ENEMY'S WITHDRAWAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1918, Page 5

ENEMY'S WITHDRAWAL.

WORK OF BRITISH FLANDERS ARMY PRAISED.

Received Oct. 0, 5.5 p.m.

London, Oct. 4, 4.10 p.m,

Sir Douglas Haig reports local fighting, in which we progressed in the neighborhood of iUeaurcvoir. Northward of Gouy and southward of Cambrai tho enemy's withdrawl continues. In the Lens and Armentieres sectors our advanced troops reached Wavrin and lirquinghem. Intense air activity is maintained on All possible occasions. Our counter-at-tack patrols successfully forestalled the enemy's intentions by warning our headquarters. Our advancing infantry crere screened by smoke curtains, caused by smoke bombs, dropped fronv the air, while our forward machine-gunners were supplied with ammunition dropped by the airmen. We destroyed 27 hostile machines and drove down five uncontrollable. Twelve British machines are missing. We dropped 26 tons of bombs by day and 30 tons by night, doing considerable damage to junctions and communication 1 Sir Douglas Haig, in a supplementary report, states:—ln operations by the Second British Army in Flanders on September 29, and the subsequent days, the Ninth, Twenty-ninth, and Thirty-fifth divisions rendered distinguished service. In most unfavorable weather they advanced to a depth of over nine miles across difficult country, clearing the whole range east and south-east of Ypreff, and taking a prominent part m the capture by British troops of over 4000 prisoners and 100 gunsThe Ninth Division, on tho first day of attack, took Decelaere, five miles eastward of its starting-point, and three days later reached On tho first day the Twenty-ninth Division passed beyond G-heluvelt and captured Kruisceoko, having advanced fiv'e miles along the Menin Road. On its right, the Thirty-fift.'i Division also passed far beyond our old positions in ISI7 and took Zandvoorde.—Aus.-N.Z, ; Cable Association,

PREPARING PUBLIC FOR THE RETREAT. GERMANS BRIDGING THE MEUSE. DEMORALISATION BEHIND LINES. EVACUATION 0!F ALSACE. Received Oct. 6, 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 5. The newspapers are preparing the .public for the coming retreat. The Kreuz Zeitung says:—'"We must orepare to defend ourselves and the line from Antwerp to Mets and the Adriatic. This defence will last a long time, but we used all oux strength." Dutch newspapers are receiving confirmation of the reports that the Germans are bridging the -Mouse. It is reported that there is much demoralisation behind the German lmes in Belgium. Largei numbers have deserted and crossed the frontier in the last few days. It was an open secret in Berlin on Wednesday that the Crown Council approved of an early and considerable shortening of the line whereby Flanders and part of the Hainaut and Namur districts would b® abandoned. It is stated that the German evacuation of Alsacp has begun. The inhabitants of twenty villages have been sent to Bavaria, but some have escaped to Switzerland.—Aus.-N.Z, Cable Assoc.

THE BEAUREVOIR FIGHTING.

NEW ZEALAKDERS DOING FAMOUSLY. Received Oct. 6, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 5. Australian medical men are now transfusing blood in the front lines, immediately after casualties, and producing valuable results. Mr. Murdoch, describing the Beaurevoir fighting, says the German defences were shattered. The next line will probably be wherever the Germans find they can stick it. The correspondent adds that our movement threatens the Germans in the Cambrai sector, where the New Zealanders continue doing famously.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Keuter.

THE LYS LINE. ST. QUENTIN BREACH WIDENEDGROUND GAINED DAILY. I ENEMY STAivD SOUTH 0$ THE AISNE, Received Oct. 0, 11.25 p.m. London, Oct. 5. Oar line on tlie Lys is, roughly, along the railway from Armentieres to Marquillies, then the Hautedullo Canal. The enemy is certain to make a stand on the canal so as to cover Lille, Roubaix, and Turcoing and give time necessary for the destruction of material.^ Our ibreak in the St. Quentia urea 19 being gradually "widened northward, but the enemy is fighting very hard and our progress ia slow. We, however, are gaining ground daily and capturing farms and other points of local advantage. This sort of fighting costs the enemy heavily, which he can afford less than Ve. South of the 'Aisne, the enemy's retire'meht seems to be ended. Hef is standing on the line Aisne and the 'Aisnej Marne Oanal.-f-Aus-'NZ. Cable Assoc.