BATTLEFRONT EXTENDED.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1918, Page 5

BATTLEFRONT EXTENDED.

ENEMY'S RESISTANCE OVERCOME. GOOD PROGRESS MADE.

7000 prisoners captured. brilliant work by new; . . zealandkr3. Received Oct. 20, 12.30 a.m. London, Oct. 25. _ Sir Douglas Haig's report states that since yesterday morning we captured 7000 prisoners and over 100 guns. The New Xealanders captured a number of batteries, including heavies. In the neighborhood of Beaudignies, we extended our battle-front this morning northward as far as the Scheldt, at Thiant. x ' ;-» Along the whole battle-front, between the Sambre Canal and the Scheldt, we overcame the enemy's resistance. Our advance lias continued. There has been hard fighting in a number of places. On the right, the Sixth Division reached the eastern edge of the Bois Levque and captured Ors. Northward of the wood, we are approaching the western outskirts of Moral Forest, and have captured Robersart. In the right centre attack we continued to advance successfully in the neighborhood of Le Quesnoy, and captured Poix-du-Xord and Los Tuileries, Rnd have progressed beyond them towards Englefontaine.

The Twenty-seventh Division captured Ghissignies after a sharp struggle. The enemy defended determinedly the crossings at Escaillon and thereabouts.—Aus.NZ. Cable ssoc. and Reuter.

We secured crossings at Beaudignies, which is in our possession. Here vigorous resistance was overcome by the New Zealanders, who, in'this locality, captured the heavy batteries referred to. The English, on the left centre, captured Ruesnes, and are within a short distance of the Le Quesnoy-Valencien-nes railway, northward of this village. There was heavy fighting on the high ground northward of Bermerain. which we hold. Also in the neighborhood of Vendigies-sur-Escallion. The enemy is still resisting in the latter village. The Anglo-Scottish, on the left, forced the crossing of the Ecaillon river, between Vercall and Thiant and gained the high ground. Eastwards, the Fourth Division, after hard fighting, captured Verchain and Monceaux.

The Fifty-first Division, on the left, cleared the enemy from the east bank of the river and advanced to the western outskirts of Mainz, in the face of heavy machine-gunning. Hostile resistance was particularly stubbon in this sector and severe casualties have been inflicted upon the enemy. In the conrse of these operations we have captured, since October 23, over 7000 prisoners and over 100 gunsi We haye reached the general line of the Sambre-Oise Canal, due eastwards of Le Cateau, on the western edge of Mormal Forest, in the neighborhood of Le Quens-noy-Vendegies-sur-Ecaillon, Scheldt Canal, at Mainz.

AVe progressed locally and took prisoners in the Valenciennes-Tournai sec-tor.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

BIG FRENCH ADVANCE. ON THE OISE FRONT. Received Oct. 20, 1.14 a.m. London, Oct. 24. A French communique states: On the Oise front we crossed the canal opposite Longehamps. Between the Oise. and the Serre, we attacked and made a big advance, despite resistance. South of Origny St. Ebenoig and north of Villers lc Sec on tfhe right, we reached the La Ferle—Chevressis Toad at Ferrieres farm, taking several hundred prisoners.— Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter. RAIDS IN GERMANY. GOOD RESULTS OBTAINED. Received Oct. 28, 12.30 a.m. London, Oct. 25. The Press Bureau reports that the Independent Air Force, on the night of October 23, heavily and successfully attacked the railways at Burback and Saarbrucken, dropping 5$ tons of bombs. The force also attacked, with good results, the dliemical factories at Mannheim, aud the railways at Coblenz, Metz-Sablons, and near Maintz. One of our machines has not been located.

In addition to the enemy machines destroyed, as reported in yesterday' 3 communique, we brought down one and shot down two uncontrollable.

Sir Douglas Haig'B report states: We dropped six tons of bombs and brought down thirteen aeroplanes. We also brought down four uncontrollable. Ten British are missing.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter.

BRITISH OPPOSED BY 15 DIVISIONS. Received Oct. 25, 10.15 p.m. Paris, Oct. 24. The Havas' correspondent says that flrteen divisions were opposed to the British yesterday. —Reuter. A GERMAN REPORT. Received Oct. '25, 11.5 p.m. London, Oct. 24. Wireless German official: Belgian inhabitants assisted the enemy in fighting in the neighborhood of Kattestraat. In the centre of the Solesmes-Le Cateau battlefront we brought the enemy to' a standstill on the point of the Bousiea line.-—Aus, N.Z. Cable Assoc, and Reuter,