THE ALLIED ADVANCE.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 October 1918, Page 5

THE ALLIED ADVANCE.

|N THE OUTSKIRTS OF LE CATEAU BIHfIIUPHIMfIMByWII 250,000 HUNS IN RETREAT. FIFTEEN MILES IN TWO DAYS. Open Country Now Reached. Bitter Fighting in Champagne.

WESTERN FRONT. S3. FEATURES OF THE LATEST BATTLE. LONDON, Oct 9. Phiip Gilbbs writes: Many wonderful features of to-day's battle differentiates it from other attacks, one of which was the unusual hour at which the assault began, another the extremely complicated disposition and movement of the troops, some fighting eastwards and against the Beaurevoir line, others northwards and southwards and behind. It would have been difficult at any time for troops new to the ground to fight under these conditions, and it was especially difficult in the darkness. It is astonishing that the men were able to keep direction, but they did it. General Rawlinson on Tuesday took 6800", prisoners and captured 35 guns. The Americans .took two batteries, which they are utilising against the Germans. An enemy regiment bolted as the Americans. approached. , ..,.,! ;-, LEAVING THE ARGON NE. , 7 A; HASTY. EVACUATION. ..;,,..,, > ;,Y 7 l"V "•'. LONDON, Oct 9.. The -French and American successes east of the "Mouse has definitely freed Verdun. . ' - , The "Echo de Paris" states that owing to-the latest advance the Germans* are hastily evacuating': the Forest of Argonne. ....—':-"■■. it ■„>*'•; -:• .-■■■:■■<' EYE FOR AN. EYE. Oct 9. Supporting the views of many correspondents, the "Times" says: The lion-military policy of destruction is part of the peace propaganda, meaning "Give me the advantages of a truce or I will burn and destroy everything in retreat." This species of blackmail is iboth cruel and mean, and is impossible to prevent unless we are able to achieve some comprehensive Sedan. General threats of reprisals are useless. Special punishments must be devised, such aa are understandable by the coarsest minds. "We must have an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a town for a town. If Bruges be destroyed, Hamburg must pay; if Lille, then Frankfurt.

taking over seven hundred prisoners in the finest form. The German tanks were of a fairly fast type, but our gunners soon got on top of them. Assisted by our low-flying airmen, the Americans have done brilliantly. They took sixteen hundred prisoners in capturing Fremont. We are now well out in the open rolling country. Our casualties are relatively light." I NEW ZEALANDERS' DESPERATE TASK. LONDON, October 9.° Mr Philip Gibbs writes: The New Zealanders got away almost too fast, and were in danger of getting out of touch with the other troops on the flanks. They had to cross a valley leading to Esnes, with many concrete dugouts. They had hard and desperate fighting and many of the enemy were killed.

FORCING RETREAT NORTH-EAST ~., -,. ~, OF SOISSONS. ~..-.,'. . EASTERN FLANK OF SUIPPE LINE ~, , ; ~,,',' THREATENED. , ... , ..,,' ~, . j , r . LONDON, October f ~The situation is extremely interest-, ing, particularly ,in the Oise Valley, the St. Gobain massif, and in. the direction, of Laon. The enemy will soon be compellled to abandon all this sector iand fall back on a shorter line. The enemy is resisting strongly in the American sector, but ...the..American casualties are not,half the number of prisoners taken. The enemy is counter attacking heavily \on the Suippe, holding up the French advance, but the progress towards Maehault and Miaurey threatens the eastern flank of the enemy's Suippe line. ; The, British advance is continuing with less resistance than yesterday, the enemy having fallen back during the night.

HINDENBURG DEFENCES SMASHED . LONDON, Oct S. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Sinco 21st September the British First, Third, and Fourth Armies have broken through the whole elaborate . series o* deep defensfve zones and built-up successive beds of heavily-fortifiea trench lines, including the entire Hindenburg system, on a front of 35 miles from St. Quentin to Arras, having penetrated this battle area to s depth of between 30 to 40 miles. We are now operating far beyond and eastward of the Hindenburg defences. During these operations, and since tne date mentioned, we inflicted very heavy losses in killed and woundetS, and we prisonered over 110,000 aner captured 1200 guns. This feat of arms has been performed by British troops, who already had withstood the first heavy onslaught of the enemy's main forces last spring. Only the stubborn endurance and the determined spirit of these troops permitted them to pass to the offensive with such conspicuous success. By their heroic action <hi defence and in attack, our men from all parts of the Empire have proved themselves soldiers of the highest order.

"Y Advices from Germany show that the country Is intensely excited and seething with wild stories, including one that the Kaiser intends to abdicate. German officers state that the High Command intends to utterly., destroy Northern France if compelled to make a furtner retreat in the hope* of (delaying the Allies' advance. SIXTEEN ENEMY DIVISIONS HAMMERED. NEW ZEALAND AT ACKERS IN FINE FORM. LONDON, October 9. ' A British headquarters' report, is sued on the evening of the Bth states: "Over sixteen enemy divisions to-day were given a terrible hammering by our Third and Fourth Armies, with which strong American units were associated, and it is certainthat tremendous toll wias levied upon the dwindling German man-power. Our operations at Cairibrai and St. Quentin constituted a series of battles, developing one after another all night, and at daybreak on the Bth at least fifteen

Mr Churchill, speaking at Glasgow, said: For nearly fifteen successive days we fired over ten thousand tons of shells daily. He said Ee was recently shown a captured Ludendorff order saying that in a single month the enemy's fire destroyed over thirteen percent of the German artillery. BRITISH RAPIDLY ADVANCING ON THE WHOLE FRONT. LONDON, October 0. At 12.25 in the morning Sir Douglas Haig reports: We inflicted a heavy defeat upon the enemy yesterday between Cambrai and St. Quehtin, prisonering over 10,000 and taking between 100 and 200 guns. No fewer than

,-miles of British front were ablaze with infantry attacks, which generally propressed radkily, although sticky points were encountered. The , "Welsh troops ihacl the toughest task breaking the remainder of the Be»au-arevoir-Masnieres line, but, once the .Germans were driven out and Welshmen reached the open, the enemy broke. New Zcalanders carried Esnes,

twenty-three German divisions « were engaged on this front and were severely handled. As the result of this action. w&' advanced/ to-day on the whole front between the Sornme and the Sensee, Tapidly progressing eastward and capturing enemy rear-guard detachments, isolated batteries and machine-gun positions. A number of the inhabitants left in the captured villages met us with enthusiasm.

The Americans have resumed the offensive in the Argonne. Belgians in Bruges revolted. The Germans shot down many. FRENCH REPORT CONTINUED PROGRESS. ON NORTH AND SOUTH. Received 9.5 a.m. ~ LONDON, Oct 10. A French communique reports: The furious Anglo-French attacks for several days past north and south of St. Quentin forced a general German retreat in that region to-day. Our First Army pursued the enemy rearguarot between the Somme and the Olse, everywhere shattering local ; resistances and taking prisoners. East of St. Quentin-Le Cateau railway we hold Etaves Wood and Beautreaux village. Further south we passed Fonsomme, reached Fontaine Notre Dame, and captured Marcy. North of the Oise we occupied Mezieres. Our advance is eight kilometres east of St. Quentin. We have taken hitherto two thousand prisoners, also guns and numerous machine guns. North of the Arnes River we repulsed violent counter attacks and approached nearer Caury. Our attacks on the Aisne Valley bore satisfactory results.

The whole of Cambrai is in our possession, The Canadians of the First Army entered Cambrai from the north, while later the English of the Third Army passed through the southern portions of the town. Our advance continues. "We reached in the afternoon the general line of Bohain - Bussigny - Caurior ( ?Maurois.) Sir Douglas Haig in his aviation report, states: Air squadrons are active on the whole front, keeping in close touch with the advancing Smoke curtains dropped round the enemy's strong points proved of great value. Aeroplanes, with bombs and machine-gun 'fire, infantry and transport, They dropped twentyone tons of bombs, destroyed ten aeroplanes and drove down two uncontrollable. Seven British are missing.

Our night-fliers dropped 23J tons on railways and communications. They hit and derailed two trains and started several large fires at rail sidings. All returned. LLOYD GEORGE'S. .CONGRATULATIONS. LONDON, October 9. The Premier sent the following message to Sir Douglas Haig. "I have just heard from Generalissimo Foch of the brilliant victory wfon by the First, Third, and Fourth Armies, and wish to express to yourself, General Byng, Rawlinson and Horn, and all officers and men under your command my sincerest congratulation on the great and significant success which the British army, with their American brother/3 in-arms, have gained during the pa&t few days. The courage and tenacity wherewith the Empire's troops, after withstanding the terrific onslaughts of last spring, have again- resumed /the offensive with such decisive res-tilts, is the greatest chapter, in our military, history.. The .smashing of the enemy's . great defensive system in the West, ; which he claimed impregnable, is 'a feat of which we are justly proud and of which the' Empire will be ever grateful.. . .-"■ • '•■ GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. • >.;■■■ LONDON, Octobe? 9. A wireless German official" message states: We broke up the enemy's assault west of the Oamhrai-B'ohain road On both sides of the'Roemera road, in the direction of Le Cateau, the enemy made -a deeper breach in our lines. Wo I stopped his thrust'in the line Wali-court-Elineourt, wSst of Bohain. The southern wing attack by-the enemy's gained' ) little' ! ground. Our troops, threatened in the flank by the breach in the^'Centre of the battlefront, were forced-.to .withdraw their wing to the western border of Fresnoy le Grande. In the Champagne the Franco-Ame-ricans, in great force, only succeeded in breaking our lines on both sides of St. Etienne. Our counter-attack drove them out between Brabant and Ornes. The enemy forced his way into Consenvoye Woods, where we brought him to a standstill. ADVANCE ON LE CATEAU. WITHIN TWO MILES OF THE LIN Jr. GERMAN GENERAL RETREAT FORCED. LONDON, Oct 10. The High Commissioner reports: Sir Douglas Haig reoprts: We are established across the Cambrai-Le Cateau road within two miles of the Le Cateau general line from Vitry-en-Artois, Izelle, Querchan, and Rouvroy. We have gained the Sailau mines and Noyelles, ..j .:-$ ,>& French official: Strong attacks north and south of St. Quentin forcocr the Germans' general retreat in this region, with a loss of 2000 prisoners. North of the Aisne we repulsed violent counter attacks and increased our progress towards Cauroy. We captured the plateau of Mont Cheutain and crossed the Aisne north-east |o* Mont Cheutain; we also captured Feneu.

250,000 HUNS RETREAT. FIFTEEN MILES IN TWO DAYS. BELGIANS REVOLT IN BRUGES. Received 9 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 10. The German retreat from Cambrai in two days exceeds fifteen miles. A quarter of a million Germans are in full retreat on this front. The Britlsn have reached the outskirts of Le Cateau. The French in the St. Quentin region have captures Marcy and Fontaine Notre Dame.

Received 9.50 a.m. LONDON, Oct 10.

We captured the plateau and village ■ of Mont Cheutain, Grandham, /nd Lancon, and crossed the Aisne northeast of Mont Cheutain. We captured Senue, on the north bank, after » stiff fight ytaking six hundred prisoners, guns and machine guns. Unfavourable weather on Tuesday restricted air operations, with the weather improved, our night bombers dropped 26 tons on several stations and railways connecting them. GENERAL MAURICE'S VIEW. : 'A WORD OF CAUTION GIVEN. Received 10.30 a.m. LONDON, Oct 10. General Maurice, in the Daily News, considers, the fighting since the second Marne battle entirely upset German calculations. ' Their object' in shortening the line was- to economise men; the ordy effect has 'been to force them to' spend men at a -greater ratethan ever. He -'calddiatds the- addition has been made of two hundred thous-, and prisoners since the Marne, ana German casualties about a million. One great result 'of all this fighting is we are able to strike anywhere witn greater effectiveness. This : was prove*: in Flanders, for as soon as; the enemy withdrew men to reinforce "Argonne and Champagne sectors, we gainee ground in Flanders with astonishing ease. General Maurice anticipates the withdrawal of the enemy's centre, but warns against,,,exaggerated hopes <pr' over-confidence, leading possibly, to future disappointment: :.»;:• jwtfh •■:•: ALLIES REACH OPEN COUNTRY.: FRANCO-AMERICANS CAPTURE. •' '. . . . 3000. Received 10.30 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 10. The Anglo-American advance southeast of Cambrai has brought open country. There are no -barriers until Valenciennes is reached. East of the Meuse the Franco-Am-ericans have captured three thousand, and occupied Charny. THE OCCUPATION OF CAMBRA?. LONDON, Oct 10. Received 10.30 a.m. Mr. Philip Gibbs says: When we entered Cambrai we were surprised to find so many houses and public buildings standing, but scattered flrea burned and the rumbling sounds of .-falling masonry in other parts gave warning of danger. It was known tne place might be mined and booby traps were probable. We saw a proclamation on one door ,signed by Commandant Glosh, notifying the inhabitants early in September to be prepared to move eastward. They were only allowec* light baggage. Some houses contained furniture, tout among the numerous mansions, tattered tapestries, torn books and pictures, showed the vandals ' hand. The majority of the small houses contained merely wreckage. Some showed that the home life had suddenly ceased with the evacuation. Even tables were laid for meals. There is general evidence that the German looters had been rummaging the contents for spoils. The Cathedral was not badly damaged. (Gibbs' message was despatched before the explosions began.) FRENCH ABANDON POSITION. AFTER A BITTER STRUGGLE. FRENCH CAPTURE WOTON LINE. Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, Oct 10. French headquarters reports under date 9th: From St. Quentin to Woevres the battle progressed satisfactor-

...... i ily. Eastwards of St. Quentin Detjeney's troops broke through the H&e from Harley to Neuville, which had bebn converted into, a field fortress. After a 'bitter struggle on the extreme right, Gouraud's army in the Champagne attack, westwards of Atgonne, has given up possession, or Vaux Lesmourons, practically in the mouth of Grandpre Valley. Northwards of Arnes the Germans are counter attacking to regain yesterday's lost ground. Everywhere fighting is of the hardest. The Germans re'alise the key to the whole manoeuvre is in the centre between St. Quentin and the Aisne, where four German armies, crowded into a narrow space, aTO menaced by the Allied armies nortfi and east of St. Gobain Forest and tne Aisne plateau, wherein Germans deemed themselves safe against any attack.

The Germans in the Champagne are still holding tenaciously, but were driven back at several important points. The Germans on the both sales or St. Quentin are retreating before the Anglo-French. In the centre, five miles east of St. Quentin, the French are in the Wotan line —.the "German Second Army defence system. The enemy has evidently abandoned t*ie idea of making an effective stand in the Wotan defences which are partly in possession of the French . "

GERMAN TANKS PUT OUT OF ACTION. FRITZ ON THE RUN. CAMBRAI IN RUINS Received 11.30 a.m. LONDON, October 10. British headquarters report that on the evening of the 9th, Canadian patrols were the first to enter Cambrai. town in the morning when it was still burning at many points. The Canadians advanced warily through the town and rea.ched the eastern outskirts at sunrise, encountering a thin screen of machine-gunners. The evacuation evidently- ; -was,,-deeided 0 n hurriedly as considerable undamaged booty was captured. '"'A few more German tanks appeared to-day;' hut were soon put out of action,; as our artillery is advancing so rapidly that'* they were knocked out almost as soon as they appeared. The enemy has been hurriedly retreating all day. Everywhere we heard the cry, "We've got Fritz on the run.'-' Successive explosions occurred in Cambrai, reducing the town to ruins.