STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 10, 7 October 1918, Page 6

STORIES FROM THE BATTLEFIELD

TOLD IN CORRESPONDENTS'

DISPATCHES

FINE WEATHER FAVOURS THE NEW ADVANCE

HIGH HOPES OF BIG

EVENTS

By Telegraph—Press Association. London, October 4. j Mr. Percival Phillips writes: f 'Tho English and Australians attacked at six o'clock this morning on a bow-shaped front; In the first three hours they carried nearly all the ground aimed at, far ahead of time. It is even more encouraging to learn that the German divisions which were met and over-rid-den showed signs of exhaustion, 'while their composition betrayed that tho High Command is in dire straits for men. Scrappings from the field depots, cooks, and orderlies are among the captires already caged. The. battle was Tesumed.in fine, clear .weather, with a strong supporting barrage sweeping the enemy positions from Le Cateletto Sequehard. The barrage advanced with a precision for which the German gunners expressed their admiration. The Australians'advanced towards Beauvrevoir, and their chief obstacle was tho curious drainage ditch, the Torreiis Canal, running east and west between Gbuv and Beaurevoir. It was not really formidable, 'for the Australians crossed it without any delay, fighting in/ the emergeroy trenches at. Beaurevoir, dug by the Huns eighteen months ago.' The number '■ of tanks used undoubtedly facilitated the occupation of the village and the redoubts at Wian-court."—Aus.-N.Z. .Cable Assn.

Eve of Amazing, Possibilities. Mr. Philip Gibbs writes: "By our attack this, morning across the' St. Quentin-Scheldt Canal, south of Cam.bi'ai, we too'v many prisoners, tnd broke into the country about Le Catelet. With luck we may force the enemy to retreat to- Le Cateau, and, by his line communications, compel the abandonment of Cambrai. Owing to the constant pressure north and eouth of the battleiront ho is already in wido retreat in the lia Bassee salient. _ We must not indulge in" rosy, optimistic dreams, but we may say we are on the eve of amazing possibilities. Possibly there is a supreme chance of bringing the war to a decisive issue.

Classic Heroes. v "The achievement of the 46th Midland Division on. Sunday in flinging themselves across the canal at Beflenglise, capturing 4200 prisoners, great numbers of guns ; and over a thousand machine-guns, will rank in history as one of the most heroic episodes of the war. They are unroinantio fellows — bootmakerSj lacemakers, and potters— but the spirit 'of England's old heroic soul is in them. One of their brigadiers, who wears the Victoria Cross, borrowed) all the lifebelts from a leave boat, put on one himself, and led his men, some wading and others swimming, over the river. He taught them how to keep their rifles dry and their heads above water. With these lifebelts, 6caling\ iadders, and hand-bridges, the Midlander's advanced in a thick fog on' Sunday, crossed the oanal, and lined up on the other side, and went ahenti. Large numbers of Germans hid hi the tunnels and hoped to blow up the British with mines and fight again when the first; waves had. passed. By 10 !q'clock in. the morning the key of the Hinden■burg line above St. Quentin had been seized. The German .withdrawal at La Bassee, was preceded by a heavy bombardment as a final 6alute. Then the troops stole away, leaving only a few machine-gun crews here and there. We followed up_ as soon as the withdrawal was .noticed. :

The ReaU Storm Centre. "Meanwhile the' real.'storm centre is still at Cambrai, where the Germans remain within the girdle of the British lino. The .Canadians, to the north, did not attack this morning, but held their gains. . The- enemy has organised a strong machine-gun defence of Cambrai, under a commander who knows his job, and he has posted gunners on the roofs, with a clear field for fire. Apart from the machine-gunners, few are left in the town. After disgraceful orgies of looting, in which officers joined, Cambrai was put out of bounds for all except the garrison. The .chief fighting this' morning south of Cambrai was where the English and Australians -attacked a strong defensive line, part of the Beaurevoir-Masnieres line, before which are a number- of villages strongly fortified for a inacbine-guii defence. It is a terrible position to attack, and one hot easy to hold. The British took Sequehart for the third time, capturing the garrison, and further advanced beyond Levergies. The Australians experienced hard fighting in the village of 'Wiancourt. We took at least 3000 prisoners to-day."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

THE FIGHT FOR BEAUREVOIR *

,■ STUBBORN CONFLICTS. (Rcc. October G, 5.5 p.m.) London, October 5. ■ Mr. Philip. Gibhs .wrttos;—"The enemy is fighting hard for the Beaure-' Xoir line, which the Australians have broken south and south-west of the village; Tli'ey are working forward frith the aid of tanks, ' which bad ground and water are handicapping. The enemy's pill-box fortresses eastward of Estreesi from which-came a slashing machine-gun tire, checked the Australians for six hours, until by dogged efforts they overpowered the enemy. Before the Australians gained ,'the concrete shelters the enemy shelled ■thqiu with gas shells, but the Australians, wearing ,gas-masks, did not retire on that account, bjit managed to get eastward of Wancourt and westward of Boaurevoir, and held the ground all night long, while a counterblow forced the English to withdraw from Mont Brehain. ' 'Jlie enemy occupied higher ground than the AngloAustralians, and were able to get enfilade fire from one position and'then another, making Mont Brehain untenable. The German resistance on the leftihas stiffened, keeping us in check, but the delay cannot last long, because the enemy is in desperate straits for reserves, and there aro no lines ahead of us which our men cannot break."

Toughest Problem on the West Front. Mr. Gordon Gilmour, describing tho Australians' attack on the Bcaurovoir line, says that' there is a. likelihood that the pressure of tho Australian and other troops in this sector will effect a complete break Already the backbone of the Hindenburg system has been broken along a considerable • front. General Monasli/ in an order of the day, convoys' his sincere thanks for the fine work of tho Australians, hampered as they were by the want of tho free use of artillery, i" completely overwhelming a stubborn dofcnce : in the most strongly-fortihed sector of the West front. Mr. Gilmour describes the gallant work of tho .divisions in pushing forward after crossing the sunken canal line, on top of which the German dead lie thick. They have now "one nearly threo miles behind tho •llindenburg line. The' Australians are making all manner of wagos as to when tho Germans will be driven out of Franco. Signs of Gorman demoralisation, continue, notably

in tlie Second Guards _ Division. Batches of' this broken division wore taken over a wide front during the past few days.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

"New Zealanders Doing Famously." Mr. Keith Murdoch, describing the Beaurevoir fighting, says:—'! The German defences were shattered. The next line doubtless will be wherever tho Germans can find they can stick it. Our movement threatens the Germans in the Cambrai sector, where the New Zealanders continue to do famously.''—. United Service. '