OTHER SOURCES.

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1918, Page 3

OTHER SOURCES.

[PC.TI PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.! 19 MILE RANGE GUNS. PARIS, Aug. 24 The Australians captured some eleven inch guns, with a range of nineteen miles, of a recent model, intended for the bombardment of Amiens, lliev will be publicly exhibited in Paris. PARIS JUBILANT. PARIS, Aug. 24. An eleven inch gun from the Australian front has now arrived at Champe de Mars. The trophy evoked enthusiasm among many thousand Parisians. This was heightened later by the Australians great success in captur nig Bray, and the New Zealanders splendid achievement north-Avostwaid of the. outskirts of Bapaume coupled I with the British victory at Thiepval and the surprising rapid advances at many points along the whole battlefront.

FOCI-l AND PET AIN DECORATED. PARIS, Aug. 24. President Poiiieaire, accompanied by Premier Clcnienceau, visited General Potnin/s headquarters and decorated him with military medal. Subsequently they visited Marshall Focli’a headquarters and presented Foch with n Marshall's baton, in the presence of the Allies military repiesontntives. M. Poincaire declared by wise, successful operations, combined with surprise, the enemy had been defeated on the Marne, Aisne, Avre, Somme and Oise. You have broken the enemy’s offensive disconcerted his plans, exhausted his reserves, and captured on masse his men, guns, mnch ine guns, and munitions. Glory to you Monsieur lo IVlarechal, and all the armies you command.

AUSTRALIAN GUN CAPTURE(Received This Dav at 10.15. a.in.) PARIS, Aug. 26. From an early hour yesterday, thousands flocked to the Champ de Mare to eeo the gun capurcd by the Australians, who baptised it “Little Bertha.’ The gun, which was taken with its own locomotive, was exhibited with four trucks containing shells, spare parts, repair shops, and gunners’ quarters. The gun weighs 150 tons. The tube is twenty-six feet long, and shells five feot high, and can only be fired in ono direction. Accordingly it is moved on curved rails. The detachment of Australians, who capurod tho gun, mounted guard. Visitors all day cheered and congratulated them. Many visitors travelled long distances from the provinces. The gun is inscribed: “Captured by British Fourth Army, August Bth, 1918.” , It is understood the gun will later be- exhibited in London.

A FAIRY TALE. ; -'vvir« TelPSTfims. i (Received This Dnv at 1.5. p.m.) LONDON, August 26. Mr Murdoch, writing from Australian Headquarters says the machine-guns employed by the Germans against, the Australians were so thick that the first waves of attackers ■ passed scores so that the moppers up had the bloodiest fighting of the day, stalking the gunners and collecting hundreds of quivering Bosches from dugouts. Some Germans attacked the advancing tanks and pelted them with bullets, until they had not an inch of their surface unmarked ,the bullets sticking out of the armour thickly. One tank broko down and had the Bosches clambering over it, sticking pistols into the openings, while mad Germans assaulted another with bayonets, pricking the sides until thev were shot down.

TEST OF PHYSIQUE. (Received This Day at 1.5. p.m.) LONDON, August 26

Mr Thomas writes—lt is great pursuing weather, though only men of the best physique can hear tho strain. The British, Australians and New Zealand troops ware still quite untired and reluctant to be relieved. They can.be seen dashing forward cutting off the retreat of men, transport and guns. It was a wonderful sight to see our soldiers troop ing forward without noticing the hundreds of Germans eager and anxious to surrender. One of the boldest strokes of the. Australian front was the wading and swimming of the Ancre in night-time, below Grandicourt and tlie subsequent unsupported advance eastward. A group reached the Pys, and were entirely surrounded by Guards and were entirely surrounded by Germans who were too seared to attack bv that time.

DEMORALISED. LONDON, August 26. Mr Robinson writes —Evidence of considerable enemy demoralisation is seen in his throwing in of all sorts of scratch troops with the hope of checking the advance but the bewildered units are cut off aud captured before they are aware they are iu the battle. .Scraps of new battalions aud remnants of shattered divisions aro captured, mixed up with other troops in endless confusion.

Captured German officers did not attempt to minimise the gravity of the catastrophe. Tho enemy was forwarned of the Australian advance below the Somme and massed machine guns averaging one to every two yards. The pieliminary advance of tho Tanks largely neutralised them. The Germans aro*now thoroughly afraid of the Tanks and fairly have them on tho brain, as captured documents reveal, reporting their presence in all sorts of places where Tanks had never reached. German officers rebuke us as ungentlemanly in using Tanks, to which they are unable to surrender. They bitterly complain of being compelled to chase tho Tanks like buses hailing them to stop and take them aboard, but the Tanks refused to stop and went on crushing the machine gun nests All prisoners practically agree that Germany’s ultimate victory is now impossible, but if the Allies mean to crush her utterly, Germany will tight on for ono or two years.

THE PRESENT LINE. Received tills day at 2.36 p.m.,) LONDON, August 26

The Australian Press Association learns that the attack is proceeding very favourable bringing the fighting within a mile of the Hiudenburg line. The enemy’s resistance north of Bapaume is stiffening . The British Third Army captured the high ground between Fampoux and Nieuvillo Vitasse Fighting is proceeding at Lenin Hdl. The line then continues to the western out-fjkirta of Croiselles. After taking Mory we made progress in a south-east-erly direction capturing Favreuil and Avosnes le Bapaume and Butte do Warlencourt. The line then runs south and east to Martinpuieh. There is little alteration south of the Somme

ANOTHER ACCOUNT. T.OXDON, Axis 2G. Mr. Gilmour, at the Australian headquarters describing the Australians advance. , says although tho Germans in places put tip the stillest fight, the attackers after a series of short, sharp rushes eame xvtihin striking distance and the gunners then showed the great estJ readiness to surrender. !\v hole bodies of Germans at one point ran forward precipitately throwing down their arms. Several were shot down by their own officers from the rear. Prisoners includes the representatives of five divisions, affording evidence of the disorganisation behind

the front. One former Harvard University mail admitted that tlie offensive last March was intended to reach the Channel Ports and when it failed in this design, the line swung southward, but they did not hope to capture Paris. When the Australians reached the final lino, the officers failed for jnoro artillery and pushed further on. This splendid exploitation resulted in the capture of the ruined village of Chugnos. with twelve guns, one a fifteen incit piece. The extension of those operations caused the hurried withdrawal of German guns from the threat cued valley southward of the Somme. The attackers pressed forward through the (tones which the German heavy guns had saturated with gas, and reached a lino embracing Ghulgtes, Garonne Wood, and Square Wood. Before nightfall a German counter-at-tack was driven off with tho bayonet. This was the only time the bayonet was used.