WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

THE FIGHT FOR PROYART. SUCCESS OF T3E AUSTRALIANS. London, August 13. The Morning Post correspondent says that tile Australians on Saturday night tried to advance between the S'omme and the Amiens Road with a view of taking Proyart, ibut the machine-gun fire was so heavy that the Australians did not attempt to proceed, but made a fresh attempt on Sunday night. The enemy had been reinforced, and fought strongly for two hours amid the old dug-outs and trenches. The advance, therefore, was difficult jind tedious, but the Australians, crawling on their stomachs the last 1000 yards, pocketed nest after nest until the village was reafched— Aus}.-N,Z. Cable Assoc.

ALLIES RENEW THE OFFENSIVE. WEST OF CHAULNES. New York, August 13The Allies have renewed their offensive west of Chaulnes. The Germans are evacuating the Oise river trenches west of Bailly.—-Aus.-N-Z, Cable Assoc. London, August 13A French communique states: There was no important event during the night on the battlefront There were several empty raids in the Vosges and Upper Alsace which failed.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

THE AMERICAN FORCES,

A LARGE FIELD ARMY. ' Received 14, 2.15 p.ni Washington, August 13. T'le New York Times correspondent on the West front states it is officially announced that the first American field army has 'been organised and consists of more than three hundred thousand men, four or five army corps.— Press Assoc.

AN ENFORCED HALT. BRINGING UP ARTILLERY. London, August 13. Renter's correspondent at French headquarters last evening reported:—Our pursuit and the German retreat have reached a point of momentary stalbilisation. On the French -wing-the necessity cf bringing up artillery and munitions over deeply-rutted roads has caused an enforced halt

We are now at grips on the ground which the Germans entrenched and held from the autumn of 191(5 to the spring of 1017. The trenches arc in a tumble-down state, yet afford the Germans the best opportunity of clinging to the ground Gince they left the line of the Avre Valley. They are evidently determined to remain as long ag they can. They are well supplied with machine-guns. To-day a continuous enemy line opposed onr progress hy regular barrages, Instead of a casual harassing fire.—Reuter. New York, August i 3. The German* attacked Fismette on the banks of the Vesle (River, and the Americans were forced to retire across the river. They counter-attacked and covered the ground.—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assoc.

THE LASSIGNY MASSIF.

IN THE HANDS OF THE FRENCH. London, August 13The French have reached the ILassigny Ridge. The Germans hold the northern corner, and there is desperate fighting.

New York, August 13. The French have conquered the Lassigny Massif.— Aus.-N.Z. Caible Assoc-

RESISTANCE STIFFENING,

AUSTRALIANS' BITTER FIGHTING.

Received August 14, 7.45 u.m.

London, August 13. Mr. Murdoch, correspondent at Australian Headquarters, writing "on the HWi, states that as fresh Hun troops arrive, including the Grenadier Guards, the resistance stiffens, and the battle begins to assume the normal characteristics of close and intense fighting. Tho importance of our successes on our left flank was .shown by the great scale and the almost frantic way the Germans held on to the ridge in'front of Lihons. The German gunners were told to sacrifice their guns in order to hamper the advance. The infantry were told to die on the ridge. This ridge was the strongest position between Bretonneux and Roye. It dominates the plain, and is the begining of the old Somme battlefield, and mazes of old trenches, overgrown with grass but still serviceable, are available for the defenders.

The Auetralians did some bitter fighting round the ridge, eventually outflanking the Germans and driving them back in fierce counter-attacks, capturing a number of guns. The Australian losses were under half of the number of prisoners taken. The booty continues to pile up. The Rosieres dump alone was worth a million sterling. Wireless German official:—We repulsed repeated attacks southward of Merris. We also repulsed attacks northwards of the Amiens-Roye Road and southwards of the Awe.—Aus.rN.Z. -Cable Asso

360,000 CASUALTIES.

GERMAN LOSSES SINCE FOOTS COUNTER-STROKE.

ENEMY ADMITS LACK OF MEN. Received August 14, 10.10 p.m London, August 13. Renter's correspondent At British Headquarters, writing on the afternoon of the 13th, states that the Allied drive from Mondidier to the north of the iSoimne has reached a comparatively quiet stage. The enemy is still hurrying up reinforcements and employing gas to the utmost capacity. His main concentration of reserves are around Roye, which he is manifestly anxious to retain, leastwise for the present. 'Plie Australians, who have been fighting in the region of Proyart and neighboring wood, met with a strong machinegun resistance, as they also did at Madame Wood. The Canadians also imj proved their position on the l'igut of their front.

An order signed by General vou Ludendorff, lately captured, indicates the anxiety of the Higher Command regarding the man-power. The order is dated the 25th of June. Another order practically admits the Allies' supremacy in the air. Since the Bth of August, SI) divisions must have been heavily engaged by the British, Americans, and French. The total German casualties on the Western front since the beginning of General Foch's counter-offensive are about 3G0.000. The guns lost at the same time number about 1200. Prisoners state in more than one place that the drafts lately sent to reinforce the infantry are composed largely of artillerymen. The enemy removed or destroyed a large number of aerodromes i« the Somme area, which somewhat disorganised his air servee.

FRENCH SUCCESS.

IMPORTANT OBSERVATION POSITIONS. ROYE SOON UNDER FIRE. Receved August 14, 7.45 p.m. London, August j3. The French have captured Leneouvillon, also the ground north of St. Claude Farm, putting them almost on the crest of Lassigny Ridge. The enemy holds the ridges on the, highest point, at the extreme northern corner. It will take several days before the French are able to work down the slopes of the far side and also get their artillery on the crest, when the enemy's communications at Roye will be under observed fire. The Germans are expected to counter-attack in considerable strength in this sector.

Tho capture of Les Loges by the French is also important, as they art; now pressing close to Roye from the west and south, and apparently hold all the high ground there. The Germans are evacuating trenches in the bed of tho Oisc River, west of Vailly.—Press Assoc. Received August 14, 7.45 p.m. London, August 13.

It is authoritatively stated that the Crown Prince, as well as Prince Rupprecht, is now contributing men to the Ancre-Oise front, hoping to check the Allied advance.

It is anticipated that the French heavy guns will shortly bombard Noyon and cut off the enemy's main supply roads.—The Times Servie.

BIG CAPTURES.

OF MEN, GUNS AND MATERIAL. HEAVY ATR FIGHTING. Received August 14, 7.45 p.m. London, August 14. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The battle front is comparatively quiet, except for increased hostile artillerying. We took prisoners at several different points. Raiding and patrol activity are reported south of the Scarpe, north-east of Robecq and in the neighborhood of Vieux Berquin. , Since the Bth the French First Army and the British Fourth Army have captured over twenty-eight thousand prisoners, including eight hundred officers, of whom eight are regimental commanders; and also took six hundred guns, including many heavies, several thousand machine guns, and numerous trench mortars; also three complete trains and vast stocks of stores.

Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: There lias been much air fighting. We brought down thirty hostile machines, and drove down seven uncontrollable. We dropped forty-five tons of bombs during the day on Peronne and Cambrai stations. We were heavily assailed. Twelve British machines are missing.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

SEVERAL TOWNS BURMiNG. Paris, August 10. The Petit Journal's correspondent on the British front says that Chaulnes, Oabouel, Suzanne, Mericourt, and Peror.ne are burning.—Reuter.

BATTLE CONTINUES VIOLENTLY, i

GERMANS MUST FALL BACK. EVACUATION OF ROYE EXPECTED SOON. CHAULNES AND NOYON MUST ALSO QO. Received August 14, 0.15 p.m. London, August 13. The battle continues violently on the whole forty-mile front between"the Oise and the Ancre. The maximum, depth to which the infantry penetrated is thirteen miles, and the average depth nine to ten miles.

The Crown Prince and Prince Rupprecht are draining their lines elsewhere in order to obtain reinforcements.

The British have captured four hundred guns, and the French 250. The British have prisonered 20,000 and the French 10,500.

The French now occupy the whole of the crest of Lassigny Massif. It is considered inevitable that the German line northward of the ridge must fall back, and Roye become untenable. Its evacuation is expected within forty-eight hours. Guns were brought up more quickly than was anticipated. Noyon will be under lire immediately. Chaulnes may be held for a day or two longer, but its evacuation cannot long be postponed.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Association. -

PREPARING FOR RETREAT.

GERMANS FIGHTING STUBBORNLY.

Received August 15, 12.10 a.m.

London, August 14. The French repulsed a counter-attack on the Massif after stubborn fighting. Although the French hold the crest, the Germans still hold out on the northeastern spur. There was no news to-day concerning the French counter-attack at Les Loges Wood, from w!' : •'- " - - were driven last night.

Although the figures cabled represent the number of prisoners actually counted, the authorities do not regard the.Paris estimates of 40,000 as overoptimistic. The French captured over 1600 machine-guns, and the British an enormous number, but there has been no opportunity of counting them. The enemy is apparently making preparations for a further retirement, for he is burning the villages between Peronne and Chaulnes, but there are no signs of confusion or congestion behind the lines.

Since the beginning of July, 75,000 prisoners have been taken on tile Western front.

The King has returned to London from a visit to the Western front.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

Received August !.">, 12,15 a.ai,

London, August 14,

A French communique states: —During the day we renewed attacks between the Matz and the Oise, and, despite strong resistance, we made some progress. We gained a footing in the Plessier de Roye Park and reached Belval. Further east, we carried our lines to two kilometres north of the village of Cambrace.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

CLINGING TO THIESCOURT HILLS.

ALLIED AIRMEN ATTACK A COLUMN. GREAT DAMAGE DONE. Received August 15, 12.10 a.Bi. London, August 14. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on the afternoon of the 13th, states that the enemy is desperately clinging to the western and southern edges of Thiescourt Hills, between Lassigny and the Oise. The key to the whole position is St. Claude ?'arm, on a hill 000 ft high, just east of Nareuillamotte, dominating the whole region further north between Gury and the Bois de Logos.

The Germans hold a line of old entrenchments, which are stuffed with machine-guns. The capture of Bois de Loges on the morning of tile 12th was effected with magnificent dash. The Germans coun-ter-attacking in the afternoon, reoccupied part of the wood. Prior to the great attack on Lassigny, one of our air scouts noticed dense columns of men and transport pouring through the village. The French sent 121 planes to attack them, 27 tons of bombs being dropped on the Germans m +!•■■ '--.'-. „f Lassigny. Men and

horses were killed and fires started. The streets were blocked with the wreckage of waggons. The march of the German columns was retarded for hours. — Reuter.

ON THE AVRE,

ENEMY EXHAUSTING HIS RESERVES.

Received August 14, 9.15 p.m. London, August 14. . Heavy local fighting occurred on the Vesle at Fismette, north of Fisines. The Allies held positions on the north bank, but a heavy counter-attack compelled them to retire to the south bank. Subsequently they regained the ground. The enemy is exhausting his reserves, drawing troops from the lines and extending the divisions on the flanks. This process cannot be continued for long.— Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.

CHANGE IN TACTICS.

BRITISH AIRMEN DEMORAMSE ENEMY GONfVOY.

ißeceived: 116, 1-S> a.m. New Youk, August 13.

Mr Duranty, the Now York Times' correspondent at the French front, emphasises the character of the fighting undergoing a change and becoming an affair of manoeuvre rather than of frontal assaults of trench warfare. These tactics caused the fall of Montdidier and are now strengthening' Roye and Lassigny. Meanwhile the enemy .is duplicating hi s retreat tactics of the Marne, and desperately endeavoring to hold back the advance in order to prevent the removal of guns and munitions. The wonderful bombing work of the British' airmen is demoralising the convov. which presented'a hellish scene at Bottle-neck Road, where there was indescribabl con-fusion—(panic-stricken men, stampeding horses and bomb-shattered vehicles. British airmen also flew low, overtaking trains and firms - through the windows.— Atis.-N.Z.CaMo Assoc.