WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1918, Page 6

WESTERN FRONT.

1 i AT ZEEBRUGG3 f : •COIJRTRAI '■ e • - London, Oct. 16. Mience reigns in Zeebrugge, whence the largest destroyers on a. recent stormy night 6ailed for Genn Times Service.

Courtrai has been captured.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

A British monitor reached the breakwater at Ostcnd and silenced some forts. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Amsterdam, Oct. 10. Reports from Antwerp' indicate that the Germans are about to send the German ships at Antwerp to Holland for internment in Holland. There are further signs of the evacuation of the Ostend region. ,_

' "'"' London, Oct. 16. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters adds: The Allies advanced amazingly well. Though the fighting was obstinate in places the number of prisoners is expected largely to exceed 11,000, which was the total yesterday morning, and the guns 100. Roulers was found to be undamaged and 120Q of the inhabitants were liberated. ..,, 7-.-- r

SUBURBS OF LILLE CAPTURED. GREAT- HEADWAY IN BELGIUM. FRENCH ADVANCING ON UPPER AISNE. New York, Oct. 16. xne British have entered the suburbs of Lille. The Belgian cavalry are within a mile of Thielt (10 miles from Roulers). The French have reached the outskirts of Rethel on the upper Aisne.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. London, Oct. 16. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The Allied forces, under the King of the Belgians, continued the attack. The Belgians reached the approaches to Wyendael wood and Thourout. The French, reached the outskirts of Lichterveldc. Further south, despite lively resistance, they pushed beyond the Roulers-Lichtervelde railway.

Southward of the Roiders canal the Belgians captured Lendelede. The 2nd British army reached Ledeghem, captured Gulleghem and Heule, reached the outskirts of Courtrai and occupied Menin and Wervicq, where we gained a footing on the right bank of the Lys. Since the 14th the Allies have taken over 12,000 prisoners and captured over 100 guns.

A Belgian communique states: The French and Belgians continued the advance on the whole front of attack. On the left the Belgians advanced several kilometres northwards of the Handzeeme Cortemarck railway. In the centre the French carried the whole of the Hooglede plateau, and captured Gits and Gitsburg. French cavalry crossed the Roulers-Thourout road and advanced towards Lichtervelde.

On the right the Belgians, co-operat-ing with the British, who were operating further south, captured Worckhoeck- and Lendelede, and reached the railway from Courtrai to Ingelmunster. Over 7000 prisoners have been counted and 80 guns. The Belgians captured a complete, regimental staff.

A French communique says: On the Aisne we advanced in the region of Arsonville. We skirt the southern hank of the Serre as far as Pouilly-sur-Serre, which is in our hands. We made progress north-west of Warchals? taking 400 prisoners. Further east we captured Olizy-le-Comte, westward of Grand Pre. We hold the Vouziers-Grand Pre road. In this region we took an additional 400 prisoners.

An American communique states: We continued our attacks on both sides of the Meuse. They, were stubbornly resisted by the reinforced enemy. Eastward of t)he Meuse the French and Americans gained ground. Westward the fighting has increased in violence, but we gained substantially, including Hill 299, which three times changed hands. We broke the Kreimhilde-Stel-lung lines at new points, where hand-to-hand fighting occurred.

A wireless German official message reports: The enemy continued 'his attacks on the fighting front in Flanders and attained some limited territorial advantages.—Aus. N.Z Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

THE ALLIES' DRIVE. \ ENEMY DIVISIONS THROWN BACK AND BROKEN LIGHT TANKS DO GREAT WORK. London, Oct. 10. The British have captured Menin. The Allies advanced a mile on the whole Flanders front, capturing most important ground. The Germans south-east of Lille are retiring upon the Haute-Deule canal. Wo have reached the proximity of the enemy's chief lateral railway, froir, Thourout via Thielt to Ghent, consequently the Germans have been thrown back upon the Ostend-Bruges-Ghent-Brussels for lateral communications, which is awkward, owing to the nearness of the Dutdhi frontier. The enemy's Lys line north-east ot Lille is becoming in a very critical condition*, and an early withdrawal therefrom is anticipated. Reuter's correspondent at Bntisn headquarters, writing on Tuesday eyenin" says: Since Sunday morning eight ficrman divisions have been flung back and broken, whilst probably all or most of the reserve divisions behind them nau a heavy gruelling. This has not been a battle of limited objectives, rather it has been a drive. > The French light tanks have done extraordinary service. The Germans anticipated the employment of tanks, cavalry and armored cars m the event ot the Allies breaking through, for on the roadside the tree." were felled and laid athwart the paths and every canal crossing was destroyed—Reuter.