crown Prince and Prince Rupprecht are draining their lines elsewhere jn order to obtain reinforcements. Tho British captured 400 guns and the French 250. British prisoners total 20.000 and tho French prisoners 10,500.

AT LASSIGNY RIDGE

GERMAN ATTACK EXPECTED

LONDON, August 13.

The French have captured Leueouvillon, also the ground north of St. Claude Farm, thus putting them almost on the crest of Lassigny Ridge. The enemy holds the ridges on the first points at the extreme northern corner. It will take several days before the French are able to work down the slopes of tiie far side, also to get their artillery on the crest, then the enemy’s communications at Roye will be under observation and our fire. The Germans are expected to counter attack in considerable strength in tli is sector.

The capture of Yesloges by the French is also important as they are now pressing close to Roye from the west and south and apparently hold all the high ground there. The Germans are evacuating the trenches in the bed of the Oise River west of the valley.-

GREAT ENEMY ATTEMPT. TO CHECK ALLIED ADVANCE, LONDON, August 3. It is authoritatively stated that the Crown Prince, as well as Prince Rnpprecht. are now contributing men to tho Ancre and Oiso front, hoping to check the Allied advance. An order signed by General Ludendorff lately captured indicates the anxiety of tho High Command regarding his man power. The order is date • 25th June. Another order, practically admits the Allies supremacy in the air. Since the Bth of August, thirty divisions must have been heavily engaged by the British, Americans and French.

I Twenty nine German divisions have already been identified. Tho total German casualties on the Western Front since the beginning of General Foeli’s counter offensive are about. 3(50.000. Guns lost during the same time are about ]2OO. Prisoners state that in more than one place drafts latterly sent to reinforce the infantry are composed largely of artillery. Tho enemy have removed or destroyed a large number of aerodromes in the Sommo area, which has somewhat disorganised his air service.

; evacuation of roye expected NOYON NOW UNDER FIRE. LONDON, August 13. Tho French now occupy tho whole crest of Lassigny Massif. I It is considered inevitable that the German line northward of the ridge must fall back, and Roye will become untenable. Its evacuation is expected ; within 48 hours. I The guns are being brought up more quickly thnn anticipated. Noyon will be under fire immediately. Chalons may be held n day or two longer, but the , evacuation cannot, long be postponed.

THE POSITION REVIEWED ATTACKS AND COUNTER ATTACKS (Received This Day at 12.30. a.m.) LONDON, August 14. The French repulsed a counter attack on the Massif (Lassignv) after stubborn fighting. Although the French hold the crest the Germans still hold out on the north-eastern Spur. There is no news to-day concerning the French counter-attack at Lesloges Wood, from which they were driven, last night.

Although the figures cabled represent the number of prisoners actually counted, the authorities do not regard the Paris estimates of forty thousand to be over optimistic . The French captured over sixteen hundred machine guns and the Rritish an enormous number, but there is no opportunity of counting- them. The enemy are apparently making preparations for a further retirement-, burning the villages between Peronne and Chaulnes, but there are no signs of confusion or congestion behind the lines. Since the beginning of July, seventyfive thousand prisoners have been taken on the Western Front.

A DESPERATE EIGHT. (Received This Day at 9.50. a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. General Ttawlinson’s Army is meeting with desperate resistance east of Chaulnes. LA SSIG N Y CA PT URED. (Received This Day at 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. The “ Pall Mall Gazette” understands that Lassignv has been captured. A BRITISH GAIN. (Received This Dav. at 10.15. u tn.) NEW YORK, Aug. 14. The British have gained ground east and south of Metercn.

ch anging CHAR VOTER, THE NEW FIGHTING. (Received This Dav at 10.15. a m.) NEW YORK, Aug. 13. Mr Durant,v, the “New York Times” correspondent on the French front, emphasises that the character of tho fighting is undergoing a change, and is becoming an affair of manoeuvre, rather than of frontal assaults and of trench warfare. These tactics cause:! the full of Montdidier, and are now creating the same at Rove and Lassigny. Meanwhile the enemy is duplicating tho retreat tactics of the Marne, and is desperately endeavouring to hold back the advance, in order to permit of the removal of guns and munitions. The wonderful bombing work of the British airmen in demoralising the convoys, which presented a hellish scene at the bottle-neck of the road, where there was indescribable confusion in the panic-stricken men, stamping horses and bomb-shattered vehicles.

British airmen also flew low, overtaking the trains and firing through the windows.

GENERAL HUMBERT’S TACTICS. (Received This Day, at 9.25 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. 14. With the resumption of tho French advance on Lassigny Massif, interest attaches to General Humbert’s methods of attack. The French infantry have a' particularly difficult task in reducing the enemy resistance which the land formation strong assists. The surface of tho Massif consists of a jumble of ravines, affording excellent shelter for machine-guns. Artillery is practically useless but the capture of the Massif is so important, and it may lead to suoh far reaching results, that the. difficult task is well worth the attempt. General Humbert decided against frontal attacks, against machine-guns. Therefore each obstacle is being outflanked methodically on two for- j eing a withdrawal. ' rT ;- 1 - f >rto the plan [ worked well, and it demands great ; courage as well as perseverance, but ! tho French are displaying lvotli qualities. !

CANADIAN SUCCESS. 'Received This Dav at 11.25. a.m.) OTTAWA. Aug. 14. A Canadian official reports states five Canadians captured one hundred Germans and an entire trench during the recent- advance. CAPTURING BRAY (Received This Dav at 11.25. a.m.' . NEW YORK, Aug. 14. Tho Australians have captured all tho pnemy positions on tho western outskirt s of Bray, and now hold Oat cant Wood.