HINDENBURG LINE HINGE.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 August 1918, Page 5

HINDENBURG LINE HINGE.

BRITISH WlTHfci TWO MILES. POSITION FULL OF DRAMATIC POSSIBILITIES. i Received August 30, I.sft a.m. London, August '29. Mr. Robinson states tliat the position on the Scarps on Tuesday morning almost reproduced the situation in May, 1917. The afternoon saw the troops advancing in rolling country and the val-I'-.Y* the CoiouJ, and Scnsee, well beyond the furthermost east in 1917, holding positions north of Pelves with tlio same Scots as battered their way to Eoeux in 1017. Lclow t!ie river the Canadians reached the edge of the Boiry and Kotre Came. Tile Canadians and Scots are now fighting for ground unreached since 1!)14. Within two miles are Droeourt and Queant. This is an extension, despite t-'ie High Command's desperate efforts to make the Germans fight, holding every point, with considerable troops. It is believed our troops are now in Bulleeonrt, which is only twi> miles from Queant, the main hinge of the Hindenburg line, and the co-callec! switch extension. Therefore, we are now against" the very face of the chief bulwark of the defence. I don't pretend to T;now whether it is intended to break the great defence line, "but the Germans are distinctly uneasy at the rapid advance. The position is full of possibilities as dramatic as anything in the war. During the fighting at Croisilles, a ■body of trooiis were cut off and their escape seemed impossible, hut the artillery put down a skilful smolce barrage, under cover of which the soldiers regained our line.

TROOPS AND TRANSPORTS BOMBED. GOOD WORK BY AVIATORS. Received Aug. 30, 1.40 a.m. London, Aug. 29. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: Despite clouds and rainstorms, our low-fliers constantly bombed and machine-gunned enemy troops and transports. There has been much air fighting. We destroyed ten aeroplanes and drove down five uncontrollable. Seven British are missing. iWe dropped twenty-two tons of bombs by day, but night flying was impossible—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. ATTACK TOWARDS NESLE. INTENSIFICATION PREDICTED. Received Aug. 20, 7.50 p.m. Paris, Aug. 28. French critics predict an intensification of the attack towards Nesle and the early establishment of the line Peronne-Ham-Guiscard-Noyon.—Times Service. BRITISH SUCCESSES CONTINUED. IN FACE OF STRONG OPPOSITION. London, Aug. 28. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured on Tuesday Foucaucourt, southward of the Somme, which the enemy had held strongly with machine-guns. North of the Somme we captured the bulk of Trones Wood, taking a number of prisoners from the Prussian Guards Division. Southward of the Searpe our first Army improved its positions astride the Arras-Cambrai road, and reached the outskirts of Haucourt and Boiry Notre Dame. Northward of the Scarpe strong counter-attacks along the Arra3-Douai railway forced back our advanced troops a few hundred yards to the old German trenches on Greenland Hill, where the attack broke down under our fire. We carried out a successful operation astride the Neuf Berquin-Estaires road, advancing our line on a four-mile front and taking a number of prisoners.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter Sir Douglas Haig reports: Southward of Bapaume the English and Welsh gained ground in the face of strong opposition. We reached the western outskirts of Flers and drove the enemy from Lorigueval, Delville Wood, and Bernafav Wood. We repulsed counter-attacks by the Prussian Guards. Astride the Somme the Australians, English and Scots drove back the enemy on the wrrole front of our attack. We gained the high ground eastward of Maricourt and captured Fontaine-les-Cappy and the woods beyond that place and the Somme, taking hundreds of prisoners. We also captured Vermandovillers. Despite clouds and rainstorms a great amount of work has been Accomplished by our aeroplanes. They dropped ammunition by parachute to machinegunners, nnd low-fliers bombed and ma-chine-gunned troops and transport columns. We dropped 204 tons of bombs.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.