WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

CLOSE TO CAMBRAI.

DETERMINED BRITISH ADVANCE.

• London, Sept. 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Operations on tlie Cambrai battlefront progressed favorably. On the right the sth and 42nd Divisions had heavy fighting last night about Hie Beauchamp ridge, where the enemy counter-attacked strongly. Jn the morning they overcame enemy resistance in this locality and pressed forward two miles beyond, capturing the highly organised defences called the Highlands and Welsh ridges. Later the success was expended southwards, capturing Gouzcaucourt.

The 62nd Yorkshire Division captured llarcoing and pressed south-eastward. The sth Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Own forced the crossings of the Canal de l'Eaeaut at Marcoing and established itself in the German defences c.'«t and northwards.

The 2nd and 57tli Lancashire Division cleared the west bank of the canal as far i north as La Folio wood and captured [Xoyelles-sur-Escafit, Cantaing, and Fon-tnine-Notre-Dame.

[ The Lancashire? are progressing [eastward of Fontaine-Notre-Damc, and co-operating with the Canadians northward of the Bapaume-Cambrai road. Here the enemy resisted strongly and lost heavily in killed and prisoners. Northward of the Arras-Cambrai road the Canadians and English troops are steadily advancing east and north. Strong hostile counter-attacks at Bailleneourt last night were driven baek with loss. To-day the Canadians took possession of Baillencourt and Sa illy, also of the trench system running through these villages.

More northward the 56th London Division entered Palleul. The number of prisoners and guns captured continues to increase.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. London, Sept. 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The English and Americans attacked north-westward of St. Quentin this morning. ! The British have taken 16,000 prisoners since the morning of the 27th.—Aus. I N.Z. Cable Assoc.

A FIERCE STRUGGLE. BRITISH PROGRKSS CONTINUED. ENEMY POSITIONS CARRIED. Received Sept. 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 29. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The AngloAmericans attacked at 5.50 this morning nortli-westward of St. Quentin. The battle is proceeding fiercely on the whole front from St. Quentin to the Scarpe.

There was heavy fighting yesterday about Gonnelieu and the Welsh ridge. We progressed on the high ground southwestward of Gonnelieu, but were pressed back slightly on the Welsh ridge. We re-attacked this morning and progressed at Marcoing.

We enlarged our bridgehead position eastward of the Canal de l'Escaut and drove off a hostile counter-attack more northward.

English naval units established themselves eastward of the Escaut river, opposite Cantaing. Northward of the Bapaume-Oambrai road the Canadians took possession of the defence system known as the Marcoing-Masmerea line, as far north as Sailly.

The Enjrlisfh completed the capture of Aubencheul-au-Bac and Palleul, and are fighting in Arleux. We crossed the Trinquia river In the neighborhood of Sailly-en-Ostrevent.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Eeuter,

CRUX OF DEFENCE REACHED. SUCCESS OF FIRST PHASE OF OFFENSIVE. FRENCH CROSS 30 LINES 0* TRENCHES. ! London, Sept. 29. There are indications that the enemy is retiring from the Chemin-des-Dames. The French have captured the highest point of the ridge. There is severe fighting in the Cambrai sector. .

The St. Quentin push is going well. We crossed the canal at Bellicourt. The Belgians captured Passchendaele Ridge and Me3sine3. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters reports: We have now arrived at the enemy's main line of resistance, which was hardest around Sommo Py„ on the river Py. The establishment of the infantry on the river marks the successful termination of the first phase of the attack, which is being pressed with unremitting vigor. The advance was made over five or siv miles of extraordinarily difficult ground. The loss of the series of buttes in the vicinity cost the Germans most heavily in killed, besides nearly 8000 prisoners. The chain of positions captured was exceedingly strong, the French having to storm a naked wall of bluffs which the enemy had been fortifying for years; every inch was trendhed.

By noon the French had crossed thirty lines of trenches. The hardest fighting was round Tahure. The French 75's (3inch) and 14S'g (0-inch) played a most important part in the battlf. They were brought within a few thousand yards of the front in astonishing numbers unperceived.—Reuter. An American communique states': Our attack continues successfully. To-day we advanced, despite heavy infantry, artillery and machine-gun fire, and reached the outskirts of Brieulles and Exermont. We captured oyer twenty towns and enormous quantities of material. The number of our prisoners increases. American aviators cbmmandthe air. They brought down twelve balloons and more than 60 planes. The American planes missing number under 20. Despite unfavorable weather our aviators successfully executed their missions.— Aus. N.Z, Cable Assoc.