WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

HAIG'S OFFENSIVE. Attack on Wide Front. The Enemy Surprised. Ail Objectives Captured. French Join in Attack. London, August 8 Sir Douglas Haig has launched an attack on a wide front which is developing favorably. 'Hie 4th British Army is engaged. The British oaptured iHangard Wood and Dodo Wood and the towns of Marceleave and La, Motte-en-Santerre. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. New York. August S. Sir Douglas Haig has launched a big offensive south-east of Amiens. The French ara co-operating. The British have captured all their objectives and many prisoners and guns. The German line ivas been penetrated two miles. A later message sava that the British Army has already advanced three miles and made a huge haul of pris-oners.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. London, August S. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The British 4th Army and tho French Ist Army under the command of Sir Douglas Haig attacked on a wide front eastward and south-eastward of Aniens at dawn. The first reports indicate that the attack is progressing satisfactorily. —Aus.-NX Cable Assn. and Reuter. AVRE AND LUCE CROSSED. TERRIFIC. ENEMY RESISTANCE. New York, August 8 British and French tanks crossed the Avre and Luce rivers and the valley around Moreuil. The German resistance wa3 terrific.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. ADVANCE CONTINUES. VILLAGES TAKEN. London, August S. The United Press correspondent reports that the attack followed a three minutes' bombardment and surprised the Germans. Tho advance ontinues on a la-mile front from Morlancourt to Moreuil. A hundred tanks led the attack and many prisoners and some guns were captured—United Press. The British advanced to Harbonniere?. The French and British advanced about 4000 yards between Moreuil and Morlancourt. All Sir Douglas Haig's first objectives wore secured, and several important villages reached.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. London, August 8. A French communique says: At 5 o'clock this morning we, in conjunction Kith British troops, attacked southeast of Amiens. The attack is developing in favonalblp conditions.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. and Reuter. The Evening News correspondent states that Harljonnieres has been captured.— Aus-N.Z. Cable Assn. LARGE CAPTURES MADE. HEIGHTS OAPTURED London, August SSeven thousand prisoners and 100 (runs have been captured.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. New York, August 8. The Allies captured Moreuil, Morlancourt, Ablainvilla and Demuin, with the neighboring heights. A thousand prisoners were taken.—Aus.-N.Z. C&ible Assn.

ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

SMARTNESS AND SECRECY OF CONCENTRATION. • London, August 8. ReUter's correspondent at British Headquarters reports that the British delivered a heavy attack at dawn this toornlng south of the Ancre, and the French shortly afterwards took up the battle. The main weight of the effort was directed against General von Hutier's 18th Army. The battle opened with a three minutes' bombardment, then the baTrage crept forward, the heavy gima concentrating on obstinate .points of resistance. Some 'hundreds of tanks advaced as the infantry went forward. The enemy was mostly taken iby surprise. Our tanks crossed the Awe, working towards the more difficult ground in the Luce Valley. The French also report good progress. Their prisoners admit that the attack was a complete surprise. We are taking more prisoners than we know how to deal with. The smartness and secrecy of our concentration was the main cause otf the initial success.—Rcuter. AMERICANS MEET RESISTANCE. Washington, August 8. Additional American force 3 ihave crossed the Veale west of Fismes. The Americana are meeting the counter-at-tacks. The Germans are attempting, by means of barrages, to prevent further crossings. Bayonet fighting occurred at several .places. The Americans are endeavoring to drive the enemy from the high ground near Bazodhes.— Aus.-NZ. Cable Assn. GERMAN CASUALTIES. London, August 8. Colonel Kepmpton estimates that there were a million German casualties this year up to the end of July. This is greater than the combined French and British losses.—Am-N-Z. Cabl?

ALLIES RAPIDLY PROGRESS,

ALL OBJECTIVES T AKEK. CAVALRY AXD LIGHT TANKS HARRY ENEMY'S TRAXSPORT. Received Augu.-t 10, 12.(0 r.m. London, August U. Sir Douglas Haig reports: —Operations begun iu the morning oil the Amiens front by the French Ist Army under Cieneral da Beny and tiie -British 4t!i Army under Cieneral Rawliuson, ore proceeding satisfactorily. The Allied troops assembled under cover of night unnoticed by the enemy. At the hour of assault, the French, Canadian, English, and Australian mvisions, assisted by a large number of tanks, stormed the front over 20 mites, from the Avre, at its branches, to the neighbourhood of llorlaircourt. The enemy was surprised. We rapidly progressed at all points. At an early hour our first objective was reached on the whole front. During the morning the infantry's advance was continued, actively assisted: by British, cavalry, light tanks, and motoi* and machine-gun batteries. German resistance was overcome at certain points, after sharp fighting. The French gallantly attacked ana crossed the Avre, despite opposition, and carried the hostile defences. The greater part of our final objectives northward of the Sommo was gained before noon, but in the neighborhood of Chipilly and southward of Morlancourt the enemy carried out prolonged resistance until finally lie was broken by our troops, who gained their objectives gallantly. Allied infantry southward of the Somme gained, during the afternoon, our final objectives on the whole front, assisted by light tanks, armored cars, and cavalry, which passed through the infantry and beyond the objectives, riding down the German transport limbers who were in retreat. They surrounded and captured villages, taking many prisoners. We reached the general line —PlessierRoxanvillers - Beaucourt - Caix - Framer-ville-Chipilly, and westward of Morlancourt. It is impossible to estimate the prisoners, guns, or material, but several thousand prisoners and many guns were captured.—Aus.-JT.Z. Cable Assoc and Renter. Received August 10, 12.33 a.m. London, August S. In the House of Commons, Mr. Bonar Law said that by 3 in the afternoon all the objectives were' taken. A hundred guns and 7000 prisoners were captured. The maximum advance was seven miles and the average five miles.

TANKS BLAST THE WAY FOR INFANTRY.

SWARMS OF AEROPLANES CrOOTMJStR ENEOIY. FAST WHIPPETS TERRORISE GERMANS. OPTIMISTIC REPORTS FROM MOREUIL. Received 9, 5.5 p.m, London, August 8. Tlie United Press correspondent, writing in the afternoon, says the British went into the battle first, the noses oi the tank? keeping well against the steel wall of the creeping 'barrage, and supported (by fast whippets, while swarms of battle jiknes were engaged. The battlefield was covered by a thick haze, making flying difficult, but giving the advantage to the Allies. The French, on the right, by agreement, came in a few minutes later, and their artillery smothered the territory southward of the Amiens-Royc road. Beforehand, tiny whippets raced and dodged across the fields, scattering terror and everywhere running down the Germans. The country is hilly, but mostly open, being ideal for tanks. These crossed the Avre without trouble, and led the infantry in the battle and Hasted the way forward and with machine-guns and cannon. Up to eight o'oloak in the morning few, if any, German aeroplanes had appeared, but, despite the haze, the Allied machines added to the enemy's confusion. Prisoners include Wurtemtwrgers, Bavarians and others taken from half a dozen different divisions. The weather was good, but threatening rainReports from the Moreuil region are most optimistic. The Germans are offering slight resistance.—United Press. HUN MURDER TRAPS. BARBARIAN TRIOES. London, August S. Mr Raymond Carroll, correspondent with the Americans, describes the murder traps found in the evacuated territory. Bulbs and bladders were found in buildings and dug-outs, under helmets and in loave s of bread. When tocihed these exploded. A captain was approaching A hotel when a German officer walked out and offered to surrender. An American covered him with a revolver and jumped aside barely in time to escape raid of bullets from a hidden machine-gun. In the cellar of an abandoned hospital the enemy left rolls of crepe paper, which have taken the place of oloth dressings. The remains of some burned harness showed that it was made of a composition of paper and hemp. Many abandoned motor-oara were fitted with iron tyres. Flames from the burning ammunition dumps woka the Germans. It was so bright it was almost possible to read a newspaper. The whole horizon at night Was a succession of gigantic red patches, with occasional roars of exploding ammunition. Millions of dollars' worth of supplies were destroyed—United (Service.