ANOTHER BRITISH DRIVE

Taihape Daily Times, 5 October 1918, Page 5

ANOTHER BRITISH DRIVE

WESTERN FRONT. GERMANS' LAST LINE. A NEW ATTACK. LONDON, Oct 3. Mr. Gilmour, writing on Thursday, says: The battle was resume!! this morning with a set attack with a view of piercing the rearmost Hindenburg position on the Beaurovoir line between two and three miles eastward of the underground canal. It represents the last strong- line of resistance for several miles. Australians belonging to.-units which have had an easier time since the storming of, Mont St. Quentin, are already reoprted to be on a considerable portion of the Beaurevoir line. The attack is supported by .heavyweight ■:' artillery and a number of tanks. Big' : guns all night long hammered the trenches. The British advance on the immediate right is reported to be satisfactorily - COMPLETE BREAKDOWN. LONDON, Oct 3, The British have broken the enemy's plan to , hold the HindenbuJ'g Line until winter should allow him to make a further withdrawal unmolested. .The plan has completely broken down. ~.,". The occupation of the. RoulersMenin roadl endangers the German hold of Ostend, and, combined with our attack on Cambrai, threatens both flanks of the German defensive. system in the Lille area. The attack, on Roulers was conducted by comparatively weak British forces, the striking success being due to the Allied pressure elsewhere. ;

The enemy thus far has lost since September 26th, 60,000 prisoners and 1000 guns, of which the British have taken 25,000' and 400 guns. The results of success already obtained largely depend on the weather. The number of German infantry divisions on the West has now been reduced to 187, in addition to five Austro-Hungarian divisions. The continued disbandin? of German divisions, and the substitution of women for men in the lines of communication show an increasingly unfavourable man power situation in Germany. Prisoners from Russia are to a great extent affected by Bolshevism, and there are frequent cases of refusal to return to the front.

The French centre has captured the western portion of the Chemin des Dames, and cleared the area between the Aisne and the Vesle. ENEMY'S EXTENSIVE WITHDRAWAL. LONDON", October 3. At 12.10 this morning Sir Douglas Haig reported. The progress of the Allied offensives in Flanders and hefore Cambrai and St. Quentin, com-' bined with the enemy's heavy losses in endeavouring to resist our success-, ful attacks, have compelled the enemy to undertake the extensive withdrawal of his line from Lens to Armentieres. The enemy is evacuating highly-organ-ised positions which he has held since the commencement of trench warfare and hitherto defended with the utmost resolution. This movement, which was expected, is being closely followed by our troops, who are maintaining touching with the enemy rearguards inflicting many casualties and taking prisoners on the front of retirement. We have already reached the general line—Cite-St. Auguste, Douvrin east of La Bassee east, of Aubers west of Bois Grenier. Our advance continues. Last evening we repulsed an attack northward of Cambrai. We renewed attacks northward of St. Quentin this morning.

SIX MILES EAST OF LENS. Villages and Prisoners Captured. 4000 Huns Taken at St. Quentin. Atistrians Withdraw from Albania. Allies to Strike at Constantinople.

Aviation report: We dropped 43 tons of bombs on selected targets at Courtrai, and an attack was made on the railway junction at Aulnoy; we blew up an ammunition train, and set fire to the rolling stock. Photographs show great damage and much disorgansation in this centre of. tfie enemy communications. We heavily bombed Lille and Valenciennes stations, and many targets on the battle area.

j French communique: In the region of St. Quentin violent fighting occurred at the Hindenburg positions, between Lesdines and Sequehart, where the enemy very -strongly resisted. Further south we gained a footing in the railway eastwards of St. Quentin, and made progress in fighting eastwards of Lisle. North-west of Rheims we carried Cormicy and reached the canal between Concevreux and Laneuvilette. The battle in the Champagne continues with sustained violence. We enlarged our gains in the region north of Sommepy. *Our troops are breaking down the resistance of the enemy. j

GENERAL PLTJMER MAKES IMPORTANT ADVANCE, LONDON October 3. A Belgian communique issued at 6 o'clock this morning, says: Notwithstanding the enemy's stiff resistance, the Belgian arony improved their positions by a local thrust at different points. General Plumer's army, after severe fighting made an important advance in the direction of Menin, capturing Gheluwe. North and close to Armentieres, General Primer captujred Bizet and Heneque Farm, north of Houplines. British aviators destroyed nine aeroplanes and two balloons. , ; . The ,'.< Morning Post's '' correspondent, states: The loss of St. Thierry, massif and fort definitely frees Rheinis, from the risk, of German aggression. .The news from St. Quentin shows;that whole quarters, of the town are . in flames, and "explosions are frequent,/ :. THE AMERICAN'S GREAT TASK LONDON. October-3. ,' Reuter's correspondent at the American headquarters says: In the fighting' on .a ten miles > front in the f o'relt of the Argonne, the Americans have been obliged to dispense with motors and horses and use man-power to drag artillery and supplies. When smashing wire defences the men frequently exposed themselves in order to locate machine-guns. The whole advance 'shows the greatest valour and energy. .HUNS FORCED BACK IN CHAMPAGNE. """"-—~ Received 8.45 a.m. LONDON, October 4. ! An American communique states: With the French we drove back the enemy and took Montblanc and other positions in the Champagne. Between the Moselle and the Argonne Forest , j there has been artillery and patrol acI tivity. PROGRESS REPORTED IN ALL SECTORS. Received 11.5 a.m. LONDON, Oct 4. Mr Philip Gibbs states that by our attack this morning across the St Quentin-Scheldt Canal, south of Cambrai, we prisonered many and broke. into the country about Le Catelet. With luck we may force the enemy to retreat to Le Gateau, and by cutting the line of communication compel the abandonment of Cambrai. Owing to constant pressure north and south on the battlefront he is already in wide retreat in La Bassee salient. We mustn't indulge in rosy, optimistic dreams,' but may say we are on the eve of amazing possibilities, and possibly there is a supreme chance of bringing the war to a decisive issue.

We carried the crest of Blancmont and Midah Farm, five kilometres north west of Sommepy ;2800 prisoners are already counted to-day. BRITISH PROGRESS CONTINUES. MANY VILLAGES AND PRISONERS TAKEN. Received 8,45 a.m. LONDON October 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At dawn ! the British infantry and tanks attacked on an eight mile front from Sequehart to the Canal northward of Bony. The attack was successful at lallpoints. On the right the attacks of the English and Scottish of the 32nd Division retook Sequehart taking prisoners and later beat off a counter attack with loss. In the centre the English stormed Ramicourt and Wianeourt, prisonering several hundreds while the Second Australian Division broke through the Fonsomme.Baurevoir line west and south-west of Bcaurevoir. Pressing forward, the troops of these two divisions,, accompanied by tanks, reached the western outskirts of Mont Brehain, and secured the high ground southward and southwestward of Beaurevoir. On the left the attack of the English and Irish forced passages of the Scheldt Canal at Gouy and Le Catelet, capturing both villages and the high ground castwrad. The enemy counter-attacked strongly in this locality in the afternoon and heavy fighting continues. We prisoncred a large number in these successful operations. On the remainder of Sa. Quentin-Cambrai battlefield only patrol encounters occurred wherein we secured prisoners. In the area of the enemy's withdrawal northward of the Scarpe we progressed steadily all day maintaining constant pressure on the German rearguards. Lens has been cleared of the enemy, and our advanced detachments have reached the general line of,, Avion to , Vendin, Levieil # Hantay. Wicris and •pEEerlies and we are eastward of Bois..graenier. We occupied Armentieres, 4000 PRISONERS TAKEN AT r ...,/;,; ;■.•;'■ st. ; ;(^entin''';;/. ~; . r , ; ;" .°:. Received 9 a.m. ~ ; . NEW YORK,'bctober 4. The British captured 4000 prisoners at St. Quentin. The French have advanced east of Les'dens. The Americans in conjunction with the French, have advanced three miles east of Rheims. r .... AMERICAN REACH GERMAN DEFENCE LINE 1 Received 9 a.m. NEW YORK Oct. 4, The Americans have - reached, the Kreimhilde line,, south of. Brieulles.--Kreimhilde is a prolongation; .of ..the .general defensive system.-,from Laon,and *is believed to.be heavily fortified.-, i \ • ■»; BELGIANS MOVING ON. - d AN ARMOURED CAR EPISODE. Received 9.10 a.m. LONDON, October 4. A Belgian communique reports:— The Franco-Belgians on the 3rd attacked strong enemy positions eastwards of Staden, breaking down the enemy resistance. Our troops advanced the line two kilometres and reached the outskirts of Hooglede also the Hooglede-Roulers road. A violent enemy counter attack eastward of Scalers was smashed before reaching oar lines. During the 2nd October a Belgian arwured cor daringly crossed tnc Gorman iines and .'io It rs. Despite heav/ enemy fire from u.i sides the eta- subsequently iv.,.vu'el tl.nugh the German positions u:,.-3 reveled our lines.

THE LATEST BULLETIN. SIX MILES' ADVANCE AT .LENS. Received 11.5 a.m. LONDON, Oct 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At the conclusion of yesterday's fighting we held - the high ground a mile northeast of Sequehart, and had successfully beaten off counter attacks at Jcuy, Le Catelet, and Sequehart. We prisonered over four .thousand in yesterday's operations. Northward of St. Quentin during the" night local fighting to our advantage occurred southwestward of Beaurevoir and the southern outskirts of Cambrai. We slightly advanced our posts northeastward of Epinoy. and repulsed a hostile attack on a post southward of Biachesvarst. Northward of Searpe we made progress between 'Oppjy and Mericourt, and more northward of the Scarpe our advanced troops reached the railway eastward of Lens. The general line is Vcndin, Levierl. Wengles, Berceau. Fournesenweppes, and Houplaines.

NEW YORK. Oct 4, The British have advanced six miles between Armentieres and Lens.