SUCCESS IN FLANDERS

Taihape Daily Times, 16 October 1918, Page 5

SUCCESS IN FLANDERS

til Villages and 10.000 Prisoners Taken K > 'V* sr** WILSON’S ADROIT MOVE. ' -r.-vl Dili sssT.jj.dT H«n Militarists’ Sign OwnfjDeatK a, Warrant. ¥w iff ■■' ■ fTS ri• •■ ‘ hn r, ■'•> ' ■ Must Fight on or Surrender. Turkey Must Surrender Unconditionally

WESTERN FRONT. J 3 ■ BRILLIANT FRAN CO-BELGIAN ADVANCE. ELEVEN -villages liberated. ROLLERS CARRIED BY ASSAULT. 6000 PRISONERS AND SIX BATTERIES CAPTURED. v !; :; Received 9.25 a.m. LONDON, Oct, 15. A Belgian "communique, at 5.30 This morning, states: The Belgian troops, closely co-operating with the Frencn, attacked on a front of twenty kilometres between Handzaeme Canal pud the Roulers-Menin road, breaking the enemy resistance. The troops considerably progressed on" the whole front, liberating the villages of Handzaeme, Cortemarck, Gils, St. Joseph, Hoog.lede, Eeseren, Rumlbeke,.;, Bey them, Quckene, and Winkel St-, Eloi. • r To:wards midday the, French carried..the town of Roulers by assault.... Further east, the Belgians in the course of the . fighting advanced over ten kilometres, 1 . carying; Iseghem and reaching the outskirts of Lendelede, freeing numf erous civilians. The advance varies between four ahd ten kilometres. Allied airmen- -performed most useful work. Already six thousand prisoners have been counted, half. captured by the . French and half ,by . the Belgians Six complete batteries have been captured, also uncounted guns and considerable booty. The enemy started .fires at Roulers, Courtemirck, . Hooghiede and Gits, and caused a number --of explosions at Roulers..;.; A ALLIES RAPIDLY ADVANCING. Received 10.10 , a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 15. The Allies are rapidly advancing north-east of Roulers. The Germans are retiring. THE GERMAN STORY. Received 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Oct 15. A wireless German official message? states; The enemy attacked on a wlhe front between Dixmude and the Ly». We stemmed the thrust. HUNS EXPECT AN ARMISTICE. Received 11.40 a.m. LONDON, Oct 15. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: After the first bombardment there was astonishing little shell fire in to-day’s Flanders’ battle. This quietude was strikingly contrasted with the tempest of gunfire during the battles thereabouts in 1917. The woundeds returning a!i brought the same tale that the enemy put up a fight with machine guns anH then surrendered. The chief characteristic of the fighting was the strength with which the enemy held the front line. Some fought with extreme courage, sometimes rushing out machine guns through our barrage and getting our men in the open. Elsewhere they put up poor resistance. One of their officers remarked: “What can you expect when an armistice is probable, in two or three days?” BELGIAN'S FEELING TO o HOLLAND, AMSTERDAM,' October 14 The Belgians are fleeing from the areas threatened by the Allies, towards the Dutch frontier; causing- great congestion and shortage of food. Thousands have already crossed the frontier ATHE CAPTURE OF LAON. A 1 PARIS, October 14. General Mangln had a triumphal entry Into Laon on Sunday afternoon, the inhabitants welcoming him en masse. Weeping for joy, and shout-

ing “Vive Liberatem!” they carried him shrfulder high, to the Town Hall. The Deputy-Mayor received him, the Germans having taken the Mayor and 300 citizens as hostages, Laon is less damaged' than Camibrai or St. Quentin. FRENCH IN CLOSE TOUCH. LONDON, Oct 14; At 4.35 in the evening a French communique states: On the whole, front we maintained close contact with the enemy infantry to south of Chateau Pociem. We drove back to the north bank'of the "canal the last of the enemy elements who were still resisting. GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, Oct 14. : " Wireless . German _, !; counter attacks threw put tire'’ enemy who penetrated into Dubigny au Bac. ; We occupT’new positions northward ..of Laon and on the' Aisne. Our successful battles on jthe Chemin des tiame's and on the iESuippe have reordered .possible ,the. smooth carryingout'of the movements here, also in the Champagne. . .V', V ' - ‘ ’ 1 RAPID FRENCH PROGRESS. SISSONNE CAPTURED. '—-Received-10;10 a.m. LONDON, October 15 \ A French communique reports: Local operations improved our positions on -the- left, bank of the Oise, in the regions of Montorigny. South, of the , Seere we occupied Monteeau and Les .Loups,.iand reached -one, kilometre south of Aissis-sur-Serre. With the COoperation of -thp-Italians wefe captured' and passed Sissonnc farther,.east. Dpspite the sharpest resistance, we made considerable progress on the north bank of the Aisne, and passed the villages of Milmaison, Lor Lethoua and St. Gerxnainmont in the region of Asfeld. We crossed the Aisne at several points north of Blazny. AMERICANS’, SUCCESS. Received 10.10 a.m. NEW YORE, October 15. The Americans have captured Roumagne and Cunel in tho Argonne-Miuse region. REPORTS OF MINOR OPERATIONS I —— Received 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Oct 15. Sir Douglas "Haig reports: On the British front south of the Lys there have been only local actions. Our patrols and advanced detachments progressed at certain points, taking prisoners. Local fighting in the neighbourhood of Berquinghem and southward of Wezmacquart resulted in prisoners being taken'. Haig’s aviation report states: Mist and rain prevail, and there, is no air fighting. The weather improved at night, and we dropped twelve fbns of bombs on important railway communications. OUT OF AN AWKWARD CORNER. LONDON, October 14. The British are now along the whole; water-line of the Hautedeulle Canal and the Sensee Canal, but are not likely to be able to cross these for a few days., •• . • .» ; The French are approaching th© ! river Sierre Souehe,', behind- which is the Handing line, to which the enemy retirement has been carried out in good order. They left behind little material and their movement was in no sense hurried. Moreover, the enemy has been re-acting heavily north of Le Gateau, although further development must be very uncomforaablo for him at the moment. He has undoubtedly got out of an awkward corner very successfully.

THE LATEST FROM FLANDERS SEVEN MILES’ ADVANCE. 10,000 PRISONERS TAKEN. Received 12.55 a.m. NEW YORK, October 15. The Allies in Flanders Rave gained seven miles and taken 10,000 prisoners.