STILL ADVANCING.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 August 1918, Page 5

STILL ADVANCING.

FOGH’S BRILLIANT STRATEGY . ATTACKING ENEMY FLANK Advance Four Mites on 15 Mile Front W>. ' ——— 2.800 PRISONERS CAPTURED. _ I British Cain Four Miles of Territory.

: WESTERN FRONT. 1,-

THE ADVANCE DEVELOPING. LONDON, August 20. A French communique states: Between the Matz anti the Oise ’we Whtinued to progress. We captured Fresniefes, notwithstanding desperate resistance. We reached the outskirts of Lassigny. Further south we succeeded in debouching in the Thiescourt Woods. On our right we captured Pimprez, and pushed as far as the southern outskirts of Dreslicourt, north of the Aisne. Completing our success between Carlepont and Fontenoy, we captured the village of Marain. The number of prisoners we”htive taken in this region since yesterday reaches 2200. BRITISH REPULSE AN ATTACK., LONDON, August 19. : > Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy morning strongly attacked our posftipns on a mile front between. Lllons and Herliville. They succeeded in penetrating-our line at two points, but our counter-attack drove them out and the situation was completely restored. , We inflicted a few casualties prisonered a few. • 5 RETIRING BEFORE THE BRITISH., ’.-r.fr » TO SECURE IMPROVED • : . POSITIONS. LONDON, August 19. ' Reuter’s correspondent at the British headquarters, writing on the evening of the 19th, states that from, north of Hebuterhe to the south of Albert, the Germans continue slowly and methodically to move back. There are now signs of retirement in the Scarpe Valley, where our patrols have established contact with the enemy on both hanks and progressed on the south bank. Prisoners state that the object of withdrawal is to secure improved positions before the winter, and conserve man-power. In a captured document Ludcndorff bemoans the shortage of horses, and urges the necessity for the strictest care, as they cannot he replaced. The shortage is so serious that officer’s animals are ruthlessly requisitioned. , IBERVILLE ENTERED. LONDON, August 19. Our advance in the Merville sector was continued, considerable progress being made on a front of 10,000 yards We entered Merville from Paradis to Les Puresbecques. In sharp fighting ■we took prisoners and machine-guns. Our total prisoners in 'the neighbourhood of Outtersteene is now G7G, including 18 officers. LONDON, August 20. Mr Percival Phillips states: Four out of five German armies facing the British are now occupied with a back ward movement.lt is not a general retirement, but the front involved is sufficiently wide to cause further disquiet among the German troops concerned. Yesterday the- German Sixth Army lost the remaining high ground overlooking the Lys plain, when the Scots and Welsh took Outterstreene Spur by a neat surprise. The Germans were expecting an early morning attack, but we launched a smoke screen at 11 o’clock in the morning, and attacked from the north instead of the west. Therefore, the Germans were saponified before they could rally. T3ir Douglas Haig’s report states: We brought down six aeroplanes. One British Is missing. ‘We dropped sixteen tons of bombs during the day and night. wi-

THE GERMAN VERSION. LONDON, August 20. German official. —There was a vigorous battle all day between the Avre and the Oise. French attacks' oh a wide front broke down with heavy losses. Wireless German official. — We repulsed British attacks between Meteren and Merris. We advanced our lines locally northward of the Ancre. An Australian attack on Harleville broke down. The enemy penetrated the western part of Beufraignes. We withdrew to the eastern edge of the village. An enemy assault between Carlepont and south-west of Nitmuvron broke - down after a bitter ; struggld lasting many hours. * •• - ■ !i HAIG'S LATEST REPORT. 1 Received 11 a.m. 1 LONDON, August 20. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We advanced our line to the neighbourhood of Vieux Berquin and Oultherstone Road, and repulsed four attacks north-east of Chilly. We made a successful raid' on a post west of Bray. Our patrols made further progress between the Laeve and the Lys rivers, being now east of Paradis, on the Melville Road. MORE GERMAN TREACHERY. Received 9.45 a.m, NEW YORK, August 20. The “Herald’s” correspondent on the American front quotes incidents where the German machine gunners have thrown up their hands, crying, “Kamerad,” and when the Americans came close the Germans opened fire , with a device for firing with their .feet. FRENCH ADVANCE FOUR MILES. / t ~ iON FIFTEEN-MILE FRONT. Received 9.45 a.m. NEW YORK, August 20. The French advance e'ndangers the Germans’ positions near Soissons and the Aisne. The French are advancing over a fifteen-mile front and have gained four miles. FOCH’S MASTERLY STRATEGY. V ALLIES ADVANCING ON BOTH 5 BANKS OF OISE. GERMAN FLANKS ATTACKED. ENEMY HAS TO USE HIS RESERVES. ONLY A PRELUDE TO FURTHER RETREAT. Received 10.35 a.m.. LONDON, August 20. A French headquarters’ correspondent, writing on the 19th in the evening states: Simultaneously with General Mangin’s attack east of the Oise General Humbert attacked from Lehamel on the right of the Oise, north of Ribecourt to B‘ois des Logos, midway between Roye and Lassigny. films the enemy, who hitherto was fronting west of Humberts Debeny’s and Rawlinson’s armies, is now menaced On the southern flank. Mangin’s two attacks on the 17th and 18th August, brought his troops at one point barely two miles frmo, Humbert’s, and conjoining attacks of the two armies secured a tine, Qn which they are advancing on both banks of the river, and on our left is causing the enemy serious anxiety, for his positions between Bois des Loges and Lassigny, The Germans resistance is deperately hard. We reached a stage corresponding to that of the Germans at the end of March and the beginning of Juno,, when our reserves began to arrive and

i restored the advantage of the initiative by successful flank attacks. The enemy is now using his reserves, and however he may grudge the necessity of having to waste them, in a defensive battle in which the end is only j the prelude to his retreat, he still possesses some thirty fresh reserve divisions, in addition to four hundred thousand youngsters of the 1920 class. BRITISH ADVANCE FOUR MILES. FRENCH CAPTURE 2800 PRISONERS. 1 t w Received 11.20 a.m. 1 ' NEW YORK, August 20. Sir Douglas Haig has advanced four miles in the Lys salient. The French have captured two thousand eight hundred prisoners.