WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

CREATING A DESERT ZONE. Enemy Burning Everything. Received Sept. 0, 2.45 p.m. Paris, Sept. 3. . i'he enemy is burning everything in : rourse of his retreat, in'older io create a desert zone. La Fere, Cliauny, and J ussy are now ablaze. Several villages between the Vesle and the Ai.-uie have also been destroyed.--Aiw. X.Z. Cable Assoc. FURTHER BRITISH SUCCESSES Old German Positions Occupied. v . London. Sept. 5. ,<jr Douglas Haig report.-: After sharp lighting northward of the Lrs we captured Hill »;:>, .-ciuh-wesiward of Messines, and captured in the afternoon I loagstecn village, taking prisoners and a number of machine-guns." Northward of Hill 0;) we wore continuously engaged in the Wytschaete sector, where the enemy's repeated attacks were iiimieeessiul. We hold on the Lvs front the line Voonpezeele, Wulverghem, Ploegsteert Nieppe, Lavcntie, Oivenchy. Southward" of Neuve Chapolle, as far us (liveneiiv, we have regained our hold of the line we held prior to April !), and eastward of Givenchy have occupied portions of the old German positions. The enemy strongly attacked our new positions ;it Inehy-en-Artois (west of Cam brail in the evenimr, but were repulsed after sharp fighting. We improved our positions southward of Mocuvres and eastward, of Hermies and captured Xeuville Bourjouval. The enemy's counter-attack in the evening ea-dward of .Maniincourt was repulsed. Fighting occurred in the neighborhood of Pennine and our line was slightly improved.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoqfation and Reuter.

ADVANCE ON CAMBRAI. Enemy in Strong Positions. London, Sept. 5, Mr. Pereival Phillips writes: Having retired ln-hind the Canal dii Xord on a front of 20 miles from the marsh of Palleul, west of Carabrai, to north-east of Peronne, the Hun is trying to reorganise his scattered forces of "the 17th and 2nd Armies. He got a tattered division across the dry waterway, and has thrown a strong barrier of machine-guns dose to the eastern bank along the greater part; but on the southern portion of the canal, which was only partially dug, we pushed patrols forward, notably at Ruyaulcourt and Moislains. The Canadians are fighting at Sains-les-Marquion, opposite a strongly entrenched German force occupying the high ground and able to command the waterway at every point and observe the Canadians' movements. On the Canadians' left the floods due to the damming of the Scarpe are increasing. The naval men are confronted with vigorous j opposition on the open slopes before Bourlon Wood, 2J miles distant. The remaining detachments around Moeuvres crossed the canal by narrow I footways over the bed of the canal and the stairways at the broken locks. Moeuvres figured prominently in the battle of Cambrai in November. There is a square mile of trenches and wire which formed the junction of the Hindenbtirg main and support lines. The tunnels contain many hiding places. Cambrai is plainly visible from our lines. Xo doubt the Germans intend to hold the canal as long as possible. Their howitzers have found new sites, and fresh divisions have reinforced the new German front; they come from Lille. Prisoners state that "the German 83rd Division, when ordered to attack, flatly refused.—Aus. X.Z. Cable Assoc.