WESTERN FRONT.

Taihape Daily Times, 19 October 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANY'S PLIGHT. SACRIFICING REARGUARDS TO SAVE MAIN BODY. LONDON, October 17. Mr Philip Gibbs: The enemy knowing that his inevitable withdrawal from Western Belgium Is imminent, is not inclined, to give battle in Flanders, on a big scale, and prefers to sacrifice his rearguards to gain time for the main retreat. The enemy is gradually finding himself in a far-flung loop of attack which, by the capture of the outskirts of Courtrai, further encircles a large manufacturing territory, including Lille, Turcoing and Boubaix. Things should move quickly now.. The enemy in Laon abandoned vast stores. are. lined with, shells and shell cases. Miles of light railways rpm»aiva is •'position, together, with stacks of rails and tons of barbed wire Bridges _ have already baen repaired and.the roads are workable. GRFEAT ADVANCE IN FLANDERS. '' j/' BRUGES EVACUATED. ZEEBRUGGE AND TURCOING •; ;•'!; CAPTURED. ' *\ GERMANS BURNING AND "FLOODING THE ' COUNTRY: Received -9*45-a.m. ]\ ' H - LONDON,* Oct 18.

A FRENCH REPORT. MORE VILLAGES TAKEN. Received 11.35 a.m, LONDON, Oct 18. A French communique says: The French, co-operating with the AngloBelgians, captured Pitthem, Mouleheke, and Wyughome, despite vigorous resistance. The French in the region of the Oise sharply attacked all day between Andigney Forest and the river, and captured Petit Verly, Narchavenne, Mont Dorigny, taking 1200 prisoners. The enemy furiously counter attacked west of Grandpre, where we advanced north of Oligny. ROUBAIX CAPTURED. Received 10.10 a.m. NEW YORK, October 18. The United Press correspondent learns that the Allies have -captured Roubaix. ' - j \ ! (Roubaix was a thriving industrial centre, near Lille, and . . contains 140,000 inhabitants.) EXTENSIVE GERMAN RETIREMENT. IN CAMBRAI-LAON REGION. Received 9.20 a.m. NEW YORK, Oct 18. An extensive German retirement has begun in the Laon-Cambrai region, HAIG’S REPORT ON OPERATIONS. Received 10.30 a.m. LONDON, Oct 18. Sir, Douglas Haig, at 12.30 a.m. reported: In the morning the Britlsn and Americans,, who attacked on a nine-mile front , north-eastward of Bohain, met with strong opposition. On the whole front there was heavy fighting all day. On the right the British attacking in close co-operation with the French northward of the Oise advanced two miles in depth across high wooded ground. Eastward or Bohain we captured Andizny and Les Peermes. Further north we carried the line of the Selle River on the whole front southward of Le Gateau-, and progressed on the high grouna eastward of the river, capturing Lavallee, Mulatre, Larbre, and De Guise. On the left flank attack we cleared the eastern portion and established ourselves on the line of railway beyond the town. The enemy held these positions in force, with seven German divisions on the front. They delivered a number of determined counter attacks; all were repulsed with heavy losses to the enemy. We prisonereor over three thousand in these operations.. Threatened by continued ‘Allied progress southard of Sensee and northward of the Lys the enemy Is hastening his retreat from the DouaiLille salient. We entered Douai, having broken the enemy’s resistance on the line of the Hautebule Canal. The troops of the Fifth Army under General Birdwood, having pressed back the enemy’s rearguards with great activity and determination for many weeks, to-day encircled and captured Lille. AMERICAN SUCCESSES. Received 11.35 a.m. LONDON, Oct in. We captured Bayonnet and Grandpre, taking an additional 1000 prisoners. STRUGGLE IN ARGONNE. o— — ENEMY’S DESPERATE EFFORT. FATE HANGING IN BALANCE. LONDON ,Oct 1. The "Times” correspondent with the American army, Mr. T. Noble Hall, states that violent fighting is taking place, and the front line is constantly changing as the Americans continue

: At 1.20 this morning a Belgian communique reports: Attacks carried ouV by Franco-Belgians since'October 14 completely (succeeded oh' the whole front in Flanders. The beaten enemy continues to retreat, closely followed by the Allied troops. On the left the Belgians crossed the Yser in pursuit of the enemy, and our infantry entered Ostend in the afternoon. Further east we reached the line Oudenburg-Zadelghem-'Ruddervoorde. ’ The Belgian cavalry, hustling the enemy rearguards, reached the outskirts of Bruges. In the centre the French advanced considerably beyond Zuevezeele and Pittheim, carried Wyngenc, and reached the outskirts of Thielt.

A later communique reports that Bruges has been evacuated by the enemy.

NEW YORK, Oct 18. Zeebrugge and Tureoing have been captured. There are great fires around Zee'brugge and Bruges. The Germans are flooding the country. STILL GOING EAST. Received 11.35 a.hi. LONDON, October 18.. Southwards the Belgians have reached the junction of the Mandel Canal at Lys and Skirt River to Harlebeke. Indescribable enthusiasm prevails among the civilians in the recaptured territory. Sir Douglas Haig reports; The German retreat began on Wednesday under pressure of the armies commanded by the King of the Belgians, and continued on the whole front between the Nroth Sea and Lys. By the evening the advance had reached a depth of twenty kilometres on a front of over fifty kilometres. The Belgians have entered OstencL Their. cavalry are at the gates of Bruges, The Belgian cavalry occupied Ingelmunster. The French have captured Pitthem, Gulebcke, and iWynghene. Further south the British Second Army occupied the line of the Lys northward of Courtrai. Southwards of that town the British have crossed the river and reached the outskirts of Tureoing.

to advance, even through the'Argonne Forest, which is full of machine gum#. The British victory further north prevents the transfer of reinforcements to the enemy, who is compelled to throw in his dwindling reserves in a desperate effort to 'prevent the junction of General Pershing’s and General Gouraud’s armies above the 'Argonne.

The tanks are terribly worrying the Germans, whose ingenious efforts to destroy them include 6in shells 'buried .In the ground. Covered wjtn boards and exploded by detonators when the tanks past over them. So far they have been useless,' the American engineers discovering and destroying them in hundreds.

The extreme importance of the sector eastward of the Argonne, where the Americans are battling against important German forces, is emphasised by Reuter’s correspondent with tbe American army. Tn a message dated Monday he says that Genera; Pershing’s and General Gouraud’s armies threaten the enemy’s very existence in France, and therefore the Germans may he expected to fight here as nowhere else, since a brdasthrough here would compel a retirement along the entire front.

Th enemy is rushing up fresh and untried divisions to the Argonne, and is hurling them headlong into the fight.

The enemy for years lived in mansions dug beneath the hillsides, with porches of stone, leading on the one hand to stone-lined trenches and on the other hand to a . series of capacious chambers, papered, floored with mortised timber, furnished with suites of oak, walnut, and mahogany, pilfered from adjoining chateaus, ant» luxuriously lighted with electricity.

Hundreds of miles of wire are woven among the trees, looking like the work of some inconceivable spider. This wire is mostly hidden, 1 by weeds.