WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ENEMY DETERMINED TO MAKE A | STAND. LONDON, August 13. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters last evening reported that our pursuit of the German retreat has reached a point of momentary stabilisation on the French wing. The necessity for bringing up artillery and munitions over deeply-rutted roads has caused an enforced halt. We are now at grips on ground which the Germans, when entrenched, held from the autumn of 1916 to the spring of 1917. The trenches are in a tumbleddown state, yet they afford the Germans the best opportunity of clinging to their ground since they left the line of the Avre Valley, and they are evidently determined to remain as long as they can. They are well supplied with machine guns, and to-day a continuous enemy line opposed our progress ' by regular barrages, instead of casual harassment fire. ' '. SIGNS OF RETREAT OVER WIDE , AREA. FIVE TOWNS BURNING. PARIS, August 13. • ' v>?. ..; ■. ■ -W-" . The "Petit Journal's" correspondent on the British front says that Chaulnes Carbonel, Suzanne, Merieourt, ■■■•• and Peronne, in the Somme battlefield, are 1 burning. AMERICA'S FIRST ARMY. & £» NEW YORK, August 13. The New York Times correspondent on the West front stattes that it is officially announced that the organisation of the first American army consists of more than 300,000 men, included in four or five army corps. NQYON UNDEE FIRE. LONDON, August 13. The enemy is exhausting his reserves and is drawing troops from the lines and extending divisions on the flanks] This process cannot be continued long. The French now occupy the whole crest of Lassigny massif. It is considered inevitable that the German line northward of the ridge must fall back and Eoye become untenable. Its evacuation is expected within fortyeight hours. Guns were brought up more quickly than was anticipated and Noyon will be under fire immediately. Chaulnes may be held a day or two longer, but the evacuation cannot long be postponed. The battle continues violently on the wholje forty-mile fronit /between the Oise and the Ancre. The maximum depth the infantry penetrated is thirteen miles, and the average depth nine to ten miles. The Crown Prince and Prince Eupprecht are draining their lines elsewhere in order to obtain r«inforcements. The British captured four hundred guns and the French 250. The British prisonered 20,000 and the French prisonered 10,500. THE FIGHT FOE LASSIGNY. CAPTURE ALMOST COMPLETE. LONDON, August 13. The French have captured Lenou-1 villon, also the ground north of St.; Claude Farm, putting them almost on the crest of Lessigny ridge. The enemy holds the ridges on the highest point of the extreme northern comeT. • It will take several days before the French are able to work down the slopes of the far side, and also get artillery on the crest, when the enemy's communications at Eoye will be under observed ife. The Germans are expected to counter attack in considerable strength on this sector.

The capture of Les Loges 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 trenches in the bed of the Oise river, west of Vailly. COUNTER-ATTACK AT LASSIGNY REPULSED. ENEMY BURNING VILLAGES. 75,000 PRISONERS SINCE JULY. LONDON, August. 14. The French repulsed a counter- attack on the massif after stubborn fighting. Although ? ■ the French: holdj the crest - of the massif, the Germans "stilt hold'' out on the ; north-eastern spnr.There is no news to-day concerning; the Frenfch at. Les Lodges Wood from which they were driven la'st night. • • ; ';>'■■■'.,■, ... Although the figures cabled represent the number of prisoners actually counted, the authorities do not regard the Paris estimate of forty thousand as over optimistic. The French captured over 1600 machine-guns, and the British an enormous number, but have had no opportunity to count them. The enemy is, apparently making preparation for retirement py burning the villages between Peronne and Chaulnes, but there are no signs of confusion," of congestion behind the lines. '' '• • -. ' FURTHER TRENCH ADVANCE. • - : v "- ; fi LONDON, August 14.' A French communique states: Dut-' ing the day we renewed our' attacks' between the''Matz and the Oise, and", despite strong resistance, we made' some progress. North-east of Oury "we gained a footing in Plessier de Roye park and "reached Belval. Further east, we captured lines to two kilometres north of the village of Cambrace. GRIM STRUGGLE FOR LIHONS. ENORMOUS BOOTY. LONDON, August 13. Mr. Murdoch, correspondent at the Australian headquarters, writing on the 11th, states: As fresh Hun troops arrive, including grenadier guards, the resistance stiffens, and the baffle begins to assume the normal characteristics of close intense fighting. The importance of our successes on our left flank is shown by the great scale —almost frantic in nature—on which the Germans hold on to the ridge in front of Lihons. The German gunners were told to sacrifice their guns in order to hamper the advance. The Infantry were told to die on the ridge. This ridge is the strongest position 'between Bretonneux and Roye. It dominates the plain and is the beginning of the old Somme battlen*eTG, and mazes of old trenches overgrown with grass, but serviceable, "are available for the defenders. The Australians did" some bitter fighting round the ridge, eventually outflanking the Germans and driving them back in fierce counter attacks, capturing a number of guns. The Australian losses were uncfeY half the number of prisoners taken. Booty continues to pile up. The Rosieres dump alone was worth a million sterling, STERN FIGHT FOR THIESCOURT HILLS. LONDON, August 14. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters, writing on the afternoon of the 13th, states that the enemy is desperately clinging to the western and southern edges of the Thiescourt hills, between Lassigny and the Oise, the key to whitfi position is St. Claude Farm on a hill six hundred feet high, just east" of Narcu-

illamotte, and dominating tha whola regioa. Further north, betwaaa Gury and t&a iiois de Loges, the Germans hold tke line of the old entrenchments, stuffed wtih machine guns. The capture of Bois de Loges" on the morning of the 12th was effected with magnificent dash. The Germans, counter attacking in the afternoon, re-occupied part of the wood. THE GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, Augus 13. Wireless German official: —We repulsed repeated attacks southward of Merris. We also repulsed attacks northward of the Amiens-Roye road and southward of the Avr«. It is authoritatively stated that "the Crown Prince, as well as Prince Rupprecht, are now contributing men to the Ancre and Oise front, hoping to check the Allied advance. It is anticipated that French heavy gui.3 will shortly bombard Noyonana cut off the enemy's main supply roads. ALLIES REGAIN LOST GROUND. LONDON, August 13. Heavy local fighting occurred on the Vesle at Fismetto, north of Fismes. The Allies held positions on the north bank, but a heavy counter attack compelled them to Tetire to the south bank. Subsequently they iregained the ground. ON THE BRITISH FRONT. LONDON, August 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The battlefront was comparatively quiet except for increased artillery fire. We took prisoners at several different points. Raiding and patrol activity is reported south of the Scarpe and north-east of Robecq, and in the neighbourhood of Vieux Berquin. t Since the Bth. the French First Army and the British Fourth Army have captured over 20,000 prisoners, including 800 officers, of whom eight are regimental commanders. We also took., six hundred guns, including many heavies, several thousand machine guns, numerous trench mortars, also three complete trains of vast stocks and stores. AIR FIGHTING. LONDON, August 13. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states that there has been much air fighting. We brought down thirty hostile machines and drove down seven out of control. We dropped fortyfive tons of bombs during the day on Peronne and Cambrai stations. We were heavily assailed. Twelve British machines are missing. riGHTINC- UNDERGOING CHANGE. ,','.' '' .'' NEW YORK, Aug. 13. Mr Duranty,..'the New York Times' correspondent'..at the French front, emphasises that the character of the lighting is undergoing a change, becoming an affair of manoeuvres rather than the ■ frontal assaults of trench warfare. These tactics caused the fall of Montdidier, and are now threatening Roye and Lassigny. Meanwhile the enemy is duplicating his retreat tactics of the Marnes, desperately endeavouring to hold back the advance in order to permit the removal of guns and munitions. The wonderful bombing work of the British airmen demoralised a convoy which presented a hellish scene at Bottleneck road, where there was indescribable confusion. panic-stricken men, stampeding horses and bombshattered vehicles. British airmen also flew low, overtaking trains and firing through windows. 360,000 CASUALTIES. MAN-POWER TELLING. LONDON, August 13. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on the afternoon of the 13th states that the Allied drive a Montdidier to the north of the Somme has reached a compartivcly quiet stage. The enemy is still hurrying up reinforcements and employing gas to the utmost capacity. His main concentrations of reserves are around Roye, which he is manifestly an-' xious to retain, leastwise for the present The Australians, who have been fighting in the region of Proyart St. Germans Wood, met strong machinegun resistance in Madame Wood. The Canadians also improved their position on the right of their front. An order signed by Ludendorff has lately been captured. It indicates the anxiety of the higher command regarding man-power. The order is dated 25th June. Another order practically admits the Allies' supremacy in the air. Since the Bth of August thirty divisions must havo been heavily engaged by the British. Americans find French. The total German casualties on the Western front since the beginning of Foch's counter-offensive ' is about 360,000, the guns lost in the

same time about 1200.. Prisonous «tate j

in MQro than one place that drafts lately sent to Teinforce the infantry were composed largely of artillerymen. The enemy has recovered or destroyed a large number of aerodromes in the Somme area which has somewhat disorganised his air service. THE KING VISITS THE FRONT.. FRENCH GENERAL DECORATED. Received 8.40 a.m. ' \ LONDON, August 14. The King has spent a strenuous J week at the front, covering hundreds of miles. He left London on the sth, though his tour was not connected with the prospective offensive, he saw much of the operations. He visited the King of the Belgians, Field-Mar-shal Haig, and Marshal Foch. He decorated General Debiney (the French general who has' done such splendid work in the present offensive) with the K.C.B. He saw all the British Army commanders, and inspected an enormous number of troopa of all arms, and the women's forces. He also visited General Pershing, and conferred many decorations upon the .Americans. He spent Monday with the Fourth Army, and visited hospitals and clearing stations near the line. RESUMPTION OF FRENCH ADVANCE. THE CONQUEST OF LASSIGNY MASSIF. HUMBERT'S METHODICAL ATTACKS. Received 9.15 a.m. LONDON, August 14. With the resumption of the French advance on Lassigny massif, interest attaches to General Humbert's methods of attack. The French infantry have a particularly difficult task in re-, ducing the enemy's resistance, .whicn the, rand formation.'strongly, assists. The surface.of the .massif consists of a jumble of ravines,' affording excellent shelter for machine guns and artillery is practically useless, ,biit the capture of the massif is so important and may lead to such far-reaching results that the difficult task is "well worth the a'ttempt.' General Humbert has decided against fronkal attacks, against machine guns, therefore each obstacle is being outflanked methodically on two sides; lj forcing a withdrawal. Hitherto the plan has worked well. It demands great, courage as well as perseverance, but the French are displaying both qualities. DESPERATE GERMAN RESISTANCE. LASSIGNY REPORTED CAPTURED. Received 9.30 a.m. LONDON, 'August 14. General Rawlinson's' army is m'eet- ; ing with desperate "resistance east of Chauln.es. V '.' ' ; ' The Pall Mall Gazette understands that Lassigny has been captured?. BRITISH GAIN GROUND. Received 9.20 a.m. LONDON, August li. The British have gained ground east i and west of Meren. HAIG'S PROGRESS REPORT Received 11.10 a.m. LONDON, 'August 14. Si:- Douguas Haig reports: Hostile artillery was active during the night along the battle-front, but there was no infantry action. Wo repulsed local attacks on Dickebusch sector at midday on Tuesday. There was considerable hostile artillerying in this neighbourhood at I night, also north-westward of Kemmel. We made a successful raid in the neighbourhood of Ayette. Our i patrols progressed on Vieux Berquln sector, and established our line eastward of the village, prisonering a number. Our line was advanced slightly eastward of Meteren. AUSTRALIA IS THERE. ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF BRAY. Received 11.10 a.m. NEW YORK, August 14. The Australians have captured all the enemy positions on the western outskirts of Bray, and now hold the Oatcaux Wood. ESCAPED PRISONERS' STORY. Received 11.10 a.m. WASHINGTON. August 14. Hunger-stricken Britishers, who escaped from the Germans on the Vesio front, have arrived in the American lines, after passing through the German barrage. They were captured m the Marne fighting. They spent seven days and nights after escaping from the German prison. They declared British prisoners are beaten and starved. German soldiers are living on horse meat.

CANADIANS' GOOD .HAUL. Received 11.1 C &.m, OTTAWA, August 14. A Canadian official report states that five Canadians captured one hundred Germans and entered the trencn during the recent advance. AIR RAID ON GERMAN COLUMN. - LONDON, August 14. ■ Prior to the great attack on Lassignyf'bne'- of our air scouts noticed 'define 'Volumes of men and transport jpjoufing" through the village. The French. sent 121 planes to attack them and twenty-seven tons of bombs were dropped on the Germans in the streets of Lassigny. Men and horses were killed and fires started. The streets were blocked with the wreckage of waggons, and the' march of ££& German column was retarded for •hours.