WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 30 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANS MASSING ON THE BAPAUMB HIKE. ;; ' YERY WEAK IN GUNS. LONDON, August 28. Reuter’s correspondent at British. Headquarters, writing this morning, says:—“The Germans are massing on the Bapaume Guedecourt Guillemont line, but they now remain conspicuously weak in guns, having lost so many and withdrawn others far to the rear. The Germans are putting In bandsmen, sanitary units, and road menders to reinforce the fighters. An amazing jumble of unts has been swept up from wide distances, to try to stem the tide. We, captured Immense quantities of engineering stores whilst in many places we have retaken whole ammunition dumps abandoned during our March retreat, these proving of inestimable service to the swiftly-advancing gunners as well as relieving the transport branch of -ne of its heaviest tasks. It is quite understandable why the Germans are resisting eastward of Arras, as the ’Allied success here' win a serious strategical menaciv ■ french Cavalry in nesle. ' LONDON, August 28. General Mangin has captured Chavigny, northward of Soissons. Croisilles, on the Somme battlefield 2 miles north of Bapaume, Ablalncourt, south of the Somme, 2 miles north of Chaulnes, and Ray, 5 miles north of Chaulnes, have been captured. t . French cavalry are in Nesle, 3 miles north-east of Roye.

FORTY VILLAGES CAPTURED. THREE TRAINS OF MUNITIONS. LONDON, 'August 28. French official: The enemy, being vigorously pressed, has accelerated his retreat on a front of 30 kilometres. To-day, we advanced more than ten kilometres at certain points and recaptured forty villages and three trains of war material. The Americans stopped a strong German attempt to cross the Yesle. AREAS-OAMBEAI EOAD OUTFLANKED. LONDON, August 28. Renter ’s correspondent at British headquarters, writing in the afternoon states: The British this morning, by hard fighting in wet, mild weather, advanced eastwards of Arras, thus carrying the line a mile further east along the Scarpe than ever hitherto penetrated. The Canadians began pushing beyond Yisenartos soon after daylight after which a second Canadian attack was delivered on a front of five miles, fairly outflanking the Arras-Cambrai 'Toad. The significance of the present fighting is that it is carrying us right into the main arteries of the Hindentmrg Line.

The battlefront is now fifty-six miles in length. It has been extended several miles by the entry of General Horne's army into the conflict. The British are fighting over three-fourths of the front from Vimy Ridge to Chaulnes, where they join De Beney’s army.

General Horne, who appears for the first time as commander of the First Army, was an artillery brigadier at the commencement of the war. He is the inventor of the creeping barrage, and is now fighting between General Byng and General Plumer’s armies. Eeuter’s correspondent at British xiefrby wie Guards in the face of tremendous odds.

PROGRESS AT ALL POINTS. LONDON, August 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Between Bapaume and the Scarpe we attacked all day and progressed at all points, Londoners gradually outflanking the enemy, who obstinately resisted. We captured Croisilles. The English fought their way towards Vraucourt and south-east of Fontaine les Croisilles. After severe fighting all day, the Canadians drove the enemy out of several defended localities and important trench systems. They captured Boiry Notre Dame and Pleves. We took prisoners in these operations. We also advanced our line northward of Locon. SOME GAINS RELINQUISHED, j. LONDON, ■ August 28. Reuter’s correspondent says: Northward of the Scarpe, Horne’s array was unable to hold all its gains in the face of heavy counter-attacks were rushed up by train and thrown into the struggle with headlong speed, losing, heavily from our machine-gunning and artillerying. The English battalions nevertheless held Arleux en Gohele and the Highlanders ’ stand staunchly on the line Plouvain-Gavrelle.

Reuter’s correspondent says: The Canadians reached the old German lino on a considerable sector, wdiile Albancourt and Fay are in our hands.

. The French on ;the, right captured .Marchplot,, which is very close to it he Somme, and which is almost south of Beronne and due east of Chaulnes. ,:Y V POSITION FULL OF POSSIBILITIES LONDON, August 29. J/r. Robinson states: The position on the Scarpe on Tuesday morning almost exactly reproduced the situation in May, 1917. The afternoon saw troops advancing over the rolling country in the valleys of the Cojeul and the Sensee well beyond furthest east in 1917, holding position north of Palves with the same Scots as battered their way to Roeux in 1917. Below the river, the Canadians reached the edge of Boiry Notre Dame. The Canadians and Scots are now fighting on ground which has not been reached since 1914, within two miles of Drocourt and Queant. This extension ha's been made despite the High Command’s desperate efforts to make the Germans fight, holding every point with considerable troops. It is believed our troops are now in Bullecourt, which is only two miles from Queant, the main hinge of the Hinderburg line, and the so called Switz extension. Therefore we are now against the very face of the chief bulwark of defence. I do not know whether it is intended to break the great defence line, but the Germans are distinctly uneasy at the rapid advance. The position is full of possibilities as dramatic as anything in the war.

During the fighting at Croisilles, a body of troops was cut off and escape seemed impossible, but the artillery put down a skilful smoke barrage, tinder cover of which the soldiers regained their line.

The capture of HanCduTT means a breach of two miles in the Hindenburg Line, The British hre within two miles of Combles. THE THRUST AT PERONNE. LONDON, August 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports; The Australians vigorously advanced and reached the general line of Fresnes— Herbecourt. The enemy is stubbornly resisting before the passages of tne Somme at Bris and Peronne, On the north bank of the Somme we captured Curlu and Hardecourt after hard fighting, advancing in the direction of Maurepas,