AUTRECOURT HEIGHTS CAPTURED.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 September 1918, Page 4

AUTRECOURT HEIGHTS CAPTURED.

Successful Frontal Attack. I r A Brilliant Exploit. I " Received Sept. 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 6. The Morning (Post's correspondent ai French headquarters writes: General Humbert's army is- eteadily advancing. It captured the Autrecourt heights, east of Noyon. They are of great strength, and every position of vantage bristled with machine-guns, hut to the north lay the Canal du Nord, and here General Humbert, having concentrated his artillery and infantry, delivered a frontal attack against tie canal, which the Germans gallantly resisted. There was fight* ing of a hand-to-hand character throughout Tuesday. Finally, on Wednesday morning, the infantry crossed the canal, and entered Guiscard, and the heights of Autrecourt, being rendered untenable, were captured on Thursday.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ! OPERATIONS IN FLANDERS Part of Old German Li»» Occupied. French Close to Chauny. Enemy Stand on the Aisne. Received Sept. 7, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 0. From Voormezeele, our Flanders line runs direct to Plocgstcert and half-way between Nieppe and Armentieres, west of Fleurs and Blaix. It includes parts of the old German line in front of Neuve Chapelle. We are more or less along the old line of Givenchy in this part of the sector. We also occupied part of the old German line of 1914, and the line then runs to the western edge of Havrincourt, to the west of Equancourt, then to Bussu, which we captured. Taking a broad view of the recent developments, the Canal du Nord has now been crossed on the whole front, except from Havrincourt to the Scarpe. We crossed the Tortille and Somme down to Ham. In the area between the Somme and the Oise the French are progressing. They captured a block of hills known as Outrecourt massif, and are now within two or three miles of Chauny. The French have a good hold on the northern bank of the Ailette, and are now approaching the Hindenburg line near St. Gobain massif, if they are not already thereon, but it will be practically impossible to take St. Gobain Wood frontally, as it is the main buttress of the bend of the German line. However, there are ways round. Apparently the enemy is standing on the Aisne, not on the Chemin des Dames, but General Mangin, east of Soissons, threatens his right flank. The enemy has now put in 101 divisions, also two dismounted cavalry divisions, since August 8, twenty-nine thereof having been engaged twice. The total German divisions in the we9t number 195. They have also four Austrian divisions.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.