THE OISE BATTLEFIELD.

Evening Star, Issue 16822, 26 August 1918, Page 3

THE OISE BATTLEFIELD.

RESULTS OF MANCIN'S COUP. GERMANS EVACUATING NOYON. FRENCH OUTFLANKING GHEMIN-DES-DAMES AND AISNE POSITIONS. Australian and N.Z Cable Association and Heuter. LONDON, August 23. French communique: Daring the night there was a violent bombardment between Beauvraignes and the Oise, notably at Le Pleuiont, Passel, Chiry, and Ourscamps. We hold t-la- southern banks of the Oise and the Ailette from Sempigny as far as the railway from Ooucv-le-Ohateau to the eaowaid of Selens. • We tarried our line,

forward to tho outskirts of Guny and Pont St. Mare. Tho night elsewhere was calm. Another French communique states: Between the Matz and the Oise violent artillery actions took place. W© crossed the Divctte during the day. In the Vricourt region our progress between the Ailette and the Aisne continued east of Bagneux and west of Crecy-au-Mont. Matters were quiet elsewhere. August 24. In the region of Lassigny and between the Oise and the Aisno the night was marked by fairly active artillery firing. Our detachments penetrated at several points the enemv trenches in Lorraine, and brought back prisoners. The night was quiet on the rest of the front. August 25. French communique-: Between the Ailette and the Aisne we progressed south of Creck-au-Mont, and took some prisoners. The Americans, west of Fismes, carried their line to the Soissons-R-heims road on a front of 800 metres. Matters are quiet elsewhere, PAR-IS, August 24. French patrols are across the Ailette River at some points. General Man-gin continues to make important progress eastward of the Oisc. We have outflanked the enemy positions on the Aisne and the Vesle. General Mangin's army is now posted in Chemin des Dames Reefe. Tho enemy are carrying out a general retreat. LONDON, August 24. Tho 'Daily Telegraph's' Paris correspondent states that the enemy's retreat on the French front is rapid. A great number of trains have been seen hurrying northward. The Germans tire bound to lose the Chemin des Dames, in consequence of the Allies' gradual and persistent pressure. In fact, General Man gin has a good chance of turning the whole Chemin des Dames positions. FRENCH GAINS SUMMARISED. PARTS, August M. Genaral Debenev, hi an order of the dav to the First French Army (on Rawlinson's right), says: The battle is won. Side by" side with the British we have broken "the enemy's front, and have liberated -a depth of" 25 kilometres of sacred and beloved French soil. We have beaten 16 German divisions, and have taken 10,000 prisoners. We have captured 220 guns and an enormous quantity of material. During four clays the armies of General Mangin and General Humbert captured 52 towns and villages. The Gennans are evacuating Noyon. SOMEWHAT PREMATURE. LONDON, August 23The 'Daily Express' states that the Germans are fortifying the line of the Meuso. GERMAN ACCOUNT OF BOTH BATTLEFIELDS. Admir.i'.iy per Wireless Press. LONDON, August 24. German official: A British attack north of the Ancre was begun on the 21st, and was continued with full force. It extended north of Albert as far as the Albert-Somme sector, but collapsed. We forestalled an enemy assault, .and attacked the enemy between Moyenneville and Miraumont. We threw them back in places two kilometres. We repulsed attacks from I'uisieu.-v, Beaumont - Hamel, ;uid Albert. The enemy crossed the Albert-Bray road, but our counter-attack threw them I back. We have withdrawn our troops behind the Ailette River. Our troops left on the west bank retired before strong attacks between Manic-amp and Pont St. Marc. Latex. German official: Our advanced troops, in accordance with orders, withdrew from the fighting on the Croiselles-St. Leger line. A renewed enemy assault gained ground in the direction of Mory. The enemy pressed back our lines towards Behagnies and Pys, where they were brought to a standstill bv our reserves. Four attacks on both sides of Miraumont were shattered. The enemy gained a footing on the east bank of the Ancre eastwards of Hamel, but their attacks from Albert broke down eastward of the town. For the purpose of joining our line near Pys, we removed our lines at Miraumont to the eastward of Albert and the Ancre. British attacks south-east of Arras and against Bapaume failed, but the enemygained ground east' of Thiepval. Repeated British attacks from the eastward of Albert to tho Somme broke down. French attacks between the Ailette and the Aisne were repulsed. THE LYS SALIENT. NEUF BERQUIN OCCUPIED. ADVANCE ON BAILLEUL. LONDON, August 23. We carried out a successful local operation north-west of Nenf Berquin, and repulsed, after sharp fighting, local attacks at night time north of Bailleul, south of Locre, and north of Kemmel. Fighting took place to our advantage in the morning north of the La Basses Canal, in the Givenchv sector. August 24. North of the Scarpe wo captured a section of the German front line north-east-oi Fiunpoux I Arras sector). North of the La Biissee Canal we captured the old British line east and northeast of Givenchv, and progressed into the German positions. We secured all our objectives. Our patrols occupied Neuf Berquin at night time, where a number of German dead were found. We advanced our line during the morning a mile on the front northward of Bailleul. Our artillery crushed an enemy counter-attack. BRITISH AIR WORK. PRONOUNCED SUPERIORITY MAIN- ■ TAINED. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, August 24. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states:—We had a busy and successful dav on the 2£nd. Our airmen constantly hatxassed the enemy. We dropped 25 tons of bombs, and attacked the Gondecourt aerodrome with good effect, also n-aaiy damps, stations, bridges, and the Bruges docks. We destroyed 20 aeroplanes, and drove down four uncontrollable. Three British machines are miasing. Our night bombers dropped 19 tons on seleeited targets, including tho railway junction at Valenciennes, Somain, Douai, and Cambrai. All oux machines returned. Later. Oar low-fliers, constantly using- their machine guns, bombed Germany infantry, waggons, and guns, throwing them into confusion. In co-operation with the tanks they silenced enemy batteaies which wore impeding our advance. We raided an aerodrome at Cantdn, and set on fire 'several hangars. Wo used machine pons on troops and transports in the vicinity. We shot down an enemy machine. All ours returned. A total of 25 tons of bombs was dropped during th© day, and we destroyed 14 machine* and dxov© down threw others uncontrollable. Four of ours are missing. Wo dropped five tons of bombs at night time. During the last fortnight 328 German aeroplanes have been brought down, and 134 have been driven down uncontrollable, while 31 balloons were shot down. Five hundred and. ninety-four tons of bombs were dragged.

LONG-RANGE RAIDS. LONDON, August 24. The Air Ministry reports': We dropped eight tons of bombs on Thursday night on aerodromes at Folpersveiler, setting fire to several lairge sheds and hangars. We atifcaoked chemical works at Saaralbe with excellent results, fires and explosions being caused. We bombed on Friday an aerodrome at Buhl and the railway junction at Treves. Several bursts were observed at the station and railway. All our machines returned. Despite a thunderstorm last night we raided an aerodrome and the railway junction at Ehranige. We camsed a fire, and considerable damage was done to the latter. FRENCH AIRMEN BUSY. LONDON, August 24. A French communique states: There was much aeroplaning yesterday owing to favorable weather, and numerous reconnaissances were made far into the enemy s lines. Wo felled 14 aeroplanes. Our bombers in the daytime dropped 18 tons on troops and convoys. Our activity was not relaxed at night, when 25 tons" were dropped on stations at Laon and Ham, causing fires. An expedition of great force attacked the important Mars la Tour aerodrome. The first bombs caused fires in hangars and huts, and, aided by the light of the flames, the remaining aeroplanes bombed other hangars, huts, and the personnel of numerous machines op the ground. Altogether 45 tons of explosives were employed yesterday. FLANDERS COAST. GERMAN MOTOR BOATS OUT. LONDON, August 23. German motor boats, which were attempting a reconnaissance outside Dunkirk, were driven off, losing one boat. The Allies suffered no casualties. ITALIAN FRONT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Keuter. LONDON, August 24. Italian official:— We have captured the villages of Rivalta and Sassostefani, in the Brenta Valley. THE BALKAN THEATRE. Australian and N.Z Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, August 24. An eastern communique reports active artillery firing on the Serbian front. The ' enemy activity in Albania has been, revived. Their reconnaissances were repulsed at various points. British aeroplanes, despite bad weather, bombed enemy depots in the Struma Valley. Italian official: In Albania the enemy renewed strong attacks from the Lower Semeni to the heights of Mali Tomorrice, but they were repulsed with sanguinary losses when counter-attacked near Petovia. They slightly advanced northward of the head of the Bavalica and in the region of Point 1,150. The enemv losses were heavy.