THE WAR

Evening Star, Issue 16825, 29 August 1918, Page 3

THE WAR

NAIC'S OFFENSIVE. *FOCRESS IN ARRAS SECTOR. ATTACK AGAIN EXTENDED NORTH, STIFF RESISTANCE FROM BAPAUME SOUTH. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and ReuterLONDON, August 28. Sir D. llai.;r report*! We again attacked astride the. Scarpe. The Canadians penetrated deenly between the Sensee and the Scarpe, and caotured Cherisy. Vis-en-Artofs, and Bois <lu Sart (astride the ArrasCarobrai road), taking many prisoners. The Canadians' right crossed the Sensee. seizing FontaJr.e-les-Cro:d:ir?. and established themselves on the slope southward of the village, taking hundreds of prisoners North of the Scarpe the Scots too«c Roeux, Greenland Hill, and Gavrelle. English troops took Arleux-eii-Cuhelle (east oi Vimy Ridge, live miles south-east of Lens) and the old German line southward of that .point. Between Croisilles and R.cpnme and southward of Bapaume Kn.-iish and New Zealander* were again heavily engaged. and repulsed many determined counter-at-tacks, inflicting heavy casualties. Despite the enemy's e&orts we stormed Reaugnatro (north-east of Bapaume). and progressed at several points between Beauguatre. and Groisillea. [The Sensee is a southern tributary or branch of the Cojeul. and runs through Croisilles.] Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON", Augut 27. The fighting at Bapnnme and along the Scarpe is of the fiercest character. Many hand-to-hand encounters with bayonets and grenades take place in the glare of fires due to the explosion of oil reservoirs, these being caused bv British aviators, v.ho continually harass" the enemy. The prisoners include a number of Austrians. The British Fourth Army (operating from the Somme South) captured over 200 mm? —a very mixed let. including several 5.9 naval guns, and others 20 years old. ASTRIDE THE SOMME. FIGHT FOR "WOODS ON NORTH. AUSTRALIAN PROGRESS ON SOUTH. MAKING FOR PERONNE. LONDON. August 27. Center's correspondent at the British Headquarters, writing on Tuesday evening, states: A concerted attack this morning' bv Australians and other British troops, which began at 4.45 on a front of 8.000 va.rds northward of the Somme, was completely successful. By 10 o'clock wo had apparently overrun M'.ulin de Farguy, Mariconrt, Beruafay. and Trones Wood. We captured hundreds of prisoners. Not the least important of the day's successes is the clearing of Vaux Wood .on the north bank of the Somme). It is becoming increasingly clear that our pressure is loreing the enemy to expedite their retreat far beyond their original intention. The talk of prisoners suggests that rearguard fighting began on the night of August 24, and all enemy attacks since have been in the nature, of delaying actions to cover withdrawals. At about 6 o'clock last evening a determined counter-attack was launched by the remains of the Lundr (Seventeenth) German Division, which is known to have lost 2,600 prisoners since the Bth _ of August, irrespective of other casualties. The "Welshmen fell back a hort distance before weight of numbers, and took up a position between. HlgK Wood and Bazent ra-le-Grand. Southward of the Somme the Australians are carrying out what they «-atl "peaceful penetration," consisting of" patrol stalking. which, is most demoralising to the harassed snemy. Yesterday the Australians advanced to Fontaine-ies-Gappy, which only a few days ago was a German Divisional Headquarters. This morning Auaia<tuuu» were reported six miles from Peronne. Eastward of Arras the battle which began vesterdav morning reached great intensity bv night, when the enemy attempted to oust us from Wancourt Spur. They failed, and have- since steadily lost ground. We gained yaluable ground at Bois du Vert- (about a mile east of Mouchy-le-Preirx), and there is an unconfirmed report that we have captured Bois du Sart (one mile further north, and two miles south of the Scarpe at Plouvain). In any '-i«e we have passed the -point attained after long and bitter fighting last year. This morning our troops worked towards Plouvain (on"the northbank of the Scarpe and seven miles east oi Arras). THE NEW BATTLE-LINE. CROISILLES ENVELOPEDRenter's Telegrams. LONDON, August 27. General Debenv's Third French Army to-dav advanced on a front of eight miles to a depth of three miles at the maoraura The entire Anglo-French advance is Iwtween two and three miles on piactically the whole front. Ger-eral Debenv's advance was between ("rapeau Mesial and Hallu, two miles south, of Chaulnes. Tin. hue now runs eaat of Liaceourt and Hallu, east ot Ilerieville to the Soinme, through the outskirts oi Dompierre. North of the Somme ue have captured Marion il., and thence the line rims to Flora. North of Bapaume we reached tho outskirts of Vaux-Vroucourt ; then the lin« goes to the outskirts of Ecoort St. Mem, whence it bends back to Croisilles, which is still in German hands. From Cherisy the lino nirs U> the outskirts Of RoeUX. . Heavy fighting occurred in Delvdie "Wood, also' at Lougueval. Military critics attach the greatest importance to the Somme offendve, it a-tfecks the Hindenburg lint. The enemy's artillery retaliation its comtkiratively weak. i:roiiilk-s still lemains in Gorman hands, and the sunken loads north and west of the town are strongly held by enemy infantry. We are following tie poi-cy oi not lort-iiig the pa<:e by eacrifioe of lives. Tin- weather is gloomy and aircraft visibility is I .ad. THE FIGHT FOR ROYE. Router's Telegrams. LONDON, August 27. j Renter's correspondent at the French Headquarters, describing the fighting in the vicinity of Roye. which is now en- | circled, says: The captures of Fresnov, Oroisette Wood, and St. Murd constituted a considerable achievement, because the Sghhinj; occurred on old lortifkd hnss 'efts enemy had reorganised. The 3ennans were surprised at Fresnov, where the prisoners included a- battalion commander. Bridges over the Avre during the last few days -were seized by the French, whose infantry, fighting waist deep in water for hours, gallantly withstood ail attempts to retake thern. THE VESLE LINE, WASHINGTON. August 27. The Americans attacked the Germans on the Bazoches front (on tho Vesle, west of Fismes). Tho (-rermans attacked the Americans on the Fismes front, and the struggle is continuing. J

daring mannheim air | raid. ; LONDON, August 28. The Air Ministry reports: An attack on Mannheim on the night of August 25-6 was delivered at a height of 200 ft, tho pilots just avoiding chimneys and an intense barrage over the housetops. Our bombs caused extremely heavy explosions. Every bomb burst on its target, and it is certain that considerable da-mage was done. All of our machines re 1 turned. EASTERN SIBERIA. JAPANESE REINFORCE COSSACKS. TOKIO, August 27. General Semenoff's troops (Cossacks), after their set-back, have resumed operations against 7,000 Bolshevists around Kailer, where Japanese reinforcements are arriving. Twelve thousand Bolshevists on tho Usuri front wore completely repulsed on Sunday night. "The Times." LONDON. August 27. 'The Times's' Harbin correspondent states that Japanese and Russian cavalry have been sent to protect the VladivostockHarbin Railway, the maintenance of communications causing anxiety. Enemy agitators are constantly stirring up the Bolshevist element amongst the population. The Allies are considering the taking over of the control of the Chinese Eastern Railway for the better transport of troops and supplies. COMPLICATIONS. Renter's Telegrams VLADIVOSTOCK. August 27. General Pleshknlf, on behalf of General Horvnt. has carried out a coup d'etat. Ho has issued a proclamation, declaring that the Russian military forces in the Far East are under his command, whereupon the Russian volunteers, organised locally on behalf of the Siberian Government, went ovwr to General Horvat en masse. The suddenness of the affair nonplussed the Siberian Government, which was unable to organise opposition. No bloodshed occurred. The allied representatives are considering the situation. THE ARCHANGEL EXPEDITION. NEW YORK, August 27. It is reported here that a liaison exists between the Allies from Archangel and the Czecho-Slovaks at Viatka (between Vologda and the Urals), and the Allies are advancing on the line to Vologda (east of Petrograd. <.m the Archangel-Moscow line). The setting up of a Government at Novgorod will probably result in cutting the railway from Moscow to Petrograd. The revolt at Nalva, on the Gulf of Finland, is so serious that the Bolshevists are powerless to suppress it. M. Dosrh Fleurot, the ' New York World's * Petrograd correspondent, says that within two days 2.000 Russian officers, from subalterns to generals, have been arrested. TOKIO, August 27. Twenty-three thousand officers, whom the Leninites had interned at Moscow, have been released, in consequence of a popular demonstration. ALBANIAN CAMPAIGN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, August 28. French Eastern communique: In Albania, unmolested, our troops effected a slight withdrawal, contact with the Italians being maintained. PRISONERS' PARCELS STOLEN. LONDON, August 27. E*"idenee ia forthcoming that a number of British prisoners in Germany are not receiving the food parcels, which are stolen or withheld by the German authorities. ■'WORK OR FIGHT," WASHINGTON, August 27. The Senate has tentatively accepted an amendment to the Man Power Bill providing that the "work or light" stipulating provision shall not apply to labor strikes where the strikers submit their grievances to the War Labor Board. ST. JOSEPH'S RED CROSS AND PATRIOTIC GUILD. The weekly meetings of the above are still fairly well attended, but more home workers are welcome. The following is the work for July : —For the Red Cross : 6 undershirts, 6 hospital shirts, 6 underpants, 6 day shirts. 6 pairs pyjamas, 27 dusters, 8 pairs socks, 6 balaclavas, 23 handkerchieis. MAJOR BERNARD TENNENT, M.C. Mrs Hogg, wife of Lieutenant-colonel W. A. Hogg, assistant director of medical services in Christchurch, has received news that her brother, Major Bernard Tennent, R.A.M.C., was killed on the western front on August 23. Major Tennent was a. son of the Rev. E. C. Tennent, and was born in Australia. He came to Now Zealand when he. was a. boy, and was educated at Otago Boys' High School. He wont to the Old Country to study medicino, and took his medical" degree at Edinburgh University. He joined the .Royal Army Medical Corps soon after the war began, but came back to New Zealand to relieve Lieutenant-colonel Hogg at Wellington when the latter went to England. He was awarded the Military Cross and one bar. and was reeommended for the D.S.O. [The cable news in this issne accredited to ' The Times ' has appeared in that journal, but only whore .expressly stated is such news the editorial opinion of ' The Timee.'J „______