A GREAT ALTERATION.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1918, Page 5

A GREAT ALTERATION.

NOW IN PROGRESS. 2XEMY BEATEN BACK EVERYWHEEU3. Received Oct. 13, 5.5 pari. I/>naon, Oct. 11, midnight. A great alteration in the wlkole base of the west front is now in progress. The German army is definitely falling back, and it is difficult to say where the movement will end. The British have advanced towards "nd passed (ho Droccurt-Queant line and reached the Lens-Douai railway in the neighborhood of Beaumont. More northward we lave reached Hcnin, on the Donai-Carvin road. The enemy will probably take up a position In front of Douai. We have captured St Aubert, more southward, and are now within less than seven miles of the German lateral communication and the railway Lille-Valen-/ciennes-Avesnes-Hirson, which is the main trunk line behind the whole German front. Its severance means throwing back all the enemy communications and gravely endangering everything northward of Valenciennes, especially in the Lille salient. More to the southward, along, the whole front between the Soissons-Laon road, the enemy is retreating, the FrancoItalians closely pursuing. The enemy's hold on tt'e Chemin des Dames is slackening hourly. More to the eastward the French have crossed the Suippe at several places, and advanced four or five miles and captured Machault. The enemy is falling back in the direction of Vr-'Jzieres to a line behind the Aisne.—Aus. Cable Assoc. Received Oct. 13, 5.5 p.m. New York, Oct. 12. The French have captured Vouzieres. The British are at the outskirts of Douai and Guise. The villages south of Laon are burning. The Franco-Americans are near Dun-(or-Meoie and Buzancy.

THE CAPTURE OF AULNOIS. A VITAL STRATEGICAL POSITION. Received Oct. 13,11.30 p.m. Washington, Oct. 12. General Marsh states that when the British captured Aulnois it became a vital strategical position to force a further extensive retirement. The Leige-Mnu-bege railway meets the Sedan railway at Aulnois; there are the Germans' main lines of communication and supply.— Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ON THE BRITISH FRONT. FURTHER CAPTURES. Received Oct. 13, p.m. Logdoit, Got. 12. ■Sir Dougias Haig reports:—At midnight, between Bohain ano. Solesines. the o-eiuy is strongly resisting on the line ol the Selle River. Wr- repuUed attacks against our positions eastwajd of Stile, in the neighborhood of Le Catea'u, 2nd took possession of iMastre, in the ar.gle between the Sell* .-t,d the Scheldt Canal. We captured Inchy, and progressed to the rising ground eastward thereof, and repulsed Strong counterattacks delivered with tV assistance of tanks, in this area. M estward of the Canal-leLqscaut, we raptured Fresie?. j Following our deep ?lvaiiee southward of the Sensee, the enemy is hastening his withdrawal from strongly-for-tified positions northward of that river'W e have driven the enemy's rearguards from the northern portion of the Droeourt-Queant line,between the Scarpe and Quirly la Motte, and captured Soilly-on-Ostrevent, Vitrv-en-Artois, Izel-les-Couerorine. Droeourt, and Foitquiere3. Despite the weather our low-fliers continued to harass the retreating enemy. German aircraft is inactive. We destroyed two aeroplanes. Nightfiying is impossible. The Press Bureau state- that the independent force, on the r,ighj£ of the 10th and 11th, despite the mists, attacked the railways of Tfnonville, Metz, Albon, Metzieres, and blast furnaces at R.imbacli and aerodromes st Frescaty. CHEMIX DES DAMES CAPTURED. Received Oct. 14, 12.20 a.m. London, Oct. 12. The French have occupied the remainder of the Chemin des Dames. —Renter . FRENCH ENTER VOUZIERS .Received Oct. 13, 11.30 p.m. London, Oct. 12, 5 p.m. A French cotnir.uTiimie states: We entered Voiiziei> this 'noi'i'.ir.g. We continued to progress :iioiig tie whole Champagne front. We li'.ld the general line f'om the River Retourne and the road from Pauvres to Yoimeres. —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Renter. | A GERMAN PEPORT. i Received Oct. 1", 11.SO p.m. Loiidin. Oct. 12. Wireless German 'tilu-ial: Westward of Douai we retired to line'- in tta rear. We frustrated the attempt to break through in the direction of Valencienes. The enemy gained a footing ta Iwu'y. We evaluated Chemin des Dame- and occupied new positions between Berry au Bac and southward of Bousiers. The Saxons recaptured Cuneri and Bois de formes —Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.