WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 September 1918, Page 7

WESTERN FRONT.

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ENEMY'S STRONG PMENSWI

POSITION,

London, Sept, 13, The enemy ahows no inclination to abandon the 'Passchendaele, Wytschaete and Messines lines. The recent enemy wi iidrawal along) the whole western front has resulted in shortening his lines, compared with those occupied an July 14, by over 70 miles, thus economising between 30 and 40 divisions. The Germans now occupy a Jiighly defensive zone and are unlikely to abandon it, except as the result of heavy flighting. Although tbse csfeiny .carried out his retirement with great skill, it was .only done by a heavy strain on i military machine, Our meu are also tired, but in splendid spints.'-At«,--NA Cable. Asan,

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New York, Sept. 13. The 'French and Americans have captured the St Mihiel salient and 12,000 prisoners.—Aus.nNZ .Caible Assoc. Washington, Sept. 13. The Verdun-Toul-Nancy railway is now in the Allies' possession.—Aus.-KZ. Cable Assoo,

OLondoE, Sept. 13. The correspondent of the Daily Chronicle on the American front says: General Pershing launched an attack with a limited objective on a front of 30 to *J7 miles for the purpose of straightening the St. Mihiel salient. We put up at night an artillery preparation on a grand scale. The guns unlimbered at 1 o'clock and the roar of the artillery recalled the attack on Verdun.

Dotails of the battle unfolded slowly, but it can bo said that the Americans swept towards the second enemy positions ahead of schediile time. The resistance was not stiff, though it was not tame before the second lino was reached, but there very sharp encounters developed, delaying the advance. The Americans, undaunted, valorously pushed on t The operations augur well for the future-

Nothing at present is more outstanding thrn the skill of the American artillery fire. The Germans attempted to silence the American batteries fifteen minutes after they started, but the Americans blotted out the counter-fire in exactly 35 minutes.

Other accounts show that the American advance has narrowed the bottleneck at St. Mihiel to si\ miles. Proba'Klv out of two German divisions the total prisoners taken are 0300, The United Press correspondent reports that the Americans completely flattened out the salient. The prisoners thus far number 12,000.—Aus-N.Z. Cable Issoc.

GERMANS OTJNTER-ATTACK. CRUSHED BY THE BRITISH London, Sept. 13. Siv Douglas Haig reports: English troops, on Thursday, gained possession of Holnon Wood, expelling the enemy from the localities in which he resisted. Our line further north was advanced eastward of the village of Jeancourt which fell into our hands. During the evening strong forces, assisted by low-flying aeroplanes, attacked our new positions at Havrincourt, but were repulsed with great loss. Opposite Mouvrcs the German infantry assembling for a counter-attack was subjected to heavy and accurate artillery fire. The attack, which developed subsequently, was completely unsuccessful, the ffw Germans renching our nositions being killed or taken prisonerWe made progress during the night-time westward of Auchy-lez-La-Bassce.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reutnr. NEW ZEALANDERS PRESSED. IN THE GOUZEAUCOURT AREA. London, Sept. 13. The United Press correspondent states that the Germans, in force, continue stiff resistance about Gouzeaucourt. They threw back the New Zealanders, and advanced southward of Dead Man's Corner, though exposing tliemselves to heavy casualties—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Mr Gibbs says: The attack on the la Bassee Railway Triangle was not a set piece. There was no bombardment except the shelling of the enemy batteries. Our men suddenly pushed in the [surrounding outposts, and savnge fighting followed within the Triangle with bayonets, but the Germans were mostly trapped and surrendered. There was sharp outpost fighting on the Australian front.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. KEEPING THE OFFENSIVE ALIVE. FOOTS REMARKABLE GENERAL- , SHIP. London, Sept. 13. General Maurice says that the most remarkable feature of General Foch's generalship is the way in which he kept extending his front. 'The attack on St. Mihiel salient is twenty miles wide and deep- The hack-hone of the salient is the ridge Cotes de la Meuse, a defensive barrier which U linked up with the fortresses of Verdun and Toul. When this is taken, as seems probable, we mav make good progress on the Woevre plain. The capture of Thisueourt suggests that the Germans on the height will soon ho cut off. Good weather is of great importance. The Woevre mud resembles that of Flanders.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. A GERMAN STATEMENT. London, Sept. 13. The United Press reports that Berlin announces the evacuation of St. Mihiel began days hefore the Amorican offensive,— Aus.-N,Z. Cable Assn.

AMERICANS ON JMARNE. EXCELLENT SPIRIT SHOWN*. I was able to visit for a few minutes' Stho American troops who took pari, in, -the Champagne defensive, says the special correspondent of the Morning Post, writing just prior to General Foch's counter-stroke on the Maine. The men engaged were satisfied because they hare definitely been at grips as infantrymen -with the enemy. Like the troops m the rest of the sector, they had their full;, isliare of tho artillery bombardment, »nd in repelling the enemy advance, and were able to deliver a counter-attack, which 'brilliantly succeeded. Their spirit was excellent. Under the pressure of overwhelming numbers they had been forced to fall back, but they clamoured for orders to counter-attack, and when they received thoni they completely retook their positions, being only restrained with difficulty from attempting to make further progress. In the course of the advance one of the men observed an enemy aeroplane flying overhead, and, firing at it with an automatic rifle, succeeded in bringing it down, a feat of whieh there have been only a few parallels during the present war. Comrades of tho man declare that he brought the aeroplane down with his first shot, but the statement lacks confirmation.

The enemy found that there was plenty of reason to fear the American troops, as is indicated by the following report which was received at headquarters from the officer in command of an Irish company engaged: "Boehes have got a foothold here, and our lines have been entered. They are all still here—dead."