WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 26 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

AMERICAN CAPTURES. IN ST. MIHIEL SALIENT. NEW YORK, September 24 The Chicago News correspondent on the American front states that the Americans captured German material valued at £8,00,000 in 'the St. Mihiel offensive including several fake German tanks, duplicates of real tanks but made of wood covered with canvas and fitted with wooden guns. The camouflaged tanks were used in the daytime to make the Allies think the German forces were moving preparatory to an attack. The Americans •also found a place where a picture of an aviation field with hangars and air machines and painted on the ground to deceive Allied observers. FIGHTING EAST OF EPEHY. ;; ■■ FIVE NEW HUN DIVISIONS ■ SUFFER. ■.:,> '<, ' LONDON, September 24. , The Germans suffered heavily in attempts to retake posts eastward of Epehy. • , Five fresh divisions (including a: crack Alpine division), two of which apparently arrived since Saturday, participated. According to captured (documents,, the: ground the British captured is an essential part of the defence of the Hindenburg system. The troops were ordered to hold it regardless of cost.

Wireless German official—We recaptured tench sectors southward of Villers Gucslain and eastward of Epehy. SUCCESSFUL- ANGLO-FRENCH ATTACK. LONDON, September 24. Sir Douglas Haig reports a successful operation in the morning in cooperation with the French in the St. Quentin sector. The English attacked at dawn on over four miles of frdnt in the neighbourhood of Omigbn river and southwards. We made good progress on the whole of this front, taking 800 prisoners. Vigorous resistance was encountered at a number of points •.especially in the neighbourhood of Selcncy where fighting continues. We slightly improved Our positions north-east of Epehy as the result of local fighting. A French communique states: West of St. Quentin, in conjunction with the British, we made a fresh advance during the morning and captured Franeilly, Selency village and Dallon, despite vigorous resistance. Further south we reached the eastern out skirts of Giffecourt, captftrring prisoners and numerous machine-guns. The Germans, violently attacking in the Glerines region, on the Vesle front gained a footing in advanced elements. Our counter-attack completely restored our line and yielded prisonrs belonging to three regiments. 1000 GERMANS TAKEN AROUND ST. QUENTIN. Received 9.10 a.m. NEW YORK, September 25 One thousand Germans were captured around St. Quentin. BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. RECORD OF MINOR OPERATIONS, Received 11.30 'a.m. LONDON, Sep! 25> Sir Douglas Haig reports: We made further progress on the evening of the 24th and during the night in the, neighbourhood of Sellincy and at. Grocourt. The enemy in several counter attacks failed; twice in great

strength north of Grocourt, but was repulsed on both occasions. Two companies of the Second Battalion of the Royal Sussex in one instance got at the enemy with the bayonet, inflicting heavy casualties, and capturing a number. The enemy in the evening re-attacked at Gricourt and at first made some progress, but we immediately counter attacked and restored the situation. We prisonered one thousand and took a large number of machine guns ( north-west of St. Quentin. On Tuesday successful minor operations took place. On Monday night we slightly advanced our line southeast of Inchy. We repulsed raids east of Demicour't. North of Lens the enemy raiding west of Sauchy and Cauchy captured a British post. The enemy re-attacked the same post, and was repulsed. We made a successful raid: at Wulverghem. ...