LINE STRONGLY DEFENDED

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 57, 4 September 1918, Page 7

LINE STRONGLY DEFENDED

ENEMY SUFFERS HEAVY LOSSES

SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S REPORT

(AtTSTRALIAN-NEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION AND REUTEB.)

LONDON, 2nd September. ■Sir Douglas Haig reporta: English and Canadian troops, accompanied by tanks, attacked astride the Arras-Cambrai road, and carried on a wide front that portion of the powerful Drocourt-Queant. line which lies southward of the Scarpe. The enemy strongly held to his trenches, and' determinedly resisted our advance. This resistance was broken on the whole front-with great enemy loss. The Canadians captured Dqry, ViHersi-lez-Oagnicourt, and Cagnicourt, and are making progress beyond those places. On the Canadian left the English troops fought their way forward north-east oj Bteipigny. Tho English; and . Scottish troops on the right advanced beyond Biencriur-t-lez^Cagnieourt, in the direction of Queant, and captured many strongly-fortified positions, including Noreuil, . Southwards we made, progress, and early in the afternoon repulsed ' a heavy counter-attack that was launched in great, strength east of Vaulx Vraucourt. The English reached the outskirts, of Beugny, and captured Villers-an-Flcfe. 'AH day long there was sharp, fighting in the neighbourhood of Le Transloy, where we repulsed counter-attacks, and the English- captured the village. Between Saillisel and Peronne the English and Australian troops drove the enemy from St, Pierre Vaaat Weed, and captured Allaines and Haute' Allaines. The Australians beat off the enemy with heavy loss in repeated counter-attacks east and south-east of Peronne. We took several thousand prisoners during the. day. Our patrols made progress in.the western outskirts of Lens. We continue to gain ground on the Lys frgut, and are keeping' in close contact'' with the enemy. '