WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1918, Page 6

WESTERN FRONT.

:, THE ALLIES' ADVANCE. : ; l:.-'*S*' " 'lf NEVER HARDER FIGHTING. ".".' \ GERMANS REALISE WHAT IS AT -*\ STAKI? :%B- n •fliT-psr*- ■ London, Oct. 27. Router's correspondent at French headquarters states that General Debeney's army, after three days and nights of uninterrupted fighting, has dislodged the enemy from the Hermann line, and is pursuing him to the next line a few northwards There never has been harder fighting than that in which the French, British, and Belgian armies are now engaged. It was {lie advance of the British and Belgians in the north that caused Marshal Foch to order an attack east of the Oise. General Petain has since engaged three fresh armies successfully. The battle to-day extended from the Dutch frontier to the Aisne. The Germans know what is at stake, and are fighting as they did in 1014. Their maehine-giiners, covering the infantry in retreat, to-day died at their posts rather than surrender.—Rcuter. London, Oct. 27 ; A French communique states: Supported by tanks we began to-day a vigorous drive between the Oise and the Serre. We 'hustled the enemy out of strong defences and captured numerous villages and numerous prisoners. The Germans between Sissone end Chateau Porcien repeatedly counter-attacked in great strength, but were everywhere repulsed. We have taken 2300 prisoners in this region, since yesterday. One division alone captured 100 machine-guns. A Belgian communique states: The resistance of machine-gun nests has been reduced north of Ronsele. The 2nd British Army progressed towards the Scheldt and captured Avelghem. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The enemy, on the evening of the 2Gth, after a heavy bombardment, delivered a strong and determined counter-attack against our positions on the railway north-westward of Le Quesnoy We completely repulsed the attack with great enemy losses.— Aus. N.Z Cable Assoc, and Reuter. ENEMY GIVEN NO REST, DESPERATE FIGHTING. . London, Oct. 27. Rcuter's correspondent, writing from British headquarters on October 2G, states: The five British armies are giving the Germans no respite. Whenever there is a pause it is merely to deal a fresh blow. There was desperate, fighting to-day along the western fringe of the 10-mile long Mormal Forest, between Le Cateau and Maubeuge. It must be reeking with gas. We jumped into it, despite severe opposition, and are making good progress. The number of German dead lying about testifies to their resistance. The Germans are trying to flood the country in order to hamper our movements, but luckily the season, up to the present, has been dry. —Reuter. Paris, Oct. 27. A" correspondent of Le Journal says ' that the hastiness of the Germans' departure from the Belgian coast is obvious from the uninterrupted row of big naval guns every hundred metres along the sand dunes from Ostend to the Dutch frontier. The Germans had only timo to blow up the breeches. In the entire Flemish region they are almost intact.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc.