SQUEEZING THE ENEMY FROM

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1918, Page 5

SQUEEZING THE ENEMY FROM

ALL POINTS.,

ENEMY FIGHTING WITH ENERGY OF DESPAIR.

Received Sept. 30, 0.50 p.m. London, Sept. 20. Reuter's correspondent at Fiencli headquarters states that the French are steadily advancing, capturing new ground. Numerous iires arc seen behind the German lines. The Anglo-Belgian attack in the north, coupled with the Franco-American attack in the Champagne, Argonne and Meuse, compelled the enemy to depend, on a much vaster scale, on a pocket such as those which brought the Huns disaster at the Marne and the Avre. .

A later message says that the whole enemy front from St. Quentin to Rheims has become a salient, the bases of which are being vigorously attacked on both sides and on both wings.' The enemy is lighting with the energy of despair, as" during the retreats. As a result of General Maugin's advance yesterday th® whole of the Halinaison plateau and the western part of the Chemin deg Dames are in our possession.

The enemy is abandoning the approaches to the massif of St. Gobain and the Laon plateau.

A FINE VICTORY. VALUABLE GROUND GAINED. GREAT CONFUSION IN ENEMY'S REAR. Received Sept. 30, 10.45 p.m. London, Sept. 29. Router's correspondent at British headquarters says: As the morning advanced it became clear that the battle was developing into a fine victory. La Catelet was the key to the position. The whole sector from Bellicourt to Bandux was captured. By 12 o'clock we were astride the St. Quentin—Cambrai railway in many places, seriously restricting the enemy's communications. Important fortified villages were carried in'rapid succession. La Vacquerie, Nauroy, Bonyvillers and Guillain were taken early in the battle.

The Belgians further north entered Staden, and recaptured Holthurst village, and now hold the entire We3t Roosebeke —Passchendaele ridge system. Thence the line of the Second Army this morning ran from near Zonnebeko to Kersceware and Zanvorde, possibly through Houthem to the Wytschaete—Messines ridge.

The Belgians have hitherto prisonered over 5000 and wo have taken over 4000.

Our covering tactics were so admirable that large bodies of the enemy were taken in the rear. The tanks were most useful in clearing the machinc-gun nests and quelling the street fighting. Bourlon village and Cambrai now lie at our feet, dominated by field guns. Prisoners report the greatest confusion in the enemy reserves, who are hopelessly scattered and mixed with ether units. There is a continuous stream of enemy transports eastward and fires behind the German lines.

Our troop 3 rested at night time in the capacious shelters of the Hindenburg system.

AIRCRAFT CO-OPERATES,

HELP THE BELGIANS.

Received Sept. 30, 9.45 p.m. London, Sept. 29. The Press Bureau reports: Aeroplanes attached to the Navy, co-operating in the Belgian offensive, dropped 13 tons of bombs on Saturday, and set on fire two trains and destroyed two ammunition dumps. They attacked massed motor transports and battery. Low fliers inflicted casualties on the infantry concentrations, horse gun teama and other formations.

Aeroplanes guccessfully carried , out spotting iox four British monitors shelling the coast defences. They encountered in the latter part of tie day large formations of aircraft well on the enemy side of the lines. They destroyed four and drove down four uncontrollable. Thirteen British are missing, the majority of which did not return from the enemy lines after a Budden and violent rain storm.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

ENEMY STRONGLY RESISTING. FRENCH RESUME PROGRESS. Received Sept. 30, 5.5 p.m. London, Sept. 29. A French communique states: North of the Aisne the pursuit was continued. We occupied the forest of Pinon and reached the Ailette in this region, also east of the Chavignon front. The enemy is strongly resisting our advance in the Champagne. Attacks launched by the enemy yesterday were broken. We resumed progress, particularly north of Gratreuil, where we gained possession of Bellevue heights.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

AN AFFECTING FAREWELL THE DEPARTING AUSTRALIANS. Received Sept. 30, 10.30 p.m. London, Sept. 29. Mr. Gilmour, writing from Australian headquarters, describes the departure of the first batch of 700 of the 7000 Anzacs who, under the new scheme, are being given six months' leave to visit Australia. The scene was one of boisterous enthusiasm. Practically every man entitled to leave accepted, but a few officers declined to leave, saying that they had been in it from the first, and would not be satisfied if they did not see the end. A proportion of the men were bo impressed with the recent progress, coupled with the signs of German demoralisation, that they were convinced that they will not again be needed. General Birdwood and the men's comrades, awaiting the next battle, took an affecting farewell—Aus. and JT.Z. Cable Assoc.