FIGHTING CONTINUES.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1918, Page 5

FIGHTING CONTINUES.

WITH UNDIMINISHED VIOLENCE,

FRENCH PRESSING ENEMY HARD. .'3 Received Oct. 7, 1.30 a.m. London, Oct. 5, 0.10 p.m. A French communique states: North of St. Quentin fighting continued with undiminished violence. We have thrown back the enemy, who is defending himself foot by foot, from a height situated 1200 metres south-east of Chardonvert and the neighboring woods. North—west of Rheitns, we are again exercising vigorous pressure along the whole front of the Aisne Canal, which vr# crossed in several places and advanced as far as the outskirts of Bermericourt. The number of prisoners counted is> the past five days exceeds 2500. We hare taken SI guns, including 20 heavies, whereof five are 200 millimetre There were lively attacks iby the France-Americans in the Cliampagne district, and their yesterday in the direction of the Arnes forced the enemy, who is threatened with having his left turned, to evacuate precipitately the eastern part of the mountain region. Our troops in the western sector of the Suippe are on the heels of tlie enemy rearguards, and reached heights of 800 kilometres south-easi of Moronvillerg, south of Monthois. We smashed & counterattack against Croix des Soudans, retaining all our gains. The Germans, who have been heavily reinforced, are disputing the ground aloag tht entire Orfeuil-Monthois front with extreme obstinacy. UNINTERRUPTED GAINS. HINDENBURG LINES ENTIRELY BROKEN. ENEMY COMMUNICATIONS THREATENED. Received Oct. 6, 5.5 p.m. New York, Oct. 5. General March, interviewed, said the news from the front is excellent. The offensives conducted in the three major sectors have resulted, practically, in uninterrupted gains. The British at St. Quentin have entirely broken the Hindenburg defences, the Germans finding the greatest difficulty in closing the breaches the British are making. A few American regiments are assisting the British at the St. Quentin operations.

The American advance north-west of Verdun threatens the leading German line of communication on the southern portion of the front. Despite additional German reserves the Americans continue their forward movement. In the Flanders salient the British bave recovered 75 square miles of Belgium, and formed a semi-circular salient ten miles deep. The British; are within five miles of Lille.—Aus, N.Z. Cable Assoc. GERMAN RESISTANCE STIFFENS. DELAY CANNOT LAST LONG. NO LINES WE CANNOT BREAK. Received Oct. 6, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 5. The German resistance on our left has stiffened, keeping us in check, but the delay cannot last long, because the enemy is in desperate straits for reserves and there are no lines ahead of us which our men cannot break.—Aus N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.

ENEMY FIGHTING HARD. AUSTRALIANS CHECKED, BUT PERSEVERE. Received Oct. 6, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct 5. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes that tlie enemy is fighting hard for the Beaurevoir line, which the Australians have broken south and south-west of the village, and are working forward with the aid of tanks, which the bad ground and water is handicappingEnemy pillbox fortresses, eastward of Estrees, from which came slashing machine-gun fire, checked the Australians for six hours, until, iby dogged efforts, they overpowered the enemy. Before the Australians gained the concrete shelters, the enemy sheflei them with gas-shell 3, but the Australians, wearing gas masks, did not retire on that account, but managed to get eastwards of Waincourt and westward of Beaurevoir, and held the ground all night long, while a counter-blow forced the English to withdraw from Mont Brchain. The enemy occupied higher ground than the Anglo-Australians, and were able to get an enfilade fire, first from one position and then another, making Mont Brehair, untenable.—Aus-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Rcuter.

THE FLANDERS VICTORY. 10.50Q PRISONERS; 350 GUNS. Received Oct. C, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 5. A Belgian communique reports:—The Franco-Belgians to-day slightly progressed towards Bombooglede and Roulers. An Anglo-Erench attack begun on September 28, comjuered the whole of the Flanders ridge in 48 hours. Local actions since aimed at freeing the approaches to the ridge resulted in an advance of 14 kilometres on a front of 40 kilometres, completely freeing Ypres, which permitted the occupation of the 'Lys-River 'between Armentieres and Verdicq. Ten thousand five hundred prisoners, including 200 officers, were counted! als® SSO guns, 2M trench mortars, and 600 machine-guns-British airmen powerfully contributed to the viotora,—lua.-'isf.z,. Cable -'Assoc. and -Router,