WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMAN LOSSES. HALF A MILLION IN TWO MONTHS, Paris, Sept. 11. The German losses during tlie past two months are half a million, of whom 300.000 are dead. Ludendorff proposes to disband one company per battalion and thus bring up the strength of the remainder. General von Boehm has issued an order to his troops to persevere in fighting, regardless of the losses. The 1920 class is expected to appear at the front at any moment.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Berne, Sept. 11. Art treasures looted in Belgium and France are being offered for sale in Switzerland reputedly on behalf of the German Government.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ALARMING THE GERMANS. AMERICAN NEGROES IN ACTION. Washington, Sept. 11. .American negro troops in, the Vosges greatly alarmed the Germans. The negroes captured a village and released French civilian prisoners. The latter declared that the Germans believed the • negroes cut off the ears of every prisoner . they took.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. BRITISH PENETRATION. OF THE OLD HINDENBURG LINE. Washington, Sept. 11. The British have captured Peizieres and Epehy.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. New York, Sept. 11. r . The Australians reached the outskirts .. of Atilly, on the edge of Holnon Wood, j. from which the spires of St. Quentin are , e visible. ~ The Germans are reported, to be evacu- ' ating Douai. During the New Zealanders' attack on * Peizieres the Germans used new gas and flame projectiles the size of oranges, Which arrived in salvoes of 300 at a time.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Received Sept. 12, 2.10 p.m. London, Sept. 11. The United Press correspondent states it is reported that the British to-day captured ridges north-west of Peizieres and occupied the old Hindenburg line eastward of Havrincourt Wood. We have so far prisonered during September 20,270.<-Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. ~ A French communique ■ reports that c . there is nothing doing except; artilleryf ing at various points in the Alisne, Vesle, e and Champagne regions. l . J APPRECIABLE GROUND ;, GAINED. i" e BETWEEN GOUZEAUCOURT AND r, EPEHY. iNEW ZEALANDERS ATTACKING. Received Sept. 12, 2.10 p.m. London, Sept. 11. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters this evening reports that our screening troops yesterday morning gained appreciable ground between Gouzeaucourt and Epehy, and entered Peizieres. We advanced our line. The a enemy is clearly employing delaying tact tics between the present outpost zone 0 and the Hindenburg line, e Considerable booty is still coming in. s The Germans are using a novel kind of e mortar grenade, omitting acrid gas, •, which burns the grass. Several were '- fired at the advancing New Zealanders - without checking their progress. This morning the Germans attacked west of Gouzeaucourt, but were everywhere beaten off, except in one small pocket, which remains to be dealt with. g - —Reuter. e n LOCAL OPERATIONS. BRITISH PROGRESS. ~ Received' Sept. 12, 7.50 p.m. .' London, Sept. 11, 11 p.m. ' Sir Douglas Haig reports: A successful local operation was carried out early this morning northward of Epehy. advancing our line. We progressed on the southern portion of the battlefront, in the neighborhood of Verniand. We repulsed an attempted attack on one of our posts westward of Gouzeau- ' court, and established posts in enemy forward positions, as the result of local fighting north-west of Hulluch and southward of the La Bassee eanaV. There . was considerable hostile artillerying in , the evening on the Havrincourt Wood '" sector. J' Heavy rainstorms have hindered air *• work.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and " Reuter. id i--1 AN ERROR IN FIGURES. IN GERMAN CLAIMS AS TO PRISONERS. m j. Received Sept. 12, 750 p.m. London, Sept. 11. The Press Bureau announces that the German claim of having taken SOCK prisoners is probably a mistake in trans 4e mission for 300. Even this is in execs; lj e of the number missing.—Aus N.Z. Cabh w . Assoc, and Reuter. ' to ng HOLDING GERMANY RESPONSIBLE ad he Received Sept. 13, 12.35 a.m. is- Paris, Sept. 12. >r- Deputies.and senators of the invade ,to departments passed a resolution request ly, ing the Government to solemnly war rf Germany that she will'be held" responsiW s. for the wanton damage ,cqiimitted.-

,< FRENCH OUTFLANK LA FERE.

ENEMY PERSISTENT COUNTERATTACKS, ~: ! 3, ' ! REPULSED BY HUMBERT. ;t Received Sept. 12. 9.20 p.m. n , g _ Paris, Sept. il n Rain continues. The roads in many e places are impassable for guns and tractors. The left wing of General Humbert's , army ha,d lively fighting on the La Fcre'g' St. Quentin road, 'near Vpndeuil. „ Though the enemy made persistent counter-attacks with large effectives, General Humbert finally reached the j. hills lining the Oisc, north of La Fere. n The French readied Travccy, on the e Hindenburg line, thus outflanking La e Fere. On the north bank of the Somme, French troops crossed to the right bank of the Oise, north-east of Travecy. There are indications of a new enemy withdrawal.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. ENEMY COUNTER ATTACKS. bEATEN OFF AFTER SHARP g FIGHTING. e ___ d r Received Sept. 13,12.10 a.m. r London, Sept. 12. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We advanced our line yesterday in the direction of Atilly Vermand. The enemy, during the night re-attacked our positions on the ridge westward of Gouzeaucourt. After sharp fighting he was completely beaten off, except at one point, where a post remained in his possession. During the local fighting a strong party entered our trenches iu the neighborhood of Moeuvres, but a counter-attack repulsed him. The enemy was also repulsed at s Ecourt St. Quentin. After stiff fighting we advanced our line Slightly westward of Erquingham. 3 A French communique states: The enj emy counter-attack south-east of Roupy g was repulsed. Some prisoners and machine guns were captured. During the past twenty-four hours the enemy has made six attempts to rush our new positions in the region of Laffaux and , Cclles-sur-Aiane. Every one was Tepulsed. ( —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. 1 ENEMY GAINS A RESPITE. s I GERMAN TROOPS IRREPARABLY 3 DISILLUSIONED, e •. Received Sept. 13, 12.35 a.m. s t London, Sept. 12. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: It is prob- , able the main Hindenburg line Is held in strength by the best available troops, while the broken divisions ' fall back through them. The enemy for the time being gains a respite, which the commanders will doubtless utilise in an endeavor to repair the troops' morale. It, however, is certain that large numbers of Germans are irreparably disillusioned. They know now, if never before, that victory can never be theirs on the field. Some of the Kaiser's proudest soldiers openly expressed pleasure at being taken prisoner, notably the Second Guards Division. Some even hoped our victories would multiply in order to end the war. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. GERMAN "BRAVERY." i ——. 1 HORRIBLE TREATMENT OF 1 BRITISH WOUNDED. l 1 ■ ,_ e Received Sept. 13, 1.15 a.m. London, Sept. 12. , The Belgian paper Libre Belgiquc, j Which is secretly published in Belgium, i contains under the heading, "German g Bravery," an account of British soldiers B captured in the rear of Kemmel, who are confined like birds in steel cages at the I Evere aviation works, horribly neglected, . with dirty, festering, and untended 1 Wounds, the object being to cause British airmen to abstain from bombardments. A BELGIAN ADVANCE. AFTER A VIOLENT STRUGGLE. Received Sept. 12, 7.50 p.m. London, Sept. 11. A Belgian communique states: With a - view to enlarging the successes of Y August 20 and September 9, we attacked - on a front of two miles, and. after a violent struggle, enemy positions were a carried and maintained, comprising an i advance of 400 metres. Our losses were light.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and i Reuter. jj STATE OF THE MORALE. e n d GERMANS GLAD TO SURRENDER. r d Received Sept. 12, 7.50 p.m. Loudon, Sept. 11. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on the evening of the 1 lth, says the state of the morale in the German army i 3 indicated by the demeanour of the prisoners from the Second Guards Division, a corps, d'clite, which was withdrawn from the fighting le3s than a thousand strong. The prisoners were heartily glad to surrender, and urged our men to continue attacking, assuring them that swarms of Germans were only too anxious to surrenu) der. Letters found on prisoners were s . nearly all couched in terms of-hopeless--3S ness or resentment. j e Rainstorms continue to swell the streams, and inundations are causing damage. The spread of country under water extends from the Sensee, Marquion, and the La Bassee canal.—Reuter.

ENEMY DEFENSIVE LINES. J I

SEVERAL BETWEEN FRONT AND THE RHINE. ALLIES ABLE TO PENETRATE THEM Received Sept. 12, 10.55 p.m. > London, Sept. 12. General Maurice, describing the German defences, says it is well known that the enemy has several lines between the existing front and the Rhine. He has i been enabled to construct these with the help of Russian prisoners and enforced Belgian and French civilian labor. The main German line may be regarded as the portion between Lille and Metz, | which are the pivots in various'defensive systems. The defences of Lille were elaborated four years ago, and now are extremely formidable, covering Belgium as Metz covers Lorraine. x The Germans do not intend to surrender Belgium unless compelled to. They would rather yield French territory. The shortest line the enemy will be able to hold without yielding Belgium runs from Lille, through Valenciennes, Hirsen and Meziers, to Metz. This line was begun long ago, and covers the enemy's main railway communications from north to south. It is reported that there are other lines farther eastward. It is highly probable that the enemy is working hard on these. He certainly won't lack defensive lines if forced to abandon the Hindenburg line. This presents the Entente with a, formidable task, but we have shown, especially at the Drocourt switch, that we are able to penetrate enemy defensive lines without undue loss. It is clear as daylight that lack of numbers alone prevented General Haig from following up his victories of August .8 and September 2. General Maurice again deprecates the eastern enterprises, and adds: "Yet this , is the moment chosen to advocate the - extension thereof."—A,us. and N.Z. Cable , Assoc. All we require to ensure victory is the. , weight of numbers. We will certainly have the necessary numerical superiority . eventually, but time will be lost unless i the man-power policy is reviewed in the light of our military, coalmining and < shipbuilding requirements, and our utmost efforts concentrated on the weft front. GERMAN OFFICIAL. ■•••■ : Received Sept. 12, 2.15 p.m. London, Sept. 11. Wireless German official: Fresh English attacks in the neighborhood of Gou- ' zeaucourt and Epehy led to violent fight- : ing. The enemy reached our fnjst lines at a few points, but our counter-attack ] drove him back. We prisonered three ' thousand. Strong enemy attacks be- . tween the Ailette and the Aisne failed. Received Sept. 12, 9.20 p.m. London, Sept. 11. Wireless German official.—Correction: prisonered three hundred British, not three thousand.