A TERRIBLE HAMMERING.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1918, Page 5

A TERRIBLE HAMMERING.

GIVEN BY OUR 3rd AND 4th ARMIES. THE FRONT ABLAZE WITH ATTACKS. THE DASHING NEW ZEALANDERS. London, Oct. 9. A British headquarters' report, issued on the evening of the Bth, states: Over sixteen enemy divisions to-day were given a terrible hammering by tlie lird and 4tli Armies, with which were strong American units, and it is certain a tremendous toll was levied upon "the dwindling German 'man-power. The operations at Cawbrai and St. Quentin constituted a series of battles developing .ons after another all night, and at daybreak ,on Tuesday at least 13 miles of the British front were ablaze with infantry attacks, which generally progressed rapidly, although sticky points* were encountered.

The Welsh had the touglioat task in breaking through the remainder of the Beaurevour-Masnieres line, but once the Germans were driven out and the Welshmen reached the open the en.emy broke. The New Zealandera carried Esnes, taking over 700 prisoners, in their finest form.

The German tanks were of a fairly fast type, but our gunners soon got on top of them, assisted by our low-flying airmen.

The Americans have done brilliantly, taking 1600 prisoners in capturing Premont. We are now all out in open, rolling country. Our casualties were relatively light.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. London, Oct. 9. I Mr Gil>bs writes; The New Zealanders (got away almost too fast and were in danger of getting out of touch with (the 'other troops on their flanks. They had 1 to cross a valley to Esnes, with many concrete dugouts. It was hard and desperate fighting, and many of the enemy were killed,—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. TEMPORARY LULL AT OAMBRAIGERMAN MORALE CRUMBLING. (From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the Now Zealand Forces in the Field.) 1 By Cable, Oct. 4, There is a temporary lull in the battle on this sector, and the New Zealanders are hanging on to a salient which they have bitten into the enemy ffont across the canal. The British troops are across it on the left, and we join up with .them To-day a new Ger man division is announced on our flnak, and prisoners reported that there was to have been an B.t tack with tanks, but nothing came of itThough there is apparently no irame' diate intention of a voluntary withdrawal on this sector, and the enemy may still offer a stubborn resistance here, there are many indications of his declining morale and that his armies are in a bad way and are slowly crumbling- There have been riots, in which officers joined with the men, in Cambrai; and in the prison cages one notices marked ill-feeling between the Prussians and the Bavarians. The other day, in Cambrai, it is reported, the Prussians and Bavarians quarrelled over their loot, and came to plows. Fifteen Prussians were killed, and, one officer was thrown from a third floor and had his neck broken ■ Propaganda leaflets dropped from balloons urge our men to support the cry for peace, so tljat "they will not need any more to charge the Hindenburg line, where the Germans are stronger than before, and are awaiting their attacks." But yesterday I got a Ford car over the country roads and grassy tracks across and along Hindenburg line; and some of our "diggers," who only three days before had won fresh laurels across .the canal, were eating their dinners in that line. When one looks at it, still smoking, its deep dug-outs, its maze of trenches, and its five or six belts of barbed wire, one is amazed that we sot it so cheaply There are some dug-outs that the yetreatmg Germans had not time to destroy, and in these the New Zealanders ere'finding comfortable quarters and safety, even from the German cannon By making these splendid dug-outs, the enemy has saved our men a lot of digging, 911 d we are greatly obliged to' him for "the thoroughness with which he has done the work, Scattered over thousands of acres behind and beyond thfe famous line there is not only' an extraordinary litter of small equipment and ammunition, but also countless shells of all calibres, and many guns, the loss of which his depleted armies can ill-afford.