WESTERN FRONT.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 November 1918, Page 6

WESTERN FRONT.

GREAT BRITISH ATTACK. ENEMY POSITIONS BUCKEN' DEEPLY', ADVA \'CE ON WHOLE FRONT. SERIES OF jiRILLIAN'i SUCCESSES. London, Nov. 5, 1.20 a m. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Ti'e 4t.li, 3rd, and Ut British Armies attacked between the Sambre-Oise Canal and the Scheldt northward of Valenciennes. On the whole of this 30-milc front the British and New Zealanders broke deeply into the enemy's positions. We tpoik over 10,000 prisoners and 200 guns. On the right of the attack the Ist and 32nd Divisions attacked in conjunction with the French to the soutli of them. These divisions, with great dash and gallantry, stonyed the formidable line of the Oise-Sambre Casal, overcame' the resistance, and reached a depth of three miles eastward of the canalThe Ist Division, under General Strickland, after capturing Catillon, forced the passages of the canal opposite Catillon and near the lock two miles southwards. At the latter point, assisted by the Engineers, the Camerons crossed the canal in six minutesThe Ist Division captured Fesmy, Hautreve, and La. Groisc, and took 1500 prisoners. To the left the 32nd Division crossed the canal at On after severs fighting, captured Ruedenhaut, and cleared the line of the canal southwards and northwards of this village. They also captured Mezieres-la-Folie de Saaibre. In the centre we attacked the western face of the Foret-de-Morlwal with infantry and tanks, and drove the enemy from the western outskirts. We captured S ) i eres, Preux-au-Bois, Hecq, Futoy, and Louvignies. The 2l»t Vision forced the crossing of the Sainbre Csnai opposite Las Irecies, which was capto'.td Further north, the lSth fln.3 50th divisions penetrated the forest and are sti!3 advancing. The 28th Division readied T.cs Grandes Pastures i>nd the iitli captured Locquignol, :n 11< = centre of the forest. There was severe fighting at Le Qnesnoy, where the New Zealanders repulsed a strong counter-attack, inflicting Heavy losses. We Da<se.l south and north of this fortified town, and arc now several m : les eastward of itWp drove the tremy nut of his new positions on the Aulelie P.in>r The Guards captured Preuxau-Sart, and the 24th Division captured Warg-nies-le-Petit and Wargnies-le-Grand. ' _ The Canadians made progress on the right bank of the Scheldt and passed beyond Estroux and Onnatng. Our advance continues on the whole battlefront A message dated November 5 (1,20 P.m.) states:—Yesterday afternoon we surrounded and captured the wnlled town of Le Quesnov, taking over 1000 prisoners. The 37th and fr2nd Divisions had hard fighting southward and northward of Quesnov and took many prisoners. These divisions, after overcoming a strong division at the outset about T.ouvigni»s Vnd Orsinval, pushed forward raridlv on the flanks of the New Zealanders eastward of Le Quesnoy. advancing with them a denth of between three and four miles asd capturing the villages of -Tolimetz-le-Rond, Quesne' and F r esnoy-le-Petit Marais. We made further jirogress In the evening :n the Mormnl Forest asd eastward of Valenciennes, canturing the villlnge of Et'i—Aus.-N.Z. Cabe Assoc. and Renter. | • (If this report is followed 011 the map if? interest is much iscrcased.)

THE SCHELDT FRONT. I-BEN'CH ADVANCE TWO MILES. London, Nov, 0. Practically the whole front between Guise and the Scheldt lias been advanced a mile to two miles. Fighting is proceeding at Quesnov, where the position is obscure, the enemy heavily counterattacking from the Mormal Forest, the southern part of which we penetrated for a mile. ANGLO-FRENCH PROGRESS. j AMERICAN ADVANCE CONTINUED, i , • London, NOT. 5. A French communique says:—The Ist Army during tha morning attacked in conjunction with the British, on the Sambre-Oise Canal 'between Oiiy and Vadencourt. Despite the difficulties of crossing the canal and tlio stiffest enemy resi?t.ance, we everywhere forded the crossings and gained a footing on the heights on the eastern bank. We reached the outskirts of the village of Bouc, La Neuille-les-Dorengt and. Iron- We parsed Lesquielles, realising a maximum advance of three kilometres. We captured over 300 prisoners and 15 guns. We completed the occupation of the south bank of the Ardennes Canal, between Semay and Lo Cliesne The enemy is resisting vigorously on the nor- < them bank. Since November 1, S3 guns hare been captured in this region. An American communique says: The Ist Army continued to advance on the entire front between the Mouse and Bar. The extreme right drove the enemy from the valley of the Mouse,: fought through the forest of Dieulet, and occupied LaEcuville, opposite the important crossing of the Meusa near Steiiav We seized tin Beaumont-Stonay Road and the heights overlooking Beaumont. Our left reached Grandes Armoises, despite vigorous opposition. The enemy abandoned much material. One hundred and fortv-fivo aeroplanes bombed the crowded enemy traffic to Montmedy and destroyed 30 enemy aeroplanes. Several American machines are missing— J Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. and Rcuter. AMERICANS EAST OF THE MECSE. New York. No*. '4. The Americans continue their advance north-west ot Verdnn. They are rxtending the arra of attack on the east bank of thn Veuse. All the towns on thl west <■' 'im river .south nf Falles iMLT -mntured.—AusJ<.si; Cahle

A FRENCH OFFENSIVE. ■FROM THE PEECN TO THE ATSNE. ' "' r New York, Nov. ">. The Faris correspondent, of the United Press says that the Freucn have launched an offensive 011 a 40-mile front from the Peron River to the_ Aisne.— Atis-N.Z, Cable Assoc. GREAT FEAT AT ST. QUENTIN. 40TH MIDLANDERS' EXPLOIT. London, Oct. S. Router's correspondent at British headquarters, telegraphing yesterday evening, describes the wonderful exploit of the 4(it'ii! Midland Division 011 September 29, which enabled lis to enter the main Hindenbnrg system in its most formidable part. He says that the front of the attack was 3001) yards in length, and embraced Le Haueourt, Bellenglise, and Magny La Fosse, and the strongly fortified Talana Hill. Our jumping-oif line was 2000 yards from the St. Quentin canal. The first waves which swam across charged the enemy through Bellenglise, and came to the mouth of a long tunnel, sheltering a large body of enemy waiting to counter-attack. Grenades, which were thrown into the entrance, brought no result, so a strong party with Lewis gunners was dispatched to told the farther end. Meanwhile a captured howitzer was drawn up to the mouth of the tunnel, and a high-explosive shell fired into the darkness of the cavern. Above the uproar of the explosion rose the screams of panic-stricken men, a dense mass of whom streamed from the farther end. There was no need to demand their surrender, and over 1000 prisoners were taken from this Bellenglise cavern. When the 46th paused on their final objectives they had taken 4200 prisoners, 40 guns, and over 1000 machine guns while breaking deep into the Siegfriend line, and all at a cost of less than onefiftli the number of their prisoners.