NO SLACKENING OF THE PRESSURE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 302, 10 September 1918, Page 5

NO SLACKENING OF THE PRESSURE

LATEST FRANCO-BRITISH SUCCESSES BRITISH BAG, LAST WEEK 19,000 PRISONERS By Telegraph-Presa Association-Copyright. , London, September 8. The French and British have advanced two miles on a twenty-mile front, and have captured Roisol, Heudicourt, Villers-Faucon, Bernes, Poeuilly, and Vaux.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Asfen. PREPARING TO DEFEND LAON. , London, September 8. The United Press correspondent reports: "The French have reached tho outskirts of St. Quentin. The Germans' are preparing to heavily defend Laon." •—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. • (Bee. September 9, 11.50 p.m.) • _ _ Paris, September 9. The Germans are hurriedly strengthening the defences of Laon. In the region of Urcel, Monampteuil, and Ch evregny' they aro erecting thick entanglements, digging,trenches, and accumulating vast quantities of .material V in the caverns' oi the Monampteuil Plateau. The whole country north of the ■Ailetter and bordering on the Soissons-Laon railway is stocked with massed batteries.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn, . BIG HAUL OF BOOTY BY THE FRENCH _ ' . Paris, September 8. _ Geiieral Mangiu captured considerable booty in the lower forest of Coucy. It includes several batteries of heavy calibre, the guns being quite intact, an extraordinary number of machine-guns and trench mortars, and several hundred thousand shells, Violent resistance was encountered at Quincy Basse (two miles east of Coucy), where the Hindenburg lino was breached. The capture of Oonde arid Laffaux and the progress made towards Vailly will be powerful factors in freeing the Aisno and throwing back the Crown Prince's divisions towards Craonne.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. NEW GERMAN FORTIFIED LINE. Amsterdam, September 8, . . ■ • The "Tyd" states that the Germans are busy constructing fortifications on the Dutch-German frontier, near Meehr, Noorbeek, and Stcnaken. It is believed the Gormans are making this the extremo defence frontier, in view of the contingency of being overthrown on the line of the Meuse.—Reuter.

HOMERIC BATTLE FOR THE CANAL CROSSING

THRILLING STORY OF FRENCH HEROISM.

(Rec. September 9, 10.40 p.m.)

London, September 8. Router's correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on Sunday, states: —"The hardest fighting with the French troops.during the past week has been done by General Miingin's army among hills and woods before the Hindenburg line. Tho Germans unquestionably were prepared to make a stand in tho region of Quincy Basso, and Poiit St. Hard, where they had tho ndvantage of views. Tho French after a .memorable struggle crossed tho'canal of 'the Ailetto at Couny-le-Ville. Tho canal hero is eighteen yards wide and seven feet deep. Tho Boche, with scores of machine-guns, lined tho east bank to the water's edgo. The Jjrench engineers actually bridged tho canal under shower of grenades and amurdferous point-blank machinc-guu firo, after which tho„engineers were tho first across to get to grips with the machine-gunners. Across the water lay tho wood, in which tho Germans had installed machineguns behind every treo. The oldest veterans aro emphatic about tho fighting here. The volumo of fire surpassed everything in tho whole campaign. The enomy machine-gunners literally fought to the death. For fivo days this continued unremittingly, and a single Gascon division, advancing foot by foot, ■not more than a .hundred yards daily, engaged fivo Gorman divisions. 'On the sixth day, with the help of tbe artilkr.v, tho French won through to tho Hindenburg positions, freeing Couny-10-Chateati, which looks fo-dsiy like a stone quarry."—Renter.

CLOSING UPON THE HINDENBURG LINE

(Rec.'Septomber 9, 11.60 p.m.)

London, September 9. Mr. Phillip Gibbs writes: "Our pntrols are fighting to-dav on tho edge of Gouzoaucoiirt and tho high ground thereabouts. There has been no strong resistance in this region. Tho Germans apparently are manning tho old British trenches between Gouzeaucourt _and the Canal du Nord, and possibly intend to hold these instead of the. Hindenburg line, which is close behind. AVo have made good progress south of Gouzoaucoiirt. Wo found Saulcourt unoccupied. 'l'ho enemy between lleudicourt and Saulcourt retired to the defences before Epehy, which is a little over a mile from tho Hindenburg line. We aro more than halfway between Villers Fan con and Ronssoy. Our patrols on entering Roisel met with sharp resistance. We crossed tho Cologne east cf lloisel. Our advance below Boisel was accelerated. Tho Germans abandoned Vendeles and Soyecourt beforootir patrols made contact with them. Wo cleared tlTo woods east of Gaulaincourt. Holnon Wood is now the only obstacle between us and that part of tho Hindenburg line which defends St. Ouentin."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn