ON THE WEST FRONT

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 244, 12 October 1918, Page 5

ON THE WEST FRONT

LE CATEAU CAPTURED

REPORTED RETIREMENT TO MEUSE

The British, French and American advance continues with 'great rapidity along the greater part of the front, the enemy's rearguards failing to hold up the attackers. It is stated that the Germans north of the Scarpe are retiring to the Meuse, an operation which will involve a total retreat of 85 miles. Meantime Le Cateau has been captured, and the line of the River Selle crossed north and south of the town, 15 miles of progress having been achieved in a couple of days. Further south the German line is still being hurried back, and Guise, fifteen miles east of St. Quentin, is now threatened, while a number of vilJages in its neighbourhood have been liberated.

The Forest of St. Gobain, the great massif northward of Soissons and east of Laon, is succumbing to the pressure exerted on both sides by the Allies, and it is reported that the enemy is evacuating the position. Further to the east steady progress has been made all along the Champagne front, while the Forest of Argonne, one of the stiff est fighting propositions in the whole of France, has been entirely cleared of the enemy, the French having reached Grand Pre, on its northern boundary.

The Serbians are rapidly pushing forward in their own icountry, and they are now within 10 miles of Nish. The Greek port of Kavalla has been reoccupied by the Greeks, who found that the population had suffered much from Bulgarian barbarity. j^iiV __.