FOUR-MILE ADVANCE EAST OF ST. QUENTIN.

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

FOUR-MILE ADVANCE EAST OF ST. QUENTIN.

STEADY PROGRESS IN THE CHAMPAGNE. * (Received 9.2rt a.m.) LONDON, October 11. A French communique issued at 4 it.ni. today reports that east of St. Quentin our troops, closely maintaining contact, continued to pursue the euemy, whose rearguards ure resisting severely. We advanced six miles at certain points and carried the lines to the wist of Seboneourt, 11 miles northeast of St. Quentin, to tho ouskirts of Bernoville, three miles to the southoast, cost of Montigny-en-Arrouaise, two miles further south, and Bernot, nine miles ea-st of St. Quentin. We occupied numerous villages, including Ficulain, Neuvillette, Regny, Chatillon-sur-Oiee, and Thenelles. South of the Oise we captured Servais and took prisoner? between the Ailette and tin , Aisne. The pressure of our troops, assisted by Italian units operating on both sides of the Chemin dcs Dames, forced the Hermans to retire beyond the Oise Canal. Notwithstanding vigilant machine-gunning we captured Pcaunne, Chivy, Verneuil, Cortonne, Bonrg. and Cemin. Simultaneously crossing the Aisne. east of Oeuilly we drove back the enemy northwards and occupied Pargnan and Baurieux. Farther east we attacked strongly north of Berry-au-Bac and gained ground, taking prisoners. In the Champagne the enemy, exhausted by incessant severe fighting since September 26 on the front of the Fourth Army, began this morning to retreat in the direction of the Aisne. Our infantry is hustling the rearguards, who are attempting to arrest the advance and have passed the villages of Lrry, Montlioie, fend Challerango, and reached the outskirts of Mont St. Martin and St. Morel. Farther on the right we crossed the Aisne opposite Tcrmes, on the edge of the Forest of Argonne, which we hold. We occupied the station at Grand Pre, where numerous prisoners were taken. Despite a. fog, on Wednesday observing aeroplanes made numerous rcconnaissancee far in enemy territory- Great concentrations of troops were reported and were attacked by massed squadrons of aeroplanes, who dropped :« tons of bombs and fired thousands of cartridges with successful results on the troops and convoys. During these operations 21 enemy machines were brought down. The fog was denser at night, when only 5J tone were dropped on various stations.—(A. and N.Z. and neuter.)