WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 7 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ENEMY'S NEXT STAND. ' '*■' BEHIND NQRD CANAL. LONDON, Sept 5. Mr. H. Perry Robinson writes: — "Wednesday's advance south of the Scarpe averaged three to seven thousand yards. It is uncertain whether the enemy will elect to stand behind the Nord Canal. "He can hardly give up the fine on the right of Oisy le Verger, five miles north-west of Cambrai, Courlon, four miles west of Cambrai, and Flesquieres, three miles further south, without surrendering Cambrai, while on the left the retreat beyond Vitry en Artbis, five miles south-west of Douai, endangers Douai. The flooding of the Sensee and Scarpe rivers suggests the" intention to stand on these lines, where the enemy has fallen back so rapidly that we have difficulty in catching him, but the. first blow, was so shattering and the subsequent pressure so continuous, that we were able tfijfclake 15,000 prisoners on a narrow, front in three days."

FOLLOWING UP RETREAT, ... •LONDON, Sept 5. This evening's French communique reports: During the night we "maintained contact with the enemy rearguards, and advanced east of the Ganal du Nord and Nesle. We crossed the Somme Canal in the region of / Boyennes an Offoy. Farther south we passed Mon Beux, Estery, Hellon, Flavylemeheux, and carried our fines north of Guiscara to the: outskirts of Berlancourt. Between the Ailebte and the Aisne we carried Clamency, Bray and Mussy sur Aisne. Last night we repulsed two violent counter attacks on the Mon des Tombs, east of Leuilly, and maintained our positions on the Vesle front. French and" American trops are on the crest of the heights dominating the Aisne, extending our action still further We also crossed the Vesle between _Les Vanteaux and Sonneberg. A wireless German official message says: ■ The enemy pressed back our front field troops to a new fine between Ypres and La Bassee. We Continued our withdrawal in the region of Roye and freea ourselves without fight, the enemy following slowly. We withdrew from our Vesle positions eastward of Soissons undisturbed. ff .... _ FRANCO-AMERICAN ADVANCE NORTH.

AMERICAN FLIERS AT WORK. Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 0. The Franco Americans are advancing northward, reaching a plateau south of the Aisne. It is helieved th« Germans are likely to reoccupy their old lines north of the river or witndraw to the Chomin des Dames line. During the retirement the Germans used machine guns freely. American fliers bombed Longuyon and Conflans, wrecking the railway stations. The Americans have occupied Bazouches and Fismette, which the Germans evacuated. FALL OF HAM AND CHAUNY % . IMMINENT. ADVANCE IN EVERY SECTOR. Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 6. The French are within three miles of <£&aany. *W. Th&-Franco American forces are aevancing between the Somme and tne, Vesle. The Germans are flooding the coua-! try between Chauny and Lavre.

The Australians have crossed the Somme on a wide front south of Peronne.

The French are about to capture Ham. The British are advancing east ot Abeth NEUVE CHAPELLE CAPTURED. ADVANCE ON WIDE FRONT. Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 6. The British have captured Neuve Chapelle and Bussee. They have al?o crossed the Canal du Nord on a wide front. HAIG REPORTS PROGRESS. Received 9.50 a.m. " :;1 LONDON, Sept 6. Sir Douglas Haig reports: On the southern part of the battlefror.r, bot» northward and southward of Peronno, we are advancing, driving in the etiemy V rearguards and approaching the high ground on the Athies-Nuvlu front between Nurlu and the Sensee river. There has been minor engagements'in different parts. We slightly advanced on the spur northward of Equancourt. j Local fighting occurred about Neuville, Bourjonval, and Moeuvres. Patrols crossed the east bank of the Canal du Nord, southward of Marquiois. The enemy's Lys front again strongly atacked in the sector northward of Hill 63, but was repulsed after sharp fighting. We advanced a short distance southward and south-eastward of Nieppe, north-eastward of Wulverghem. • • '*■•' •■■' '•"•'' American official: We, in co-opera-tion with the French, continue to aervarice; and crossed the plateau nortrrwaTd of the Vesle. The enemy retreated to the' crest of the slopes leading to the valley of the Aisne.' .

FRENCH ADVANCE ON LAON. HAM-GUISCARD LINE TURNED. Received 10.20 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 6. The French troops have passed through Chauny, and are nearing Tergnier. General Debeney has turned the Ham-Guiscard line, and the Germans have accelerated their retreat. BRITISH ADVANCE IN FLANDERS. ENEMY'S HURRIED RETREAT. Received 10.20 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 6. The British west of La Bassee have captured Violaines. The first explosions show the hurried nature of the enemy retreat. BRITISH ADVANCE THREE MILES IN AMIENS SECTOR. ' Received 10.20 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept 6. British troops astride the AmiensSt. Quentln line have advanced three miles on a front of twelve miles. THE WAR SITUATION REVIEWED. 111,000 PRISONERS IN AUGUST. CZECHS CONTROL SIBERIAN RAILWAY. FINNS LOTH TO FIGHT AGAINST ALLIES.

Received 11.40 a.m., LONDON, September 6. From August Ist the British have prisonered approximately seventy thousand and Franco-Americans about forty thousand. Generally speaking there is no evidence that the German command has not kept the situation in hand, although it has made demands

on the troops which cannot be continued indefinitely without grave risk. The enemy's front generally has been maintained intact, and the withdrawal, even if hasty, has been carried out fairly methodically, although with the loss of an enormous amount of material. ' ' ■■■ -'

The situation in the east is still obscure, but the Czechs probably have obtained control of the whole TransSiberian railway. Allied forces, including Russians, are pushing down the Vologda railway. The feeling in Finland against fighting the Allies appears to be growing. The Finn army is full of mutiny, and discontent, but the Germans are still pushing forward communications northwards towards Petchenka, and eastwards towards the White Sea. Much bitterness prevails in Finland against the Germans exploiting the country. Our efforts in East Africa continue successfully. Von Letow appears to be working northwards. His total force is now reduced to below two hundred whites and two whites and two thousand Askaris.

BETWEEN THE VESLE AND THE AISNE. IMPORTANT FRENCH ADVANCE. 30 VILLAGES RECAPTURED. ENEMY RETREATING RAPIDLY, CLOSELY PURSUED BY THE FRENCH. Received 11.10 a.m. LONDON, Sept 6. A French communique reports: During the day the French continued to pursue the retreating enemy, and by the evening, on the Canal -du Nord and Vesle front we made important advance, despite local resistance. We hold Falvay Offoy on the north bank of the Somme Canal to south of the line ; s ( Of approach to Ham road, which is the border between Plessis, Parte Doie, and Berlancourt. South-east of the latter our front passes through the outskirts of Genvry, Caillouel, and Crepigny, on the north to Mar est and Dampcourt and the southern outskirts of AAbecourt. On the whole Ailette front the enemy, exhausted by hard fighting since 20th August, to-day began to give ground. Our units, pursuing the German rearguards, rapidly progresed north of the Ailette. Pierremande and AuTreville are in our hands, as well as the greater part of the low Forest of Coucy. Further east we occupy Filmbray, Coucy le Chateau, Coucy la Ville. We advanced one kilometre south of Ftsmes. On the right our frcnt passes east of Landricourt and south of Ailette we hold the line Neuville sur Margival and Vaegny, and the western slopes of Conde Fort. Over thirty villages were recaptured to-day on this part of the front. South of the Vesle we hold the border of the Aisne between Condeviel and Arcy. Eastwards the line passes north of Dhuizel to Barbouval and over Beauregare Plateau. Our were prominent , in the. battle, flying "their lowest and machine-gunning the retreating troops, transport, and bivouacs. Thousands of rounds were fired and six tons of bombs dropped on stations, causing the utmost confusion.