WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

BRITISH SUCCESSES.

COUNTER-ATTACK REPULSED.

London, Aug. 22. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At 4.4 j this morning w '' attacked the enemy's positions between the Somme and the Ancre.

By nightfall on Wednesday our patrols had progressed on the left bank of the Ancre southward and south-eastward of Beaueourt. We maintained the positions gaired yesterday northward of the Ancre against strong counter-attacks- in the afternoon and evening on the iliraumont Achiet-le-Grand front.

A fresh counter-attack develoued this morning opposite Miraumont and Irles.

We captured two to three thousand prisoners and a few guns on Wednesday. We made further progress eastward of Merville and reached the outskirts of Xeuf-Berquin and captured a strong point northward of Bailleul.

We repulsed, after sharp fighting, a strong local counter-attack against Loeherof Farm, north-westward of Dranoutre. Further fighting occurred at night in this sector.—Alls. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Renter.

REPORTED CAPTURE OF ALBERT.

A THOUSAND PRISONERS TAKEN. New York, Aug. 22. It is unofficially reported that Albert has been captured.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.

The British captured a thousand of the enemy around Albert.

London, Aug. 122.

A Paris message reports that the British captured Acliiet-le-Grand. After encountering fierce resistance, British posts were established east of the ArrasAlbert railroad.

The British made a fresh attack between the Somme and the Ancre. The French have forced the Germans back to the bank of the Ailette.

The British on Wednesday took 3000 prisoners.

German aeroplanes raided Paris from a great height ineffectively. The Allies have damaged six German armies since July 15, and the British are now attacking the seventh.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

MANGIN'S GREAT THRUST.

MAGNIFICENT RESULTS. Paris, Aug. 22. General Mangin's thrust continues to yield magnificent results, including some thousand additional prisoners and considerable material. The pressure on the left, which is forcing the Germans out of Carlcpont woods and compelling a retirement towards Sempigny along the Oiae valley, has created a new small dangerous pocket, while it outflanks Noyon from across the river. The retirement from the narrow salient along the north bank of the Oise will be a difficult operation.

Meanwhile General Humbert has seized Lassigny, further tightening his hold on Noyon from the west.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

THE FACTS SPEAK,

LYING GERMAN COMMUNIQUES,

Received Aug. 23, 11.10 p.m.

Paris, Aug. 22. Referring to yesterday's German communiques, a semi-official statement says that the German command is no longer able to plead an elastic falling back, or a victory for the rearguards, or a desire to. secure more freedom of movement to explain his retreat. He simply denies it. This method is too simple to take anyone in. The facts speak for themselves. —Seuter.

GERMAN ADMISSIONS. London. Aug. 22. Wireless German official: Between the Ancre and the Avre, since August 8, our troops reports that more than 000 tanks have been destroyed. The French attack between the Oise and the Aisn? penetrated our front lines, but. was broken on the line Carlepontsouthward of Brancourt and Pommiers. Our counter-attack drove back the enemy advancing on the Lassigny ridge to Bieuxy. The French attacks late in the evening collapsed on the whole front.

_A further C-erman official report says: Northward of the Aricre strong Finish attacks on a wide front broke down with heavy losses.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter.

FOOTS SUCCESSFUL WEDGE. New York, August 22. The capture of the line of the Ailettc means that General Focli has successfully driven a wedge between the armies of von Boehm and the Crown Prince. The French have crossed the Ailettc river.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

BRITISH ATTACK PROGRESSING. London, Au,;\ 22. The British, in a new minor enterprise, launched an attack on the high ground between Albert and Bray and are pro?re?sin<: well. The first batch of 150 prisoners have been taken.—United Service.

BITTER FIGHTING,

OVER A WIDE AREA. BRITISH PROGRESS SATISFACTORY

Received August 24, 12.10 a.m.

London, August 2.1 Renter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on August 22, says: Bitter fighting has been in progress since yesterday morning, in blazing hot weather. The battle was spread over wide areas. The enemy is holding Thiepval ridge very strongly, and is strongly entrenched between ' Hamlincourt anil St. Legor. A steady stream of reinforcements is coming up from Bapaume and Peronne.

There was most bitter lighting yesterday around Achiet le Grand, where we crossed tiie railway, despite the skilfully camouflaged machine-gun nests. Numbers were thrown in by General von Beulow.

We were unable - > maintain all our gains everywhere, ,c it must not be inferred that the battle is not progressing satisfactorily.

Developments between the Somme and the Ancre are progressing favorably, which may tactically affect the situation to our advantage. A considerable force crossed the Anere, and attacked on a not very wide front. We are progressing between Bray and Albert.

IRRESISTIBLE FRENCH PRESSURE

LASSIGNY FALLS.

THE ADVANCE CONTINUED.

London, Aug. 22. A French communique states: Between the MatzWd the Oise the enemy, despite his resistance, bent under our vigorous pressure.

Lassigny has fallen and further south we secured a footing in Le Plemoct, captured the Orvel wood, and reached the outskirts of Chiry-Ourscanip. We continued to be successful east of Hie Oise. We captured Carlepont woods, and are on the Oise east of Noyon, between Sempigny and Pontoise.

Farther oast wo passed the Noyon-Courcy-le-Chateau road and captured. Camalin-le-Fresne and Blerancourt and reached the outskirts of St. Aubin. Since yesterday we have liberated a score of villages and advanced eight kilometres at certain points. Forty-one tons of projectiles have been dropped during the daytime on troops, concentrations, convoys, the passages of the Ailette, in addition to tens of "thousands of cartridges fired by machineguns.

We continued to attack with bomb and machine-gun the Ailette passages during the night-time, besides dropping 23 tons on several stations.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

FRENCH ON EDGE OF THE OISE.

THE AILETTE REACHED. London, Aug. 22. A Frencii communique reports: During last night our troops maintained contact with the enemy between the Matz and Oise and east of the Oise. We occupied La Plemont, Thieseourt, and Caimectancourt and Ville, and reached the Divette. We are on the edge of the Oise east of Xoyon from Sempigny to Bretigny. Further east we captured Bourguignon and St. Paul-aux-Bois. and are pushing northward of these villages. We reached the Ailette at QuincyBasse, , Between the Ailette and the Aisne there has been no change except in the region of Pommiers, of which we hold the western outskirts.

GERMAN BRUTALITY,

ANOTHER "BLACK HOLE OF CALCUTTA."

Received August 24, 1 a.m. The Hague, Aug'.ist 22. Le3 Nouvelles states that th-i Germans shut three hundred British prisoners in a dark, unventilated coachhouse behind Picardy for sixteen days. They were unable to lie down, and scarcely able to move. The only food was repulsive broth. They were only allowed out for a few minutes daily. Many died. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

INTERESTING DOCUMENTS,

GERMANS' RELUCTANCE TO ATTACK. Received August 24, 1 a.m. London, August 22. Mr. Robinson says that additional captured documents forbid the men to write home pessimistic letters, suggesting that it is better to color thein a rosy hue than to paint them black. Another draws attention to the men's increasing reluctance to attack. Officers must compel cowards to go, and shoot them if necessary.

Documents also reveal that the Ger mans are now making machine-gun am' munition belts from paper.—Times Ser-

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS.

NOT.. PRESSED WITH DETERMINE TION.

Received Aug. 24, 1.50 a.m

London, Aug, 23. Eeuter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on the evening of the 22nd, says: Last night we established our front along nearly the whole railway between .Woyennevillo and Beaueourt, except in the •Miraucourt sector, whore we fell back in the vicinity of Achict-le-Grand, where the enemy concentrated.

Sharp fighting occurred at Beauregard, between Jlirauinont and Puisseux, which finally fell to our possessron. None of the enemy counter-attacks were pushed with great strength or determination, nor caused us to give ground. The operation launched on the high ground between Albert and Bray was eminently satisfactory. More than a thousand prisoners were taken, totalling, with yesterday's, four thousand. Tvi Flanders we are steadily advancing towards Bailleul. Our success yesterday and to-day entailed quite light casualties.—Reuter.

NEW ZEALANDERS' SUCCESS,

PRISONERS GREATER THAN THEIR OWN LOSSES.

Received Aug. 23, 11.10 p.m. London, Aug. 2,1. Mr. Pereival Phillips states that the New Zealanders scored a rapid success on Wednesday, when they took two hundred prisoners. The number of prisoners was much greater than their own casualties.— A'us. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

NEW ZEALANDERS' SPLENDID VIGOR.

ADVANCE MAY CONTINUE FOR SOME MILES.

Received Aug. 24, 1.30 a.m.

London, August 22,

Mr. Gilmour, the Australian correspondent, states that with splendid vigor the New Zealandcrs participated in the general British attack at daylight on the 21st eastward of Hebuterne and Gommecourt, where for the past four months the New Zealanders have been in close touch with the uneasy enemy. Mr. Gilmour says he is unable to learn the actual results on the battlefield, but the New Zealand commander stated in the evening that they had gained all their objectives. Two units engaged had the slightest casualties—eight in one unit and thirty in the other. They prisonered two hundred before the evening.

The conditions were ideal for the thrust, which was designed to accelerate the euemy'g retreat. An officer well forward reported early that the advance might continue, probably for some miles. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.

Mr. Gilmour continues: —Early in the morning tlie ground was covered by tlio mist, which was only dispersed by the sun sitter the operation was completedThe New Zealanders jumped oft" from the ruins of Puisseux, which the patrols penetrated during the previous few days. The Germans offered little resistance. They could not see the attackers until within a few yards of them. T walked a considerable distance during the heat of the day towards Aeliiet-le-Petit, where the English troops were strongly consolidated, and saw onlv one New Zealander killed l>y shell-fire. '

I spoke to an officer from Nelson, whose men were digging a strong post. He explained the case with which the advance was made.

Large batches of prisoners were constantly marching back. The total will be many hundreds. The New Zealanders were thrilled by the .prospect of getting ahead of the old Soume country. To-dav Loupart Wood appears to be outlined in the foreground, and it is possible to see Bapaumo on the liorizon, where probably the Germans are already establishing their main line of defence. There is every indication that the enemy, consequent on the Allied gigantic offensive spreading, may take the precaution to reach a defensive line without disaster.

The New Zeaianders are almost within sight of Flors. Although to-day the Xew Zealanders took a comparatively small share in the main battle, their entire units are ready for any offensive.

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS

THE PURSUIT OF THE ENEMY. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent With the New Zealand Forces in the Field.) August 10. For some few days now, apparently in conformation with what may mean a more general scheme of retirement to a shorter and more easily defended line, the enemy has been gradually falling back opposite our sector. The first indications of this retirement were noted on the morning of the 14th, when, everything being extraordinarily quiet, patrols were pushed out at 5 o'clock. The enemy artillery was below normal, smoke was rising from certain localities in the enemy territory, while the German aircraft were inactive and showed no disposition to cross our lines. During the previous day a few of the enemy were seen going and coming in unusual places, and some stretcher cases were carried away from a dug-out, but there were no signs of retirement. On the 14th, however, our patrols were soon pushing out towards the Puisieux-Serre ridge. Occasionally an enemy machine gun opposed our advance on the right flunk, but invariably after a few minutes' firing it was withdrawn, and our patrols pushed on at the heels of the enemy. By nightfall Canterbury and Otago troops had advanced the fighting to a line along the Puisieux-Serre Road. They had killed and wounded several of the enemy, and were able to send back forty prisoners. On our left the Wellington troops found the enemy resisting more strongly, and progress was more difficult. Six prisoners were captured. Early in the morning we had occupied a system of trenches a thousand yards to the south of Puisieux.

At dawn on the 15th two companies of the enemy had reoccupied a sunken »*4.. tj, the north of the. village, but

were engaged by Otago troops, who inflicted casualties, captured four prisoners, and advanced the line another eight hundred yards. During the day the enemy moving back were fired on, and machine guns were silenced by our artil-i lory. During the night a harassing fire was directed on'the enemy communications, while trench mortars, moving forward with the infantry, gave covering fire. The aircraft gave timely assistance with special patrols, and brought back early reports of the location of the enemy. Progress on our left was slower, owing to the high ground not being in our possession. The enemy guns were evidently shooting at extreme ranges. They shelled the ruins of Serre village, and put down barrages with the evident intention of hindering our advance. Machine guns in pockets gave considerable trouble' to our advancing patrols, and in most eases held on until the last moment to delay the advance. The enemy was holding his front line with outposts, in which were eight men with one machine gun, well in front of the main.line of resistance, whieh contained the remainder of his forward battalion, the support battalion of each regiment being a long way further back. The enemy patrols had orders to beat off our patrols, but to fall back fighting it strongly attacked. In nearly every case his patrols gave way at once on a show of determined pressure. At dawn on the 10th the enemy attacked to reoeeupy some trenches south of Puisieux, but the attackers were wiped out by the New Zealanders. Ten prisoners, including an officer, were captured, and the remainder killed. Two machine guns were secured. The enemy shelled spasmodically our whole area, but with, extraordinarily little effect, except at one place. In cleaning up a pocket that had been delaying our advance on the left, eighteen prisoners and two machine guns were captured. At five o'clock in the morning of the 18th the enemy attacked the Otago's front with four- sections of a storm battalion and a party of the 418 th Infantry Regiment, about a hundred men in all, the objective being a sunken road south of Puisieux, and their object the straightening of their line there. The enemy began with an intense bombardment on the front-line area, and infantry attack followed. On the right and centre of the front 'an Otago company pushed forward Lewis guns, to bring flanking fire to bear on the enemy, and heavy rifle and Lewis gun fire was poured into the advancing Germans. This broke up the attack. A lieutenant then led his men forward to mop up what remained of the enemy, and captured eleven prisoners and eleven machine guns. , A small patrol then pushed through the village and killed six Germans. Later another patrol, pushing down a shallow valley, counted German officers and 2r> other ranks dead. Enemy orders for this attack appear to have been very indefinite, which fact no doubt contributed largely to its failure.

ARMIES PRESS FORWARD,

ENEMY'S WEAK DEFENCE.

ALMOST UNLIMITED BOOTY.

London, August 11, Describing operations on the western front, Mr. Keith Murdoch, Australian correspondent, says: The whole British front has been thrilled by the temporary restoration of open warfare in the Amiens salient. Old typical scenes associated with our offensives once again crowd the eye. The ripples of excitement stretch back as far as the coast, The British armies are once more on the forward move.

No extreme hopes are entertained, hut everywhere the dominant feeling amongst the men is, "We are paving the Germans hack for March and April." The French villagers are en rapport, General Rawlinson conducts the operations with General Monasli in the Australian command of a wide sector. Under Monasli are armored cars, some cavalry, and very large bodies of Australian' troops J> has been the greatest Australian effort during the war, but the surprise was so complete that the fighting so fa: is .-omparatively easy. Thousands of men-with unused weapons simply walked forward through a shattered, thin crust of defences to objectives eight miles away. The first wave, which was protected by a heavy barrage, included men from all the States except Victoria. It halted for two hours on the first objective, well through the German defences and gun positions. Then as the mist lifted lavre bodies from all the States, principally Victorians, passed through in extended order for open warfare, carrying iron rations and sufficient ammunition for several days. ~ey trod again fire, green turf, and marched almost unopposed along hard, white roads. Thev secured village after village, and passed deep mto the German territory. The nrogress was simply amazing. • The German lines were not deep, and there was little wire the back country was extremely thinly held.

Lists of prisoners and examination of the dead and wounded show that the Australians alone accounted for three divisions, one from the Westphalian Reserve,, one from the Prussian Guards, and a mixed East Prussian and Saxon Prussian division.

I hear great tributes to our sappers, riiey not only mended the roads, fillim* slid -holes, and enabling: rapid passage ot the ears and supplies, but brought in a German !lin g lm with two trucks of ammunition and innumerable maeliine guns. The merest glance at the captured ground shows almost unlimited booty dumps, motor transport; hospitals battalion transport, canteens, and engines, the prisoners include various battalion commanders, two regimental commanders and' an artillery group commander, whose pride was rudclv shocked Undoubtedly the tanks helped, especially the supply-tanks, like heavy armored cargo boats. But it was a victory tor brains and pluck, plus a feeling of absolute confidence in predominant and superiority, which a long period of aggressive patrolling had established throughout the Australians. Moreover the Germans' tails in this sector had slowly sunk between their legs. The trivial nature of the enemy's" defence gave rise to the theory that ho was evacuating the sector when attacked, but prisoners' statements and the diseorery of large munition supplies prove that tins was a mere myth.