WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 October 1918, Page 6

WESTERN FRONT.

SIGNIFICANT EVACUATION. : ENEMY ABANDONMENT OF BELGIAN COAST. V EXCHANGE OF PRISONERS, GERMANY REFUSES TO RATIFY 'AGREEMENT. Received Oct. 5, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 4. The United Press correspondent states that 'the Germans are evacuating the material depots near Cambrai. Airmen report preparations to evacuate Le Cateau. 1 The evacuation of the dugouts on the sand dunes in Belgium foreshadows the abandonment of the coast. Following Britain's peremptory demand that Germany should state whether she proposed to ratify the exchange of prisoners agreement, it is now officially stated that Germany refuses ratification until the position of Germans in China is guaranteed.—United Frees. London, Oct. 4. The Germans have sent five new divisions to Belgium to endeavor to hold up General Plumer's advance on Courtrai. Mr Percival Phillips writes: —The Anglo-Australians attacked at six in the morning on a bow-shaped front. In the first three hours they carried nearly all the ground aimed at far ahead of ti%e- It is even more encouraging to learn that the German divisions met and over-ridden showed exhaustion while their composition betTays the fact that the High Command ir. in dire straits for men- Scrapings from field depots and orderlies are among the captives already caged. The battle was resumed in fine clear weather with a strong supporting barrage Sweeping the enemy positions from Le Catelet to Sequehart. The barrage advanced with a precision for which the German gunners expressed their admiration. The Australians advanced towards Beaurevoir. It was not really formidable, for the .Australians crossed it without delay, and were soon fighting in emergency Beaurevoir trenches, dug by the Hun 18 months ago. A number of tanks undoubtedly facilitated the occupation of the village and redoubts at Wianeourt. -Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. London, Oct. 4. A Belgian communique reports: Die French and Belgians on October 3 attacked strong enemy positions eastwards of Staden, breaking down the enemy resistance. Our troops advanced their line two kilometres and reached the outskirts of Hooglede also the Hoog-lede-Roulers Road. A violent enemy counter-attack westward of Roulers was smashed before reaching our lines. During October 2 a Belgian armored car daringly crossed the German lines and entered Roulers. Despite heavy enemy fire from all sides the car subsequently returned through the German positions and reached our lines Aus.-N Z. Cable Assn. New York 1 , Oct. 3. The Americans have reached the Kreimhilde line, south of Brieulles. The Krcimhilde line is a prolongation of the general defensive system from Laon an disbelieved to be heavily fortified. Paris, Oct. 4. The Americans, in conjunction with the French, advanced tlpee miles east of Rheims.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. iiondon, Oct. 4. An American communique says: With the French we drove back the enemy and took Mont Blano and other positions in Champagne. Between the Moselle river and the Argonne Forest there was artillery patrol activity-—Aus-N-Z. Cable Assb. London, Oct- 4.

A (French communique says: Tn the region of St. Quentin violent fighting occurred in the iHindenburg positions between Lesdina and Sequehart. where the enemy very strongly resisted. Further south we gained fpoting on the railway eastwards of St. Quentin and made progress in fighting eastwards of Lisle. North-west of Rheims we carried Cormicy and reached the canal between Concevreux and La Neuvilette. The battle of Champagne continues with sustained violence. We enlarged our gains in the regions north of SommePy. Our troops, breaking down the resistance of the enemy, carried the crest of Blanc Mont and Midah Farm, five kilometres north-west of Somme-Py. Two thousand eighty hundred prisoners have already been counted to-day.—Aus-N-Z. Cable Assn. i Ixgidon, Oct. 3A French' communique States: North of the Vesla we are continuing the advance. We eaptiired Tx>ivre, in the region of Neuvillette. A violent German counter-attack was resulttess. In the Champagne fights continued last evening. We captured Challerange. The Germans made powerful efforts to throw us out of the woods southeast of Orfcuil, wheTe we penetrated thrice. Their assaults weTe shattered. We maintained all our gains, and inflicted heavy losses. Our attack was resumed at daybreak this morning. During September the Allies in France and Belgium took 2844 officers, 180,192 men, 1600 guns, and over 10,000 machine guns. The Allies, from July 15 to September 30 have taken 6518 officers, men, 3069 guns, over 33,000 machine-guns, and several hundred mine throwers.—Aus.-N.Z_ Gable Assn. and j Reuter. t

■London, Oct. 4. Sir Douglas Haig, in his aviation report, says: We dropped 43 tons of bombs on selected targets. A concentrated attack was made on the railway junction at Aulnoy. Wc blew up an ammunition train and set fire to rolling stock. Photographs srhow that great damage was done and, much disorganisation hi this centre of the enemy communications. We heavily bombed Lille, and Vallenciennes stations and many-targets in the battle l area.—Aus.-N.Z Cable Assoc.

. CONSTANT PRESSURE. : • BRITISH MAKE HEADWAY. , ON THE EVE OF GREAT. POSSIgILITIES. London, Oct. 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports: At dawn the British infantry and tanks attacked on an eight mile front from Sequehart to the canal northward of Bony. The attack was successful at all points. On the right of the attack the English and Scottish of the 32nd Division retook Sequethart, taking prisoners, and later beat off a counter attack with loss.

In the centre the English stormed Ramicourt and Wianeourt taking several hundred prisoners, while the 2nd | Australian Division broke through the Fonsomme-Beaurevoir line west and south-west of Beaurevoir. Pressing for-1 ward, the troops of these two divisions, accompanied by tanks, reached the western outskirts of Montbrehain and secured the high ground southward and J south-westward of Beaurevoir. ' On the left of the attack'the English and Irtah forced the passages of the Scheldt Canal and Jouy and Le Catelet, capturing both villages and the high ground eastward. The enemy counterattacked strongly in this locality in the afternoon and heavy fighting continues. We took a large number of prisoners in this successful operations. On the remainder of the St. QuentinCambrai battlefield only patrol encounters occurred in which we secured prisoners. In the area of the enemy's withdrawal northward of the ScaJrpe we progressed steadily all day maintaining constant pressure on the German rearguards. Lens has been cleared of the enemy. Our advanced detachments reached the general line: Avion-Vendin le Vieil-Hantay-Wicres-Herlies and are eastward of the Boir Grenier. We occupied Armentieres. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asboc. and Reuter. Enemy attacks on Le Catelet were smashed. The British, pursuing the Germans, reached the railway east of Lens. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. London, Oct. 4. Sir Douglas Haig reports that at the conclusion of yesterday's fighting we held the high ground a mile north-east-ward of Sequehart, and had successfully beaten off counter-attacks at Guoy, Le Catelet, and Sequehart. We took over 4000 prisoners in yesterday's operations northward of St. Quentin. During the night local fighting to our advantage occurred south-westward of Beaurevoir and in the southern outskirts of Cambrai. We slightly advanced our posts •north-eastward of Epiny and repulsed it hostile attack on a post southward of Biachesyarst. Northward of the Scarpe we made progress between Oppy and Mericourt, and more northward our advanced troops reached the Tailway castward of Lens and the general line Ven-din-le- Vieil-Wingles-Berclau-Fournes en Vespres-Houplines. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. New York, Oct. 4. The British have advanced six miles between Armentieres and Lens. —Australian Cable Assoc. London, Oct. 4. Mr Gibbs states: By our attack this morning across the St. Quentin-Scheldt Canal, southward of Cambrai, we took many prisoners and broke into the country about Le Catelet. With luck we may force the enemy to retreat at Le Cateau and, by cutting the line of communications, compel the abandonment of Cambrai.

Owing to the constant pressure northward and southward of the battle-front he is already in wide retreat in the La Bassee salient. We must not indulge in rosy and optimistic dreams, but may say that we are on the eve of amazing possibilities. Possibly there is a supreme chance of bringing the war to a decisive issue.—Aus.-X.Z. Cable Assoc. The achievement of the Forty-sixth Division on Sunday in flinging themselves across the canal at Bellenglise, where they captured 4200 prisoners, a great number of guns, and over a thousand machine-guns, will rafrlc in history as one of the most heroic episodes of the war. They were unromantic fellows, bootmakers, lacemakers and potters, but the spirit of England's old heroic soul was in them. One of their brigadiers, who Iholds the Victoria Cross, oorrowed all the lifebelts from the leave boat, put on one himself, and led his men across the Somme, wading and swimming the river. He taught them to keep their rifles dry and their heads above water. these lifebelts, sealing ladders, and hand bridges, the Midlanders advanced in a thick fog on Sunday, crossed the canal, lined up on the other side, and went ahead. Large numbers of Germans hid in the tunnels and hoped to blow up the British with mines and fight again when the first waves had passed. By ten o'clock in the morning the key of the Hindcnburg line above St. Quentin had been seized. The German withdrawal from La Bassee was preceded by a, heavy bombardment as a final salute, then the troops stole away leaving only a few machine-gun crews here and there. We followed up as soon as tlhe withdrawal was noticed. Meanwhile "the real storm centre is still Cambrai, where the Germans remain within the girdle of the British line. The Canadians northward did not attack this morning, but held their gains. The enemy has organised ft strong machine-gun defence at Cambrai under a commander,who knows his job. He posted gunners on the roofs with a clear field of fire. Apart from machinegunners there are few left in the town. After disgraceful orgies and looting, in which officers joined, Cambrai was put out of bounds for all except the garrison. The chief fighting this morning southward of Cambrai was where the AngloAustralians attacked a strong defensive Ime, part of the Beaurevoir-Masnieres line, before which arc a number of villages strongly fortified for machine-gun defence. It is a terrible position to attack, and not easy to hold. The British took Sequehart for the third time, capturing the garrison, and further advanced. They took 2000 prisoners beyond Vcsgies. The Australians experienced hard figlhting in the village of Waincourt. We took at .least. 3000 prisoners.