WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GERMANS PRAYING FOR RAIN. FURTHER BRTTTSJ? ADVANCE DISTINCT DECUgI OF "ENEMY MORALE. Received Sept. 23, 7.45 p.m. London, Sept. 22. Writiug from Australian headquarters ou the 22nd, Mr. Murdoch states that cold winds begin to drive over the battlefront. Heavy rains bring the old familiar muddiness, and the detested duckboards re-appear. The cosiest people along the British and French sectors are the infantry in the front :"id support linea. They are snug in the deep old trenches or new narrow linos, in which they are safe from shells, but a man must be ear-marked for Heaven if he gets hit in such places. The wreckage from the battlefield provides ideal material for shelter from the weather. There are ample supplies of German corrugated iron and timber available, For the past two days there has been little fighting, for the Boche won't fight. He has given up attempts to regain ground, and simply refuses to face our machine guns, despite the strongly-worded orders by the leading generals that these lines are vital to the whole system of defence. The First Australian Division captured documents adding to the mass of evidence tending to show the German decline. One, signed by a divisional commander, referred to the territory from which the enemy was evicted on the 18th, says: "The whole of this system must be held for winter quarters. You must fight to the last cartridge and the last man." Another, signed by an army commander, directs that all positions must be held. If driven back, they must retake them at all costs. Our observations show many signs of decreasing German respect for officers. At the Fourth Division's prisoners' cage a hundred German privates crowded the entrance. As each battalion commander was brought in they sarcastically cheered and waved their hands. Sometimes (lie battalion commander and staff cheered back. Such things were impossible a few months ago. Nearly all the German officers, however, express manly regret over their capture, the senior officers invariably feeling it a deep disgrace, some adding that they find the war most interesting, and are sorry they have to leave it. The Australians captured some most striking testimonials to the Tommies, including a harassed German commander s order that gas discipline must be made far more rigid on the British front, He says: "Only yesterday 215 men were gassed in a single battalion. It is suspected the men are purposely getting thin gas m order to avoid fighting the English." ° No farmer ever longed for rain with the intensity with which the Boche commanders must now pray for bad weather. It the next few weeks are fine the Allied blows may have an extremely far-reach-ing effect. On the other hand, nothing is calculated to hamper attacks more than mud and rain, which enable any rallying elements in the Boche lines to hold out in isolated posts, possibly gaining enough time to reorganise and stabilise their positions. The whole weight of the British heavy gun-power is now turned upon the wire entrenchments and concrete machine-gun posts, and the tunnels of the inner Hindenburg system. Much is hoped for. The atmosphere is charged with the expectation of a further advance. The confidence is all the Greater because the German artillery is proving much less formidable than was expected, Artillerymen taken prisoner explain that so many guns have been captured that the Germans are finding it impossible to keep up effective firing There is evidence in our hospitals of a considerable amount of effective fire upon the Germans themselves. Many bear unmistakable signs of having been shot trom behind, and show no disposition to Qiscuss the circumstances. There has undoubtedly been a fair amount of German fire turned upon their own men in anger for their retreat,—United Service. SECURITY OF WHOLE GERMAN LINE. allies in position to THREATEN IT. Wellington, Last NightThe official weekly review states:— On the 18th, our Third and Fourth Arin::'p attacked on a front of about 13 miles from Holnon to Gouzeaucourt and advanced about two miles into close touch with the Hindenburg line, and at several points passed the original line held on the 21st March. Between SOOO fsiul 10,000 prisoner were takes. IV Frenct Testli Army made a substantial advance along practically the whole front between the Aisnj and the north of the Ailette, capturing points of tactical importance, 4000 prisoners, and the important position of Mont des Signes. The American!, achieved a most striking success in the St. Mihiel salient, capturing 15,(100 prisoners and more than 200 guns. The Germans, generally speaking, did not show their old fighting qualities, an -la shown by the large number of prisoners and the comparatively small Allied losses. The Germans had constructed a line across the salient to which they retired, but it is not be lieved to be very strong, but the Germans cannot allow the Allies to advance further hero owing to the threat thus Involved to Metz and tha important side-lines of communication through Strassburg, Metz, and Montmedy. The capture of the St. Mihiel salient is an event of the greatest importance, and proves conclusively to Germany and all the world that the American Army is as hisrhly trained a fighting machine as the German, French, and British. Now that the ground has been captured between the lleuse and Moselle, the Allies are enabled at any time to mount an attack in that direction and to threaten the security of the whole German lino DISPOSING OF ENEMY DEAD. Received Sept. 23. 7.46 p.m. Parw, Sept. 22. A captured enemy order instructs doc-i tors to bum the dead instead of ; ing. A prisoner states that he saw 60C| icorpses incinerated in batches,—Ansa 2US. Q&k Asso* '