WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 August 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

"ALL GOES WELL," FOCH PRAISES TROOPS. THE TIDE RECEDING. London. Any. 24. Interviewed by war correspondents. General l'oeli said: "All goes well. You have been able to observe that our operations since July IS have developed well. We shall continue them. "It is impossible to speak too highly of your troops. I cannot over-praise their bravery and heroism. Despite the terrible heat, fatigue, and all kinds of difficulties they stick to it constantly and accomplish superbly whatever thev are asked to do. The British troops are splendid, and, despite the heat, taev continue to make progress. "The Americans are admirable soldiers. Their only fault is that they push forward so far that I am obliged to hold them baek." General Foeh concluded by comparing the German invasion of France to n tide which had passed high-water mark and was now receding.*-Aus. X.Z. Cable Assoc. The Australian Press Association learns that the British .Ird and 4th Armies are pressing the attack south of the Sonime. The 3rd Army has advanced 4 to 41 miles at the furthest point and is now fighting on the slopes of the Thiepval Ridge, along the eastern side of the Ancre. Our patrols have entered Miraumont. which is now probably completely in our hands. The importance of the advance is that we have been able to get alone; very quickly towards Baoaume. which is a very important road junction. We are now two miles from Bapaume. Our advance south of Thiepval seriously threatens enemy positions on the old Sommc battlefield. —Aug. N.Z. Cable Association. BIG AMERICAN DRIVE. IN THE SOUTHERN SEOTOkS. Received Aug.. 26, 3 p.m. Washington, Aug. 24. Military circles are elated at the latest Allied success. A big drive by the American army is expected in the southern sectors on the West front. Mr. James, correspondent with the American army, says that the Germans have launched three violent attacks on the Vesle sector, but they were all broken by the American troops. In one instance three German battalions attacked one American, which held the ground. Fighting continued in the afternoon. Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

THE ALLIES' ATTACKS. EXTENDING FROM CHAMPAGNE TO THE SF.A. ! UNIMAGINABLE EXPENDITURE OF MUNITIONS. Received Aug. 20, 1.10 p.m. Paris, Aug. 20. The Australians on Friday prisonered 800, including 32 officers. British Guardsmen prisonered the same number in a hand-to-hand struggle in which they had all their own way. The expenditure of munitions was unimaginable. There was little, if any, artillery preparation, but once the infantry were on the go the German rear and communications were plentifully watered with shells. The Allied attacks are extending from the Champagne to the sea. It is intended to create a strategic situation equal to all eventualities. The artillery from Roye to Coucy are thundering away incessantly. Innumerable local actions are being fought in Lorraine, and numerous prisoners are being brought in.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ADVANCE ON BAPAUME. further captures. London, Aug. 25. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Our attack northward of the Somme continues. \\ e hold the road from Albert to Baptume as far as the outskirts of Le Sars. We have captured Contalmaison, Warleneourt, and Eaucourt. Northward of Bapaume we have taken Sapiegnies and Behagnies. The number of prisoners taken by the 3rd and 4th Armies on the battle-front since the morning of August 21 now exceeds 17,000. A counter-attack against our position recently gained northward of Bailleul broke down. —Aug. N.Z. Cable Assoc. aud Reuter. FRENCH ADVANCE INCREASED. London, Aug. 25. A French communique states: An enemy coup-de-main north of Rove only resulted in our taking 20 prisoners. There was a fairly violent bombardment in the region of BeauvraigTieo. Between the Ailette and the Aisne we increased our advance east of Bagneux. " On the right of the Jleuse and in tlie Woevre patrols brought back prisoners, including Austro-Hungarians. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. PARISIANS ENTHUSIASTIC. Paris, Aug. 24. An 11-inch gun from the Australian front has now arrived in the Champs-de-Mars. The trophy is evoking enthusiasm among many thousands of Parisians. This was heightened by the Australians' great success in capturing Bray, and the New Zealanders' splendid achievement in the north-west outskirts of Bapaume, coupled with the British victory at TMepval and the surprisingly rapid advances at many points along the whole battle-front.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

BRITISH ENTERING BAPAUME,

AMERICAN AIRCRAFT PROGRAMME. Received Aug. 26, 8.30 p.m. New York, Aug. 26. Reports from the West front state that the British are entering Bapaume. Washington, Aug. 20. It is expected that the American aircraft programme will be complete next year. The programme anticipates there will be then 350 complete squadrons on the battle-front from the United States, together with a trained personnel.—Press Assoc. AMERICAN OPERATIONS. tSS GUNS CAPTURED Received Aug. 2G, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Aug. 24. General says the United States army overseas totals a million and a half. American 10.-ses in the recent attacks have not been unreasonably heavy. One American division captured 68 German guns recently and 3500 prisoners. General Pershing has not yet organised his first American field army. American aviators bombed Conflans, not losing a single machine. Minor fighting occurred along the Aisne.—Press Assoc. CAPTURES BY FOURTH ARMY. 30,000 PRISONERS, .">O., GUNS* Received Aug. 26, 9.30 p.m. London, Aug. 26. The Fourth Army, including the Australians, between the 18th and 31st inst., captured over 30,000 prisoners and nearly 500 guns.—Press Assoc. REPAIRING THE HOLES. GERMANS THROWING IN MEN INDISCRIMINATELY. HUN TREATMENT OF ALSATIANS. Received Aug. 27, 1.35 a.m. London, Aug, 25. ■ The United Press correspondent states that out of scanty reserves, badly needed elsewhere, Hindenburg and LudendortT are throwing in Prussians, Saxons, Bavarians, and marines in an effort to cheek the British advance on the Somme field. They have been thrown in by regiments, not divisions.

Some elements of the same divisions are now found as far apart, as Biefvillers and Mametz, but notwithstanding the attempts to repair the holes in the line as fast as they develop, the Germans continue retreating, only holding desperately some pointy like Bapaume, in order to prevent the complete breaking down of their defence and the turning of the forced withdrawal into a riotous retreat. As it is, the disorganisation in some places is so great that the British armored cars are enabled to harass the traffic. A tour of the cages on Sunday revealed that the 40th and 23rd Saxon divisions and the 30th Prussian division had been added to the forces in the northern part of the battlefield, the Saxons ,being brought from Belgium. The prisoners included large numbers of marines, caught eastward of Miranmont, where they were reinforcing the Bavarians when Miraumont was pinched off at noon on Saturday. Alsatian prisoners state that the Germans are scattering them in groups an through the army. They declare! that punishment for desertion is visited on their families. In some cases sisters were sent to work in the front line. This is probably responsible for the stories that the Germans are using women to fight on the battleline. —United Press.

THE ENTRENCHING BATTALION TAKEN PRISONERS. (From Captain Malcolm Ross. Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in the Field.) N.Z. Headquarters, Aug, 21. It will be remembered that in the fighting about Meteren some of our noncommissioned officers and men from an Entrenching Battalion, who went bravely into the fight, were cut off, f.na it was supposed at the time that many were made prisoners. This was afterwards confirmed. I have now seen a letter from Hansen, one of the prisoners, written to the officer commanding the Entrenching Group, on April 20, and received here on August 6. Hansen refers to their misfortune m being taken prisoners of war, and, though he .cannot say in the letter how it all happened, he assures his late commanding officer that they stuck it out as lonj as possible. He forwards a roll of the men made prisoner, as he. is anxious that letters and parcels should lie forwarded to tham —especially parcels. At the time of writing he did not know what their address would lie. The commandant replied, telling the bovs to be of good cheer, and not to be sorry, as all knew they had fought well. The nominal roll forwarded is as follows- H. R. Hansen, J. Bennett. W. B. Qnennell, D. W. Clark, F, B. Gold, ,1. Henderson, J. J. Lowry, C. W. R. Hicks, S. .T. McAMen, G. Hendricksen, J. G. McLaren, W. McWilliam, G. O'Brvsn, M. Badmington, H. Conway. M. 0. Anderson, .1 L. Stapleton, A. E. Hay, C. P. Norm, E. J. Summerville. M. .T. Eddy. H. Coppm, 0 R Chen, 0. K. Neil, .T.'Chisfoolm, G. Valentine, E. F. Jarvis, A. R. Parian A. Harris A. Henderson, T. T. Momahan, W w' Frost, T. A. Hughes. E. S. Johnstone, J. F. Graham, E. H. Everitt, T A. Carroll, W. Ball, F. G. Baker, 13. R. Currie, D. T. Richard, T. Reid, G. Cochrane, K J S. O'Neill, T. W. Fraser, A. E. Calcott. H. C. Hulley, R. N. Murphy, T. Wade, A. R. Parkin.

OVER 40,000 PRISONERS.

TAKEN BY BRITISH SINCE AUGUST 8 AN EFFECTIVE BRITISH METHOD. Received Aug. 27, 1:5 a.m. Paris, Aug. 25. Since August 8 over 40,000 Germans have been taken prisoner on the British front. The British method of avoiding direct attack on the enemy strong positions and attacking the weaker points on the right or left of the stronghold is forcing evacuation or surrender, and has enabled them to gain objectives at small cost, though the process is somewhat slower. — Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ENEMY CRACKING UP. TURNING POINTS OF THE CAMPAIGN. EVIDENCE OF GERMANS' DISARRAY. Received August 27, 2.5 a.m. London, August 20. Mr. Nevinson states that Friday night and Saturday morning were on of the turning points of the present Somrne campaign—perhaps of the whole war. A high officer, who speaks with knowledge and caution, says the enemy seems to be cracking up. Mr. Nevinson adds that five months ago it was thought we were cracking; therefore it was unsafe to prophesy, but no doubt the German armies opposing our Third and Fourth Armies are disconcerted. Mr. Nevinson describes a walking tour over a portion of the battlefield, which is full of interesting evidence of the enemy's disarray. He reached the summit of the mound on which Thiepval is situated, where he first met enemy soldiers. They were prisoners, and a large batch was docilely following three Brit, ish guards. Over the whole of the next ridge and valley beyond the Germans were scattered. They give evidence of a division which lias lost cohesion and hope. I was unarmed, yet none attempted to shoot. Some lurked in hiding-places and, if detected, they surrendered forthwith throwing away everything except their clothes and the sack containing food, soap, and razorNevinson saw a solitary British cavalryman. armed only with an empty German revolver, prowling round colleetintr .small batches. Their talk amongst themselves consisted of complaint? against their superiors, who caused them to lose touch witli their companies, though all seemed glad to be prisonered. —PresS Assoc. AUSTRALIANS CAPTURE 11-INCH GUNS. Paris, Aug. 24. The Australians have captured some 11-inch guns, having a range of 19 miles, which are of a, recent model, intended for the bombardment of Amiens. They will be publicly exhibited in Paris.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.