BRITISH FIGHTING IN STREETS OF DOUAL

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 245, 14 October 1918, Page 5

BRITISH FIGHTING IN STREETS OF DOUAL

NINE VILLAGES CAPTURED IN A DAY. .(Received 9.15 a.m.) ;; LONDON, October 13. The British are lighting in the streets of Douai.—(A. and N.Z. Cable,) Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Local fighting occurred along the line of the Se'Je River, between Le Cateau and Solesmes. We steadily progressed northwest of Solesmes towards the Selle Valley, and drove out enemy rearguards from St Aubert, eight miles east of Cambrai and ten miles south of Valenciennnes, St. Vaast, two miles to the south, Villers-en-Cauchie, nine miles north-east of Cambrai, and Evesnes le Sac, two miles to the northward. More to the northward we cleared the west bank of the Sensee Canal between Arieux, six miles south-east of Douai, and Gorbehem, two miles south-west of Douai, both of which are in our possession. We are closely approaching the line of the canal westward of Douai. We captured Montigny, five miles east of Lens, Harnes, three miles north-east, and Annay, two miles north of Harnes. We inflicted numerous casualties on German rearguards and took prisoners in sharp local fighting on the whole of this front.

Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states:—Our low-fliers bombed and machine-gunned parties of German infantry and transport, dropping nine tons of bombs and inflicting casualties. Night living was impossible.-

Sir Douglas Haig in a later report says:—Eastward of the Scheldt Canal we took possession of Montrecourt, and reached the outskirts of Liehstamand. In the Douai sector we are now within the town, and have captured the Faubourg d'Esquerchin, the Douai prison, and the greater, part of Flers, two miles due north. Eastward of Annay we made progress along the south bank of the Haute Dcvle Canal towards Courrieres. —(A, and N_. and Reuter.)