Heavy Fighting Round Le Cateau.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 19 October 1918, Page 3

Heavy Fighting Round Le Cateau.

BOLTING FROM LILLE SALIENT.

OFFICIAL .REPORTS. ■ Received this day, 10.30 a.m. Loawfoft, October 18, 12.35 a.m.. Sir iDouglafe Haig reports: _In ,-fche morning the British andi Americans attacked oil a nine-mite front northeastward of Bohain.. They met with .strong opposition on the wfoole front and there was heavy fighting all day. On the right the British 'attacking in close, eo-opei-atioit with tJWe French northward! of tlieCUse advanced two milcfe in depth across the 'high wooded ground eastward! of Boihainand captured Andiigny-les-Fermes. Further north we carried the line of the Selle river on the whole front south ward of Le Cateau. We progressed on the high ground eastward of the •River, capturing La Vallee, Mulatre and l'Arbre de Guise. On the left flank of ~ tifee attack we cleared the eastern por=tion of Le Cateau and established ourselves on the line of the railway beyond the town. The enemy held these posi-

tions in force, seven German divisions being on the front of the attack. They delivered a number of determined co-nnter-attaoks. All were repulsed witlh' heavy losses to the enemy. We prisoner ed over 3000.in these operations. Threatened by the continued Allied progress southward of the 'Sensee andi northward of the Lys, the enemy is hastening bis retreat from the Douai-iLille salient" We entered Douai, having broken the enemy'# resistance on tlie line of the l oa>ute (Deule canal. The troops of tJtoe Fifth Army under . General Birdwood, haying pressed batik the enemy's rearguards with great ac- : [tivity and determination for many \ weeks, to-day encircled and captured Lille. - A French communique says: The French in the region of the Oise sharply attacked all day between Andi<my Foreist and the river and captured Petit "Varey, Maroliavenne and Mont ny taking 1200 prisoners . The enemy furiously counter-attacked west of Grand Pre where we advanced north of Oligny. The American official report isays: We captured! and passed: beyond Grand Pre, taking an additional thousand prisoners.