STILL PRESSING ON

Taihape Daily Times, 4 October 1918, Page 5

STILL PRESSING ON

FALL OF LENS AND ARMENTIERS. A Progress on Whole British Front. FRENCH VICTORIOUSLY ADVANCING Many Villages Captured. Negotiations With Turkey Reported

: WESTERN FRONT. FURTHER PROGRESS IN FLANDERS. LONDON, Oct 2. The Belgians have made further progress in the direction of Roulers, twelve miles north-east of Ypres, and four c (miles of Roulers. The Britsh have seized Ledeghem, eleven miles east of Ypres, and seized the Lys river line between Wdvicq and Comines, HIGH GROUND SOUTH OF CAMBRAI TAKEN. NEW ZEALANDERS ASSIST AT CREYECOEUR RIDGE, * LONDON, Oct 2. Sir Douglas Haig’s report, dated October 2, 10 p.m., says:—After maintaining strong pressure earlier in tie day the Thirty-second Divisions successfully atacked in the afternoon the German defensive line from Fonsomme to the neighbourhood of Beaurevoir, and captured Sequehattj, Presenters, and breached the Fonsomme-Beaure-voira line. Northwards we cleared Soncourt of the enemy. The Australians completed the capture of the defences southward, of Le Catelat and Southward of Cambrai a fierce struggle all .day terminated in a successful attack at dusk by the New Zealanders, English, and Scottish troops, who drove out the enemy from Crevecdeur and Rmnilly, and established, themselves on the high ground eastward and northward of those villages. Several hundred prisoners were secured in these operations. PLANS FOR EVACUATION OF BELGIUM. GERMANY WANTS TO DEFEND J THE FATHERLAND. r-. ; LONDON, Oct 2. An Amsterdam message reports that British warships again bombarded the Belgian coast on Tuesday night. A great fire was observed in the direction of Bruges.

cutting off the latter and compelling its evacuation. The French found it necessary to pierce the Hindenburg system only on a narrow front, the Germans getting out of the trenches which form a semi-circle in front of the city. WHY CAPTURE OF ST. QUENTIN WAS DELAYED. LONODN October 2. Tho United Press correspondent states; St. Quentin has been one of the real bastions of the superdefensive system. Its fall might have happened two days earlier, in connection with the Americian-Australian drive, but for the unexpected strength of the Germans in the vicinity of Yenhuile enabling them to force a wedge between the Americans, w T ho had gone ahead, and th© Australians, requiring the latter to spend two days mopping up. This delayed the plan, but finally the Australians made a complete job of it, as shown by the occupation of Beaurevoir line and the capture , of Vendhuille. Some of the finest fighting of the whole operation was that of, the British 46th Division and part of the Ninth Corps, which, following the Americans’ first rush, broke the Hindenburg Line on the adjoining sector and prisonered 4000. CAMBRAI MINED. LONDON October 2. With fires burning in Cambrai, and tho city believed to be heavily mined, three great underground chambers there offering the Germans unexampled opportunity for mining, the Allies are still avoiding direct assault. Seventeen hundred Germans were prisonered in the capture of Crevecoe'ur and Eanilly with all the heights northwestward of these. . ,■■ • • GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LONDON, October 2. At 7.30 this evening a wireless Gorman official says: We withdrew parts ■of our salient lines near St. Quentin, north-west of Eheims and westward of Arconnc. The enemy gained a footing in Lcdgehem, but our counter-attack regained the eastern part. On the fifth day of the Cambrai battle, we repulsed seven assaults northward of Sancourt, and further south of the enemy advanced beyond Abancourt and Bantigny. An enemy assault broke down south of Cambrai. The enemy captured Pumily and occupied St. Quentin. We withdrew from the Vesle. FRENCH PROGRESS ON THE VESLE. 0 •' $ Received 9 a.m, LONDON, Oct 3. A French communique reports: Tne enemy has been completely ejected from St. Quentin, the whole of which ■we are now occupying, also the suburb of Isle. Southwards we advanced towards Haucourt, and carried Moy, despite tenacious resistance by the enemy. North of the Vesle the advance continues, and Roucy, Jugencourt, Bouffligneux, Villers Frangneux, and Couroy have been captured. Our lines have reached the southern outskirts of Cornicy and Loivre. Further south we skirt the western bank as far as Laneuvilbette, and ■have captured Courcy. We improved our positions in the Champagne, southwest of Orfeull, and gained a footing on the heights south ofMonthoise. Received 10 25 a.m. LONDON, October 3. Our bombers dropped twenty-seven tons of projectiles and fired thousands of rounds at enemy concentrations and convoys during the night. Over twenty-seven tons were dropped on big stations at Longuyon, Conflans, Domqury, Barcourt Maisonblcue, Lc Chatelet, Montcernct and Laon.

The newspaper ‘‘Les Nouvelles” ieports that the Germans aie const-uct-ing pontoon bridges across the Meuse opposite all the Belgian roads leading to the river, and have complete! preparations for blowing up the fixed bridges.

Civilians have evacuated Courtrai,, ipfcoubaix, and Lille and are arriving at Antwerp and Liege in great numbers.

The'Daily Express Amsterdam correspondent states that von Falkenhausen’s military secretary, speaking to a leading Dutchman at The Hague on Monday, said that the plans were ready for the early evacuation of Belgium. The Germans will return to the frontier in order to show the world that they were really wanted to defend the Fatherland . It is rumoured that the Dutch authorities have taken the hint, and are strengthening the Belgian frontier to prevent violation of Dutch territory by the retreating Germans. DRIVE”COMPELS EVACUATION OF ST. QUENTIN. LONDON, Oct 2. The United Press Association’s correspondent reports that the' Hindenburg system has become a sieve and will soon be a memory, and open warfare on a scale similar to the first invasion will be made possible. The British Ninth Corps, co-operating with the Australians on the right, smashed German resistance on the main line, and traversed the supporting trench system the Beaurevoir line, taking Wiancourt, and Segnehan. enabled the French to advance straight eastward above St. Quentin,

ALLIES ON VERGE OF GREAT VICTORY. ■ LONDON, Oct 2. Reuter’s correspondent at Britsh Headquarters says; The long and bitter battle is still raging, but it has turned out so definitely in our favour that it is not premature to call it a great victory, the enemy’s desperate doggedness and Endurance alone warding off immeasurable disaster. By the afternoon of the Ist, the Australians had breached the Wain-court-Beaurevoir line, which is the last rearward outpost defence of the Hindenburg system, thus giving the French flank a covering for the capture of St. Quentin, The way the whole German resistance stiffened during the last few days was remarkable, seeming to indicate the enemy’s sudden consciousness that he was fighting with his back to the wall. This is confirmed by the sullennesa am! subdued savageness of recent pr. toners. Northward of the chief tactical gain, the battle swayed with incredible fury. We gained and maintained the high ground between Crevecourt and Rumilly, sending back batches of prisoners. The Canadians fought heavy numerical odds and inflicted losses on the enemy. In Flanders the Belgians, pushing on through mud often up hip high, drew nearer Eoulers, taking Hoogele and Handagehe. Our Second 'Army, equally handicapped by the condition of the ground, continued to Open a great crab claw towards Annentieres, and took Le Bixet, north of the town. This morning, the enemy opposition is increasing, as reinforcements appear in the lino. ’The whole Hindenburg system below Bellcourt tunnel is now regarded as in our hands. Strong patrols are working through the tunnel and many lateral galleries. This morning the Australians were exploiting yesterday’s gains and going on, likewise the English Can-, adian divisions between Le Gateletand the Sensee. - As the climax of the war approaches, the fighting grows more intense and stupendous. _ Never was there such a searching test of human endurance, and the killing pace cannot;, be long maintained. ( BIG RETIREMENT INEVITABLE. LONDON. 6ct 2. The situation on the Western front is most interesting. The loss of St. Quentin and positions northward must result in the enemy’s retirement on a fairly large scale, probably greater than the present fighting indicates. There will be a big change in the situation before winter. The weather is now unfavourable. If it permits the Allies to continue their pressure the enemy will be compelled to make serious and far-reaching changes to save the western front. The Flanders advance must slow down until guns come up. The enemy is vigorously contesting the Cambrai sector, where he has massed many divisions. Thi Allied capture of Rumilly, Crevecourt, and the high ground northwards and eastwards is a serious threat and may compel a retreat in the region of Le Catelet, or coop the enemy in an awkward corner between Gonsomme and Beaurevoir. It is still uncertain what lines he has in the rear. He certainly has some, though the present fracture makes the position most serious, and threatens his line of retreat in the Oise Valley and from the St. Gobain massif which is in process of being turned. The enemy is being pushed back vigorously between the Aisne and the Vesle, the French having advanced three to four miles on a ten miles front. The Germans are now retreating to th« 1917 line behind the Ailette and the x\isne. In the Champagne the French made small gains despite enemy resistance at a place where he can hardly afford to give any ground.

AMERICANS ADVANCE TO LAST GERMAN LINE. AFTER THAT, OPEN WARFARE. SPLENDID AERIAL WORK. Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 3. Mr. James, war correspondent, writes from the American front: The First American Amy is advancing towards the Kriemhilde Stellung line. Captured orders show the German High Command is extremely anxious that this line shall be held. The Germans are afraid to face the American troops in open warfare, to which they will be compelled if they give up this line, as there is no organised defence system between it and the French border. Our air service reports that more than one hundred enemy planes and twenty-one balloons have been brought down since the present attack started. BRITISH PRESSED BACK AT ONE ONE POINT. LOCAL SUCCESS BY CANADIANS. Received 8.55 a.m. LONDON, Oct 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy strongly attacked this morning

north-east of St. Quentin,, with fresh troops, and succeeded in pressing us back from Sequehart, where we stopped him. Local fighting continued northward of Crevecpurt and westward of Cambrai. There is no material Change in the situation. The Canadians, as a result of operations yesterday and during the night time in the neighbourhood of Cambrai captured the suburb of Neuville Stremy and the high ground westward of Handles. The enemy in the early morning commenced to withdraw on a wide front southward and northward of La Bassee Canal. We are following up closely, and have taken prisoners. A WEEK’S CAPTURES. 60,000 MEN AND 1000 GUNS. Received 11.5 a.m. NEW YORK, October 3. During the past week the Allies have captured 60,000 prisoners and 1000 guns on the Western front. I '. FRENCH SMASHING THROUGH AT ST. QUENTIN. ..jd LENS AND ARMENTIERES EVACUATED Received 11.5 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct. 3. General Debeny’s army is smashing through south of St. Quentin; The Germans have retreated three miles from Lens and Armentieres. The Germans admit the evaluation of Lens and Armentieres. BRITISH ATTACK NORTH OF ST. QUENTIN. Received 10.15 a.m. WASHINGTON, Oct. 3. A United Bress message states the British have attacked on an elevenmile front north of St, Quentin, taking Le Catelet. Gouy. Raniicobrt and vSequehart. i v. ■ FRANCO-AMERICAN ADVANCE.. Received 8.45 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 3. The , French have captured Challerange and Posvre. The United Press Paris correspondent states the Americans Have advanced four miles and ahalf in the Argonne Forest since the beginning of the offensive, , / ' ; GERMANS RETREAT ON A 20MILE FRONT. Received 8.45 a.m. LONDON, Oct 3. Sir Douglas Haig has announced that the Germans have retreated on a 20-mile front between Armentieres and Lens. BRILLIANT FRENCH CAVALRY.. CAPTURE USKUB.-, r Received KJ.Yo’a.m, *“• ! LONDON, Oct 3. A French Eastern communique, dated Ist October, reports: French cavalry played a particularly brilliant part in the operations preceding the signing of the armistice. After entering Prilep on September 23 they captured considerable booty and subsequently co-operated , with the infantry in the enemy?-resistance before Veles. The'cavalry turned the defences before Veles by following almost impassable mountain paths, then daringlypenetrating the enemy’s lines, and on the 29th came within sight of Uskub, which it carried, dismounted, by sheer fighting, holding on despite furious counter attacks, aided by fresh’ Bulgarian reinforcements. The measures provided for in the armistice are being carried out. THE AMERICANS' SUCCESS. COUNTING THE SPOILS. Received 10.25 a.m. LONDON, Oct 3. “An American communique states: A partial count of the captures shows 120 guns of all calibres, 750 trench mortars, 300 machine guns, 100 heavy tank guns, thousands of shells, and hundreds of thousands of ammunition. GREAT AERIAL A'CTIVITY. Received 11.35 a.m, LONDON, Oct 3. Sir Douglas Haig’s aviation report states: —The weather is fine and cloudy, and our low-fliers are very active machine-gunning trenches, parties of troops, and bombing ahd stampeding gun teams. We dropped thirty tons in the day-time and sixteen tons at night-time, and heavily attacked rail junctions at Valenciennes, Anlnoye, and Busigny. There was much fighting on the German side of the lines. We destroyed 21 aeroplanes, and drove down eight uncontrollable. Fifteen British are missing. AUSTRALIANS GAIN ALT. OBJECTIVES. ft LONDON, October 3. General Monash wired Mr Hughes: The Aiistralians captured all objectives to-day east of the Hiudenburg Line. *

GERMAN CLUTCH LOOSENING WASHINGTON Oct. 2. Despatches from Holland state that the Germans are removing stores and guns from the Belgian coast. German civilians have been recalled and naval reserves stationed at Antwerp are said to be preparing to leaye Belgium. | *■ HUNS BURNING FLEMISH TOWNS Received 11.35 a.m. AMSTERDAM, October 3. The Gormans are burning ia large number of towns in Flanders, including Lichtervelde and Roulcrs, the population of which have been sent to Germany, FIGHTING NEAR CAMBRAI. Received 11.35 a.m. LONDON, October 3. The United Press reports that General Rawlinson attacked on a ten thousand yards front at six in the morning, between Bony and Sequehart, and retook La Catelet, Gony Ranicourt and Sequehart, prisonering two thousand