WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 October 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS. ON THE VERGE OF CLEAR COUNTRY. Received Oct. 28, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 23. Router's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on the evening of the 24th, states: Between tlie iiois Eveque and the Scheldt the battle is progressing satisfactorily. The 2nd Army made a slight advance northwards. The French have taken the forest of Dewafrefhem. The Ist Army attacked this morning and crossed the river at various places, the principal opposition being encountered at Verchain Menchaux. There the crossing will bring us into clear country south of Valenciennes.—Reuter. HARD FIGHTING. BITTER STRUGGLE AT TOUR.VAI. ALSO AT VALENCIENNES. received Oct. 20? 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. Sir. Robinson report., hard fighting along the whole of the line of the Scheldt. There was a fierce struggle for the Tournai canal bridgeheads. Patrols several times succeeded in crossing under machine-gun tire, but were unable to gain a permanent footing. Another bitter struggle is raging in the suburbs of Tournai. A small wood changed hands twice in 24 hours. We are close to the south side, which the Germans had everywhere strongly and formidably protected by double belts of wire. Machine-guns were placed in the cellars and on the roofs around and below Valenciennes, where the resistance was equally stubborn. —Aus. N.Z. Cable Association.

THE NEW ZEALANDERS. CAPTURE MANY GUNS AND INFLICT SEVERE LOSSES. Received October 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 23. Mr. Percival Phillips writes that when the New Zealanders passed Beaudignies they established themselves a quarter of a mile beyond the east side of Escaillon valley. The Germans endeavored to hold the river line. The New Zealanders rushed the gun crews as they were trying to get away, and captured a howitzer and some field guns intact. This misfortune inspired a general withdrawal of the German batteries from their positions southward of the Valenciennes railway. As evidence of the confusion among the enemy rearguards, General Byng's army northward of Monnal forest took prisoners from sixteen regiments of nine divisions in foriy-eight hours.

Mr. Percival Gibbons writes that tlie Ist and 3rd Armies are still fighting in very hard and woody country south of Valenciennes and east of Lo Cateau. The Germans are resisting strongly. We have taken many village*, each necessitating a separate little battle. The enemy has many uuns and machine-guns. Everywhere we had lo move forward in open warfare without trenches, ' while the Germans had good cover 011 the outskirts of woods and villages, where they fired from roofs, windows, and cellars.

The New Zealanders, attacking from beyond Neuville, captured many guns and inflicted severe losses.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.

COLOSSAL PLAN THAT FAILED. CAPTURE OF CALAIS THE OBJECT. HUMANITY TO BE STARTLED. • Received Oct. 20, 5.5 p.m.. London, Oct. 25. Mr. Thomas says the advance in Belgium has brought to light a colossal enemy plan for the capture of Calais tin July 23. from the Lys-Bailleul salient. They prepared an assault which was to startle humanity. Special railways were constructed for the carriage of heavy guns and ammunition, whereof great stocks were hidden 111 ditches and hundreds of dumps along the line of advance. Meanwhile the troops endured a terrific hammering, while holding the deep salient and waiting for the moment to advance, losing 120,000 in three months under concentrated British artillery fire. They were finally compelled to abandon the salient in the third week of July, without attempting the coup. — United Service.

DAMNING EVIDENCE. OF HUMS' DEPRAVITY. Received Oct. 27. 5.5 p.m. Paris, Oct. 20. The French captured a German order instructing the troops to carry out destruction thoroughly, also to poison welld.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. GERMANS EXHORTED TO FIGHT HARD >"QW. Received Oct. 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. The United Press correspondent states that the German high command's .idmonitions that the army must fight hard now to avoid a humiliating defeat are producing effect, the machine-gunners sticking to their posts in the early summer fashion. Prisoners are comparatively few. The two days' total was 7200 and over a hundred guns. The line is now along the edge of the great Mormal forest, where, if the Germans elected to stand, they are expected to furnish a hard task. They fought fiercely in the Sommaing region, and General! Rawlinson experienced considerable* trouble in the Eveque wood before the; last machine-gun was silenced.—Aus. SU, Cable Amoo.

PROGRESS SLOW BUT SURE

OPERATIONS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. GERMAN LINE SERIOUSLY MENACED. Received Oct. 27.. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 26. Renter's correspondent, writing from British headquarters on October 25, states that we are progressing!slowly, but surely, between the Scheldt and the Oise-Sarnbre canal. The present operations are of greater significance than can be realised without a comprehensive survey of the whole western front. The past three days have made more definitely towards final victory than many more spectacular events.

At the present rate of fighting the Germans will have a very attenuated group of corps when the' line of the Mouse ia reached.

French headquarters states: ,The French made nn attack this morning on a seventeen-mile front on the Aisne and Soissons line. They advanced to a minimum depth of one mile.

Further west tlie 10th French Army attacked on an eight-mile front on the Notre Dame de Liesse and Serre line, capturing Pierrepont, Vesles-en-Caumont, and Caumont farm.

A later message states that the French infantry are near Villers le See and its fall is probable. Its loss may compel the enemy to fall back a considerable distance before renewing the battle. On the Bunding line, General von Hutier's position is weak, because he is menaced in the rear by General Byng's and General Rawlinson's offensive." A successful advance in the Sambre valley must, cause the instant retirement of the whole German line between the Oise and Argonne.—Reuter. BRITISH PUSH FORWARD. DESPITE SEVERE RESISTANCE. Received Oct. 27. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25, 12.35 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports:' We captured Vendegies-sur-Escaillon on Thursday afternoon, and progressed on the high ground eastward. We successfully repulsed a counter-attack in the neighborhood. Fighting recommenced in this sector at an early hour this morning. The enemy's resistance at Maing was overcome last evening, the village remaining in our hands. Elsewhere we pushed forward at different points.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. Received Oct. 27. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. midnight. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We continued our advance southward of the Scheldt and captured Sepmeries and Que'renaing. We reached the line Le Quesnoy-Valenciennes railway, from northwestward of Le Quesnoy to eastward of Maing. , Wo repulsed attacks during the night of the 23-24 on tlie SambreScheldt battle-front. The Ist, 3rd. and 4th British Armies captured 9000 men and 150 guns. Northward of Valenciennes we captured Bruille and Buridon.

A later message reports a successful minor operation early in the morning on the borders of Mormal forest. We captured the village of Englefontaine. Further north patrols progressed at certain points north of the Le QuesnoyValenciennes railway. The enemy launched a determined counter-attack yesterday evening against positions on the railway northward of Maing, which, however, wero repulsed with 'heavy loss.

Our line was advanced between Valenciennes and Tournai. We again made progress and captured Odomez and Moulde.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. , THE SERRE CROSSED. GOOD WORK BY THE FRENCH. Received Oct. 27, 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. The latest advices from the front are that the French this morning began another operation pn the Serre-Souclie rivers and' crossed the Seri'e between Crecy and Mortiers. Further east they have taken Vesles-et-Caumont and Pierrepont. The French attacked yesterday between Villers le Sec, penetrating the village, and occupied high ground northward, and also surrounded La Fertc. The British on the front south of Valenciennes captured 800 during the past two days.—Aus. Cable Assoc.

ORDERED FROM ANTWERP. CIVILIANS CROSSING TO HOLLAND. Received Oct. 27. 5.5 p.m. Amsterdam, Oct. 25. German civilians have been ordered to leave Antwerp. Many are crossing the Dutch frontier.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. A LOSING BATTLE. EVIDENCE OF GERMANS' DECLINING POWER. Received Oct. 27. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct. 25. General Monash, interviewed, stated that the majority of German prisoners are communicative, and admit they are | fighting a losing battle. They tell of disorganisation and the mutinous attitude and refusal to participate in the attack. General Monash said one would lmve to close one's eyes to avoid evidences or the enemy's declining power. The abandonment of munition dumps covering acres, also stores, transport, and material. cannot continue indefinitely. T e diminishing artillery reaction is the best evidence that the enemy cannot repjj" 1 ® the thousands of captured,guns, umteu Service.

GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORTS. Received- Get. '27. 5.5 p.m. London, Oct.-''2j. 'A- wireless German official message states: French attacks.--on a-.front ot fifty kilometres- from tlie' Oiso"-to the. ' a '(le attack3?agahishj lylonnalsforrat I I ,'iy OTas -Urought to a -standstill / »rd

7000 SQUARE MILES.

EVACUATED BY THE ENEMY. COALFIELDS RECOVERED Received Oct. 27, 11.55 p.m. Washington, Oct. 28. General March states that the Germans have now evacuated 7000 square mihs in Belgium and France. The entire coalfields have been re-conquered, except a five-mile strip on tho'Belgiali border. The Franco-American lines are parallel with the railway along the French front, constituting a great danger thereto.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

FRENCH REPORTS. ATTACKS CONTINUE SUCCESSFULLY. POWERFUL POSITIONS TAKEN. Received Oct. 27, 5.5 p.m. Loudon, Oct. 25 A French communique reports: On the Oise front during the night-time,: we repulsed. two attempts east of the canal ancl between Longchamps and Novaies. This morning we again began to press | the enemy east of Sissonne and east of Bethel. We carried the villages of Ambly and Fleury, between the canal and' the Aisne, despite a determined defence. A French communique, dated the 2Gth and timed 3.40 a.m., states:—Between the Oise and the Serre, our attacks continued successfully. We further advanced north of Villers le Sec and captured a fortified centre, repulsing several counter-attacks, and taking 800 prisoners. We crossed the Serre betwedto. Crecy and -Mortars, and occupied the northern bank for a distance of a kilometre.

Furious fighting east of the Souehe river ended in our capturing the villages of Vesle3 et Caumont and Pierre Pont.

There was a most violent day-long battle between Sissonne and Chateau Porgien. Supported by tanks, we attacked in the morning the powerful defences, and advanced on the left in the woods fringing the Sissonne-la-Selve' road. Eastwards we stormed Petit-le-Quentin, and obtained a footing in the villages of Bauogne and Recouvrar.ce, while our right penetrated the enemy positions." We captured 2000 prisoners, nine guns, and numerous machine-guns-—Aus.-If.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter. A French communique states:—There is great artillery activity on the Oise front, we everywhere maintaining contact with the enemy. We checked several infantry reactions. The battle continued between Sissonne and Chateau Porgien, where we broke the resistance and carried powerful positions, organised and continually reinforced since last yearBetween Bannogue Piecouvrance and Moulin de Herpy, on a front of seven kilometres, we reached 1 a depth of three kilometres and rushed forward our line as far as Recouvrance, Conde, and the Ilcrpy Road, taking many prisoners and considerable material.

ON THE VERDUN FRONT. AMERICANS BEAT THE ENEMY. Received Oct- 27, 5.5 p in. London, Oct. 26, 5 p.m. An American official report states: — On the Verdun front, on Friday evening, the enemy extended to the west side of the Meuse his efforts to wrest from us the gains (jf the preceding days. In the region of Bantheville, the enemy attacked positions between the Rappes Wood and Bantheville Wood, but were repulsed with Jieavv losses, our lines remaining everywhere unchanged. Northward of the Aisne, we have now established positions in the southern portion of the Bois de Bourgoyne. On both banks of the Meuse, northward of Verdun, the battle, which is being fought by our First Army, continues with incessant severity on the entire front of 25 miles, the enemy offering a determined resistance. We have tal(,en over 20,000 prisoners on this front since September 26, 1918, over 150 guns, thousands of trench mortars, and several thousand machineguns. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and terAn American communique reports:— The battle on the Verdun front continued most violently. East of the Meuse, we occupied Beaumont wood last evening. The Germans to-day counter-at-tacked repeatedly between Beaumont and Efrave 'Wood, but were renulsed with the heaviest losses- Only in the Bellu Wood the enemv. in his fifth attack, forced us to withdraw from the eastern part. We advanced west of the. Meuse, north-west of Grand Pre, in the face of determined resistance, and entered Rnurtrovne Wood. A Belgian communique states: —In the Angllo-Freneli attack between the Lvs and the Scheldt, tho French carried Chateau TTulme against flpsperate resistance. The British cantured the villages of Tngovghem and Ootechem and continue to advance on the Scheldt.—Aua.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Renter. Received Oct. 27, 5.5 p.m. New York, Oct. 2<5. jeneral Pershing reports heavy lighting on the Meuse front. AVe occupied Ormond Wood, repulsing the German counter-attacks.—Aus,-N.Z. Cable Assoc.