WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 November 1918, Page 5

WESTERN FRONT.

GREAT AERIAL ACTIVITY, SUCCESSFUL WORK I.oiuloii, Nov. 3. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We dropped If>S tons of bombs with many direct hits on railways. Wa shot down 13 enemy aeroplanes and drove down seven uncontrollable, Ten British machines are miss-' iiig.—Aus. and K.Z. Cable Assoc. London, Nov. 3. A French communique says: Despite dense fog on the whole front our aviators were most active. Two of their reconnaissances pushed 75 miles to the enemy rear, exploring tho province of Namur. As great activity of troops and convoys was reported in the enemy rear opposite the Argonne front, 148 bombing 'planes in successive groups, protected by 120 lighting planes, dropped 40 tones of explosives and fired thousands of cartridges, causing a panic and dispersing the enemy concentrations. Seventeen German aeroplanes were shot down, and 21 tons of explosives dropped on enemy stations at night.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. DETERMINED FIGHTING. GOOD PROGRESS MADE. ENEMY RETREATING. London, Nov. 3, 12.40 a.m. Sir Douglas Haig reportß: There was determined lighting throughout the day south and east of Valenciennes. We made good progress north-west of Maresches, and east and norih of Prepean, capturing the iiamlet of St. Hubert and farms in the vicinity. Eastward of Valenciennes we captured Marly village and entered St. Sauive. In the course of this operation wa captured two tanks which the enemy -used in their unsuccessful counterattacks on November 1, and also took several hundred prisoners. We advanced our line by successful minor operations westward of Landrecies.

A French communique (C.lO a.m.) states: Vigorous attacks by the Fourth Army on the Aisne front, combined with the victorious American effort between the Argonne and the Mouse, compelled the enemy to retreat through the Argonno Forest. His rearguards resisted desperately, but were unable to arrest our advance. Our left occupied the southern bank of the Ardennes Ci.nal for two kilometres between Semuy and Neuville. Farther south we captured Vandy Woods and Ballay village, and reached the outskirts of Arleus.

Despite the fiercest resistance our right captured Longwe and Primat and passed Chinepate, rigorously pursuing the caeaiy, despite the serious obstacle of the Argonne Forest. The enemy is abandoning huge quantities of material and hundreds of prisoners have been taken.

An American communique states: The First Army continued to advance, overcoming all resistance and capturing, among other towns, Champigneulles, Villers Devant Dun and Clery le Petit. The prisoners taken now exceed 4000, and include battalion commanders with their staffs. The enemy has abandoned huge quantities of material. Sixtytlires guns and hundreds of machine guns have been captured, including a complete Bavarian battery, with personnel and horses.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Renter. j ENEMY FORCED TO RETREAT. IN THE SCHELDT REGION. London, Nov. 3. A British and Belgian communique states: The attacks of the Second British Army and the Franco-American Army on October 31 and November 1 bore fruit to-day. Pressed by the Belgian Army and the left of the French Army, the enemy was forced to retreat hastily in the direction of the GlientTerneuzen Canal. At the end of the day the French and Belgians had reached the line of Ecioo, Waerschoote, and the Lieve Canal, and further south as far as Seeverghem. They reached four kilometres from the outskirts of Ghent, the left bank of the Scheldt being occupied north to Sommercem. The Allied aviators throughout maintained the mastery of the air. The results obtained by British aviators were particularly remarkable.—Aus. and N.2. Cable Assoc. NEW ZEALANDERS PRAISED. London, Nov. 3. General Rosenthal, of the Australian Army, addressing overseas journalists, said that the New Zealanders were easily the best troops on the west front.— Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. IMPORTANT FRENCH ATTACKS. London, Nov. 2, 7 p.m. A French communique reports: We resumed the attack on the Aisne front, to-day.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. London, Nov. 3. The Daily Chronicle states that General Gourand's dashing attack on the Aisne is progressing. It has been undertaken to facilitate the northward movement of the Americans on the right and eliminate as a factor the whole northern part of the Argonne, which hitherto has been harassing to the French. General Gouraud's north-eastward advance, coupled with the work of the Americans, is calculated to deprive the 'Germans of a position of considerable strategic imporiaijce, besides involving them in the risk of being pinched in a position from which there will be no escape.—Aus. and N.Z. Cable Assoc. BRITISH SUCCESSES. London, Nov. 3, 1.35 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We captured on November 2 the steel works southeastward of Valenciennes and advanced our line miles eastward of the town. We completed the capture of St. Saulve. We took 5000 prisoners in two days and captured four tanks and a ftw guns.

WHOLE FRONT QUIVERING. UNDER SHOOK OP ATTACKSt ENEMY, STIRRED UP TO , _ MiSPJSKATIQN, FURTHER BRITISH CAPTURES. Received Nov. 4, 845 p.m. Loudon, Nov. >'!■ TliCj whole front is under shocks of attack and counter-attacks,, from the Dutch frontier to thy junction of the British and French forces bejond St. Qucntin. German orders have been issued explaining that a favon'ble armistice is' unless the troops put up a good fight. Tho present fighting is as haTd as it has been at any time, the German infantry showing qualities similar to that of 1914. The British have captured St, Hubert und the spur eastward oi Levnque Wood, r.9 a result of which we are able to ac-t-derate the German retirement, j The latter are again blowing up bridges, railways, and streams, particularly on the Scheldt, where the Belgians p.re advancing rapidly.—United Press> Service. GERMANS DISORGANISED. BY MERCILESS BOMBING. AMERICANS STILL ATTACKING, j Received Nov. 4, 8.45 p.m. Paris, Nov, 3. A telegram the American front states that the German retreat is rapidly becoming disorganised- Our second tfay's attack, on, a 25 kilometre front, secured an average advance of four kilometres. Aviators, flying GOft over the German troops, are mercilessly machine-gunning them, until they scatter in a disorderly rush for refuge of any kind. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

FIGHTING IN ARGONNE. GERMANS PRESSED INTO A POCKET. ENEMY MUST ESCAPE OR SUFFSI; DISASTER. . Received Nov. 5, 1.5 am. i London, Nov. 4. Mr. Campbell states that the Germans are fighting their hardest to delay Gen era! Gcurai.6, ia Vnt northern corner of Argonne, but each day sees a substantial advance, and the end will coma probably with a rush. The joint advance of the French from the Vouziers area and the Americans on the right creates a narrowing deepening pocket, from which the Germans must soon escape in order to avoid disaster. This manoeuvre is the latest example of Marshal Foch's unfailing method of carving fresh salients and then squeezing out the enemy by simultaneous flank attacks-—Times Service.

GERMAN RETREAT. BRITISH KEEPING IN CONTACT. Received Nov. 4, 5.45 piu. Lyndon, Nov. 3, 11 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—following on the severe defeat inflicted upon him during the past two days, the enemy has withdrawn- from positions eastward and south-eastward of Valenciennes- We observed the movement, qnd we are keeping in contact with the German rearguards, taking numbers of prisoners. We entered Villers, Voljenlain, Curgies, and Estrenjj-Onnaing. Local fighting westward resulted to our advant-age.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Eeuter.

AN EIGHT MILES ADVANCE. ANGLO-AMERICANS COVER SEVEN MILES, . Received Nov. 4, 8.45 p.m. London, Nov. 3. The Belgians advanced eight miles yesterday, and are new east of the Derwaten Canal and Bassevelde and Slevdinge, and are approaching the Tern®, cvezen C-aal. The Fourth French and First American Armies continue to make good progresswest of the Meuse. They have hdTassed seven miles on a thirty-mile front.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. GOTH AS BOMB NANCY. INDIGNATION AROUSED. ■Received Nov. 4, 7.15 p.m. Paris, Nov. 3. Gothas violently bojnbcd Nancy on Thursday night and did considerable damage. There were numerous victims. Although there had been many alarms in the previous two days, the inhabitants did not believe that the enemy would attack open towns while armistice wa3 pending.—Aus. Cable Assoc. i THE AMERICAN' ADVANCE. Received Nov. 4, 3.15 p.m. New York, Nov. 3. The New York Times' correspondent on the American front says that the Americans are miles of the German main railway between Mezieres-Sedan-Longnyon.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc.

ALLIES' PRISONERS SINCE AUGUST. Received Nov. 4. 8.5 p.m. ' Paris, Nov. 5. Since August 15 the Allies prisonered 7990 officers and 354,366 men, and captured 6217 guns and 38,622 machine-guns. Of these, 2472 officers, 105,871 men, 2064 guns, and 13,639 machine-guns were captured Siting< Q#Wber.—Keutar garviw.

MORE AMERICAN SUCCESSES. NINETEEN VILLAGES TAKEN, LARGE CAPTURES MADE.. LIBERATION OF ARGONNE COMPLETED. BELGIANS MAKE GOOD PROGRESS Received Nov. 5, 1.45 a.m. London, Nov. 4, C a.m. An American communique states: The First American Army continued its successes, capturing to-day nineteen villages. The enemy has lost most heavily in ■consequence o£ the continued blows during the past month, and liia surprise at •the force of the renewed attack. The first prisouers taken report that the 'enemy organisations have been thrown into the greatest confusion Several complete batteries and battalions were captured, and over 5000 prisoners and 100 guns were taken. We have advanced twelve miles on a front of eighteen miles in the past three ■days. Wo seized heights enabling us to cannonade the Montmedy, Longuyon and Conflans railways. A French communique states: A severe battle in the Argonne resulted in •complete success for the Fourth French ■and American Armies. ■ ) The enemy desperately defended the Aisne crossing, and then clung tenacious-, ly to the wooded lieighta, but his resistance ' collapsed before the rush of our troops, who stomed the villages and occupied the Voncq and Chesne Woods. The liberation of the Argonne has been completed. The prisoners and booty •have not been counted. A Belgian communique states: We continued the pursuit of the retreating enemy, notwithstanding the difficulties of tlie ground, which is cut by watercourses and canals, with the crossings destroyed. We reached a line from a mile west of £ olzaete, east of Ertvelde, through Liingerbrugge, Evercrhem and. Tronchiennes, which was tapiured in sharp fighting. In the northern area we approached ! Ghent.—Aus. ip.id N.Z. Cable Assoc.

FRENCH ADVANCING. 0 Belgians make good progress. LIEVE CANAL REACHED. Received Nov. 4, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 3. A French communique, at 5.20 p.m., states: On the Aisno front we ngHis advanced at night-time and took the villages of La Croixaux and Nivry. The enemy's resistance has appreciably increased, especially in the forest of Argonne. The material abandoned by the retreating forces includes fourteen guns, live being of the largest calibre. Since the beginning of the operation we prison ered over 2000. A Belgian communique states: As the result of fighting in the last few days, the enemy this morning abandoned his positions on the Derwaten Canal, which we crossed at dawn to the north of the Bruges-Ghent, canal. We occupied Elboo and Waerschoot and carried our line to the Lieve Canal. Between the Bruges-Ghent Cmal and the Lya we advanced beyond Meerendre, Overspoucke, Baervelde, and Bairle.— Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. Ui GERMANS REPORT WITHDRAWALS. Received Nov. 4, 5.5 p.m. London, Nov. 3. A wireless German official report states: We have withdrawn from the junction of the Lys and Scheldt to Ghent. The English pressed us back to Saultain, recapturing Preseau. Owing to an American break through, we 'withdrew between the Aisne and Charapigneulle.—Aus. N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Reuter.