CAMBRAI BATTLE

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16068, 26 November 1917, Page 7

CAMBRAI BATTLE

FIERCE FIGHTING IN PROGRESS

RUSSIA DETERMINED ON PEACE.

i FURTHER ADVANCE IN PALESTINE.

4th YEAR—llßth DAY

THE WESTERN THEATRE.

THE CAMBRAI THRUST

fierce fighting continues

(Australian and N.Z. Cal:le Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) (Received November 20th, 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 25. Sir Douglas Haig reports:— "There is fierce fighting in the neighbourhood of Bonrlon "Wood, the enemy making several determined attacks with fresli troops to regain possession of tho high ground. "A strong attack this morning compelled us to give ground slightly in this area, but wo counter-attacked later and re-established our former line. "We have improved our positions in the neighbourhood of Bantenux. "Hostile artillery is active in the Passchendaelo sector.

"Onr aerqplanes co-opcrnted with tho infantry.. They also attacked Herman reinforcements and trnnsport, and bombed important railway stations where rolling-stock -was collected and detraining was in progress. Encmy aeroplanes are more active, attacking our bombing, low-flying machines. We brought down six enemy machines, and nine of ours arc missing."

OFFENSIVE DEVELOPING SATISFACTORILY.

(By Cable.—l'ress Association.—Copyright.) (Australian and X.Z. Cable Arsociution.) (Reutor'a Telegrams.) (Received November 2oth, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 24. ■. Sir Douglas Haig reports: — / "Operations were continued to-day against positions westward of Cambrai, und according to latest reports are developing satisfactorily. "Hostile artillery is very active in the neighbourhood of Pussohendnele 'past of Yprcs)."

EARLIER OPERATIONS

REVIEWED.

(Received November 25th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 23. Sir Douglas Hnig reports: — "We carried out successful operations yesterday west of Cambrai. "After severe lighting, and a stubborn resistanoe, wo stormed important and dominating high ground about Bourlon to east of Bourlon Wood. "Some progress was made in the neighbourhood of Fontaine Notre Dame to west of Bourlon Wood. "Wo nifl.de further progross along the Hindenburg lines, astride the Canal du Nord, in the neighbourhood of Moeuvi'os, while further west between Mceuvres and Queant, London and Scottish troops captured an important spur, giving observation over the Hindenburg lines to the north and west. "In the neighbourhood of Bulleoourt we gained further ground during tho night, capturing a strong point, with pms. "Since November 20th we liavo captared over 100 guns, including several heavies up to eight inchors." LONDON, November 23. Sir Douglas Haig reports: — "We slightly advanced our line southeastward of Ypres. "Wo repulsed attempted raids northwestward of Pontruet (four miles north of St. Quentin), north-westward of St. Quentin, and southward of Neuve Chapelle (in the Flanders sector). "The position is unchanged southeastward of Cambrai." THE GERMAN COMMUNIQUES. (Bcceived November 25th, 0.0 p.m.) LONDON, November 24. A German official report states: — "A renewed English attempt to break though south-east of Cambrai Was shattered with most severe losses to tho ttitimy." (Received November 25th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 23. A German official report states "There are great and violent waves of fire between the railways from Bodto Staden and Ypres to lloulers. "A Isttong English attack at Inchy collapsed. Wo stubbornly defended Mceuvres against many assaults. Eng-> lteh thrusts against Bourlon, Fontaine, ttd La Folie, with a wave of tanks in dose formation, broke down. Our counteisthrust ejected the enemy from Botirlon and Bourlon. Wood. Wo shot to pieces 30 tanks before Fontaine." (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Beater's Teltgraine.) LONDON, November 23. A German official communique states:—

"Tho enemy yesterday repeatedly . fruitlessly attacked Mreuvres. We retoeved slight initial successes by tho ®Kmy. In desperate hand-to-hand "Rating around i'ontaine-N otro-Dame, *o Ihrcw back the enemy, stormed and cleared La Folie Wood, wgliah attacks against Rumilly, " a ntoux, and Vendhuilld collapsed. . rcß " fighting has been progressing Jinco eaily this morning on the southern E ago of iicouvres."

1?" Cib> niws in this itotte accredited to S'fcli Timoe" has appeared, in that journal, guy whua txptaaly stated is aaeh ST*"" editorial opinion of "Th«

FONTAINE NOTRE DAME

CAPTURED

The High Commissioner reports: — IjONDON. November 22 (12.20 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports:—

"Advancing northwards of Cantaing yesterday evening wc attacked and captured the village of Fontaine Notro Dame, capturing a number of prisoners." Fontaine Notre Dame was taken by the British in tho original advance, but was retaken by the Germans. THE COUNTER-ATTACKS DESCRIBED.

(United Serricc.) (Uoccivorl November 25th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. November 24. Mr Philip Gibbs reports:— <; A counter-attack yesterday against Masniercs came from the north-east. WJion the Prussian Guard was advancing in solid lines we awaited them, and our massed machine-guns proved better weapons than flesh and blood. The Prussians wero chocked, halted, thon broke. None got nearer our lines tiian 1000 yards. Later, other guards came on from tho Cambrai railway, but they gained no ground. The impetus of a third attack atNoyellos resulted in a bitter strugglo at closo quarters. Two others wero equally unsuccessful, though tho enemy fought well, and proved thtt thoy had not forgotten how to fight in open warfare. Both sides tßcd tho boyonat, and thero wero many single combats with fists and hrokon bricks where the men had lost their wonpons." "A BRUTAL AND STUPD' ASSAULT." (Australian and N.Z. CabJo Association.) (Received November 2oth 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 23. Mr Philip Gibbs writes:— "When wo smashed through the Hindenburg line on Tuesday tho German High Command, as soon as they knew what had happened, hurried reinforcements m omnibuses from the camps near Cambrai. They wero so hard pressed that they actually cleared the camp of efipples and convalescents, and hurled the patients into the fighting line. It was a brutal and stupid assault. The men were too ill to fight, and now are too ill to stand in the prisoners' cages." Mr Gibbs conversed with one mas on a stretcher, who was in the last stages of consumption. He was sent to an isolation hospital. The enemy's reinforcements included the Ist Guards Reserve, from Lens. The Germans are rushing up all available troops to make a stand round Cambrai. "Our men had no walkover after the first surprise. The Germans who held tho woods and villages behind tho Hindenburg lino fought hard and well, and endeavoured to beat us back by many counter-attacks. Our gun fire mowed down a heavy counter-attack northeast of Masnicres, where the Germans advanced, as during 1914, in massed formation, the waves appearing shoul- ! der to shoulder. Anothor similar at- I tack was attempted at but tho Germans, meeting our fire, dropped into trenches, and never re-appeared. Noyelles three times changed hands, and there was fierco stroet, house, and cellar fighting. German snipers were posted in roofs and trees. "The Northumberland Yeomanry, skirmishing round Crevecceur, discovered a belt of wire. They dismounted, crawled through, and captured the guns and troops. In the Bullocourt sector we captured a great tunnel at Queant." | NEW RECORDS ESTABLISHED. i ("The Time*.") (Received November 25th, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, November 24. Mr Pirrie Robinson, "Tho Times" correspondent on the West front, writes :■ — "During the thrust our infantry put up new records. The Ulsters bombed and cleared out 4000 yards of a Hindenburg trench, which was honeycombed with dug-outs, necessitating milch stubborn fighting. West Riding troops cleared 7000 yards—tho longest infantry record for a single push on tile Western front, but they did no bombing. Advancing across open country, they took prisoners from six divisions, including some from tho Russian front. "The outstanding feature throughout the operations was tho success of the tanks. Besides flattening obstacles atld clearing trencllos and strong points, they took and held strongly-defended villages, and even captured batteries of heavy guns, butting in between the guns and machine-gunning the gunners. Somo tanks broke down through mechanical difficulties, and were utilised as stationary strong points, proving BUpetior to the German "pill-boxes. GERMANS RUSHING UP TROOPS. (Australian ana N.Z. Cablo Association,) CONDON, November 23. Tho Germans are rushing up troops from all directions, and then- resistance is stiffening. At Cambrai, the British have consolidated their gaiiui in some places, and have fallen back in others.

They captured Tadpole Copse, westward of MoeuvTC6. Street fighting is going on in Cantaing (three miles from Cambrai, just south of tho Bapaume road).

A later report states: — Additional German artillery, ma-chine-guns. and airplanes have arrived on the scene. _ Heavy fighting developed on parts or tho new battlefront. Evidently the civilians evacuated Cantaing in tho nick of time.

German low-flying aeroplanes were busy over the British advanced lines, while heavy machine-gun fire opposed our advanto in the direction of Creve-ecenr-sur-l'Escaut. The bulk of tho enemy artillery i* directed against tlio British in the resion of tho Cantaing and the Bourlon Wood. The work of the British Engineers was littlo 3hort of miraculous.

RELEASED FRO3I SLAVERY

LONDON, November 23

Mr Philip Gibbs states: "Our cavalry, infantry, and arc still active in the break in tho Hindenburg line. There was fighting in tho morning at Wood, and Fontaine-Notre-Damo (three miles west of Cambrai). "Tho French residents of the recaptured villages wero overjoyed at tnei release, and surrounded the tanks witn tho utmost astonishment, lhey sa; that they have had no pToperty or liberty smoo 1014. Tho Germans requisitioned everything, and tho people were fed bv tho American Relief Committee. The Germans made the women wash the soldiers' dirty linen. "One Frenchman had been mclin o since 1914 in a cellar in his own house, where German officers were billetea. His wife fed him from an extra ration rriven for a baby, which was torn m tho war period. Tho house was searched onco a week, but tho man was not discovered: otherwise both^ he and his wife would* hare been shot." FLANDERS THE DECISIVE FRONT. (Renter's Tolegraras.) AMSTERDAM, November 23. The "Lokal Anzeigor" says that from 150 to 200 tanks wero employed in the British attack, and declares that this abortivo offensive must not divert the Germans' attention from I" landers, where the British are certain to renew their efforts to get rid of our dangerous submarine bases." SIR JULIAN BYNG PROMOTED. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Router's Telegrams.) LONDON, November 23. It is officially announced that Lieu-tenant-General tho Hon. Sir Julian Bynf (G.O.C. tho 3rd Army, winch smashed the Hindenburg line) has been promoted to tho rank of General. Sir Julian Byng is the second son of the Earl of Strafford. He wa 9 born in 1862. His military career datos trom 1883, when he joined the Tenth Royal Hussars. He became a major in 1898, and a colonel three years later. He served in the Soudan expedition or 1834, and took part in the engagements at El 'fob and Tamai, for which he received a medal with clasp, and also the Khedive's Star. He was in South Africa from 1899 till 'the close of the war. He was several times mentioned in despatches, and was the recipient of the Queen's medal with six clasps, and also tho King's medal. He was created a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George early in the present war. He took part in tho Dardanelles campaign in 1915, being mentioned in despatches, and promoted to the rank of He commanded tho Third Cavalry Division from October 14th, 1914, till May, 1915, the VJavalry Corps till August, 1915, the Nin';h Army Corps till February, 1916, and later the Canadian Corps. THE FRENCH -LINES. NEW POSITIONS MAINTAINED. LONDON, November 23. A Frencli communique states: —In the region of Cerny and Juvincourt, our fire stopped an enemy attack on tho left of' the positions we had won. GERMANS ADMIT LOSS. LONDON, November 23. A German official report states: — Strong French thrusts between Craonne and Berry-au-Bac failed, except north-east of La Ville aux Bois. LATEST FRENCH REPORT. (Received November 26th. 12.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 25. A French communique states:— "Thero is intense artillery firing on

the right bank of the Meuse, in the region of Bezonvaux, and intermittent activity elsewhere."