WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

ENEMY COUNTER-ATTACKS. REPULSED BY THE FRENCH. Received Sept. 10, 2.30 p.m. London, Sept. 15. A French communique states: In tlie region of Vauxaillon during the night we stopped throe enealy counter-attacks on our new positions. We repulsed several | raids in the Champagne and Lorraine. FRENCH PROGRESS CONTINUED. MORE CAPTURES MADE. London, Sept. 15, A French communique states: South of St. Quentin we advanced to the outskirts of Fontainc-les-Cleres. Between the Oise and the Aisne we made local attacks with the object of improving our positions. We captured the village of Allemant and Laffatix Mill, despite severe resistance, and inoreaied our progress east of Saucy and north-east of Cellea-sur-Aisne. Two thousand fiva "hundred prisoners were counted. South of the Aims we progressed and captured the village of Clennes.--4.f13, N.Z. CftbleAssoc. and Reuter. FOCH'S NEW DRIVE. BELIEVED TO AIM AT METZ. New York, Sept. 13. Mr. Cameron Mackenzie, the correspondent of the New York Times with the American Army, cables: lie Americans, attacking eist of St. Mihiel, encountered slight resistance in the first t system of German defences, and swept to ; the second lines ahead of the schedule. . There the Gfermans resisted bravtelji The American cavalry were in action. [ The New York Times says that milir tary officials and experts believe that ' Metz is the goal of General Foot's new , drive. | It is estimated that 250,000 American , troops are engaged.—Aus. N.Z. Cable ( Assoc. GERMAN BORDER REACHED. AMERICANS STILL ADVANCING. Washington, Sept. 14. The Americans advanced on both sides of St. Mihiel, a considerable force oi French attacking the centre. The Germans resisted a little in one district, but 3500 surrendered after a very brief fight. A considerable amount of bayonet fighting occurred. It is believetf the Americans have now reached Bagny, on the German border. The opening of the Nancy-Toul-Verdun railway is of great strategic importance Ilindenburg is understood to have recently inspected the M»tz defences. ENEMY'S HASTY RETREAT. MUCH BOOTY ABANDONED London, Sept. 15. An American official message states: [ In tho St. Mihiel sector our advanced units maintained touch with the enemy's [ forces and repulsed a counter-attack in ; the region of Jaolry. I We are now able to estimate tho success obtained during tho two previous , days. The dash and vigor of our troops y and the valiant French divisions with ( which we fought shoulder to shoulder , are shown by the fact that the forces attacking both faces of the salient efFectj ed a junction and secured tho results desired within 27 hours. Besides liberating over 150 square miles of territory and taking 16,000 prisoners, we captured a mass of material. Over 100 guns of all calibres and hundreds of machine- . guns and trench mortars were taken, de- , spite the enemy having during the re- . treat burned large stores. , A partial examination of the battle- . field shows that great quantities of ammunition, telegraph and railroad materials, rolling-stock, clothing and equipment have been abandoned. Further evidence of the haste with which the enemy retreated is revealed by the fact that unbroken bridges have been left behindFrench pursuit, bombing and reconnaissance units, and also British and Italian bombing units, divided with our air service the control of the air, and contributed materially to the success of the operation.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. AMERICAN TELEPHONE SYSTEM. London, Sept. 15. 1 Tlie Times correspondent at American ' headquarters writes: The new Ameri--1 can §ystem of communication works perfectly, greatly assiting in the precision 1 of the operations. The corps headquar--1 ters can telephone to each other and the ! various commands aB easily as business 1 men in New York. Male operators are said to be at the front, but the central e:.<cli£(nge Is worked by women, who plugged as never before to save American lives.—Times. BRITISH ADVANCE AT ST. QUENTIN London, Sept. 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Northward of St. Quentin we irade further progress yesterday, and, during the night, southward and northward of Holnon Wood. Wo repulsed local hostile attacks in the Trescault and La Bassee sectors. Hostile ' artillery was active during the night in the Roisel, Moeuvres, Marquion, and j Givenchv sectors, and (with gas shells) J north-westward of Armentieres.—Aus ' N.Z. Cable Assoc. A DUMMY LONG-RANGE GUN. Paris, Sept. 15. A long range gun emplacement haß been discovered in Cordie Wood. It has J transpired that the Germans camouflaged a dummy long-range guns and left the 1 real gun nearby uncamouflaged. Several * ghets hit the dummy.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

! PROTECTING METZ RAILWAY.

The Germans Retreating. Metz Under Long-range Fire. Received Sept. 16, 8.30 p.m. London, Sept. 15. i The news to-day from the American ( front is highly satisfactory. Since yest tcrday they advanced from two to three | miles on the whole front of 33 miles. Patrols penetrated a further two miles. It appears that the Germans are retreating to a line protecting tho railways before Metz. Metz is under long-range gunfire. There were six enemy divisions operating at the St. Mihiel salient, with a total strength of 00,000, and with a reflex strength of 36,000. The booty includes masses of material, over a hundred guns of all calibres, and hundreds of machine guns and trench mortars. The bridges in the reconquered territory are undamaged. The line at noon i ran: Norroy—Rembercout—Hiumont— Auxtempliers—Abaueourt, thence to the. old line, The Metz guns are ia.. action. —Time*. Service, FURTHER FRENCH GAINS. THEIR LINE ADVANCED. Received Sept. 17, 1.5 a.m. London, Sept. 16. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters reports the fiercest fighting on Sunday at Tigerwood, near Vailly, where the French overcame stubborn resistance and advanced their line. General Mangin captured Hill 154, Vauxaillon and Meunejean. Each of these places dominates the Soissons— Maubauge Road for two kilometres, and the ('hemhi des Dames. The French also occupied Hill 189, dominating Vailly, at the head of the Sancy and Jouy valleys. Judged by the corpses, tho enemy losses must have been exceptionally heavy. The Germans are still holding the plateau of Jouy, but the French overlook the positions.—Reuter. DEPLETION OF GERMAN RESERVES. DISAFFECTION GROWING. London, Sept. 15. Renter's correspondent at British headquarters gives instances in proof of the depletion of the German reserve divisions. (Prisoners admit that disaffection and indiscipline arc growing alarmingly, and that desertions are increasing. A battalion of the 40th Infantry Regiment, which gained the name of the "Lions of Cambrai," broke during the recent advance at Santerre and tied to Nesle, indulging in looting, and straggled away. A captured map shows that an attack against our Ist Army front (near Arras) was being organised when General Foc'hte stroke upset the schemes.—Reuter. MINOR OPERATIONS. REPORTED BY SIR DOUGLAS HAIG. Received Sept. 16, 8.15 p.m. London, Sept 15, 1() p.m. Sir 'Douglas Haig reports: In successful minor operations early this morning, we captured Maisseoy, norttap,rd of St. Quentin, also the trench system south-east and eastward of the village. There was considerable hostile artilleTying at a number of points on the battle-front southward of the ArrasCamibrai RoadEnemy airoraft baa been active. On September M, we destroyed four, also two two-seaters on the ground, during a successful attack at a low height on the aerodrome southward of' Lille. Two British machines are missing. We have dropped in the past 24 hours eight tons of boml)3—Aus-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. AMERICA'S ANSWER. NO "MA3DE-IN-GERMANY" PRO- ! PAGANDA. Received Sept. Hi, 5.5 p.m. Washington, Sept. 14. General March explains that the salient captured means quick blows on both flanks of difficult terrain. The Germans claimed to" have voluntarily retired, but General March points out the total captured prisoners exceeded 15,000. Propaganda has been active, suggesting that the United States did not intend to proceed vigorously with the war. General March says that such a suggestion is utterly unfounded and preposterous. Instead, the War Department is about to ask for an increased appropriation totalling £1,400,000,000 for military purposes. St. Mihiel was not destroyed owing to the Germans' hurried retreat- —Aus.N.Z. CaJble Assoc. HUN PILLAGE AND DEVASTATION. Paris, Sept. 15. Mr. Baker, the American War Secretary, states that Generals Pershing and Pertain entered St. Mihiel and were welcomed by the Mayor and its remaining citizens with touching enthusiasm. It is reported that the town was subjected to forced levies of a million francs, and a large number of men and boys were deported to Germany. Prior to their flight the Germans stripped the countryside bare by systematic pillage and destruction, even stealing the entire contents of the peasants' cottages, including the bet l clothes—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

NO "LET UP."

GETTING READY TO STRIKE. AT GERMANY'S VULNERABLE POINT. Received Sept. Ifl, 7 30 p.m. London, Sept. 19. Mr. Frank Simmonds, the war corrcsi pondent, commenting on the offensive in the St Mihiel sector, says:—"General Koch's success, is a magnificent example of tlie advantages of unified command and a revelation of General Foch's ger.iuo. It is hopeful evidence that there will not be a let-up in the general Allied offensive. General Foch is now freg to launch an offensive in the direction of Briev and the iron mines with* out danger to his southern flanlc at Nancy, between Metz and Strassburg, which would be the beginning of the real | invasion of Germany, whicn is certain 1 to come in 1910, compelling the Germans to evacuate northern France and west- . em Belgium."—Ans.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. i : AMERICAN LINES ADVANCED. OVER 200 GUNS CAPTURED. Received Sept. 16, 1135 p.m. London, Sept. 10. An American official message states: In the St. Mihiel sector there was increased artillery and aviation activity. The enemy counter-attack near St. Hilaire was easily repulsed. A number of prisoners were taken on the left bank of the Moselle. 3ur lines are being advanced from one i to two miles, and now include the towns ! of Vilcey and Norroy. s The normal extension of our lines beyond Jaulnv resulted in our bringing in • 7° additional guns, which were abandoned by the enemy in his hasty retreat, ' This brings the total guns captured to over two hundred.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. VIOLENT COUNTER-ATTACKS. ALLIES' POSITIONS MAINTAINED. Received Sept. 10, 7.30 p.m. London, Sept. 13. A French communique states: Southeast of the Oise, the enemy again coun-ter-attacked violently. Everywhere our positions have been maintained. Wc captured to-day the plateau eastward of Vauxaillon. Further south we advanced beyond Mcrajeun Farm, capturing the crest north-east of Celles-sur-Aisna, Since yesterday morning we prisonered over 2500.