ON SIEGFRIED LINE

Evening Star, Issue 16846, 23 September 1918, Page 3

ON SIEGFRIED LINE

Admiralty per Wi class Press,

Auitralisn ns-d N.Z. Cable Aaaavivtion and Renter. LONDON', September 20. Sir Douzlas Haig's report states that the Scots completed trie recapture of Nfcmvres (west of Cambrai) in the morning, overcoming the resistance of a party cf the enemy who were stall holding out in the village. On the occasion of a hostile attack on Mceuvres on September 17 a corporal and six men of the 15th Battalion of the Highland Light Infantrv, 52nd Division, forming the garrison of_onc of our posts just north of the village, wore surrounded, and were believed to be captured. During the two days in which the (Hermans were in occupation of Micuvres this party maintained their position with great gallantry, and inflicted raanv casualties on the enemy. On the night of. September 19-20, when Mreuvres was retaken by us. the whole party regained their unit without loss. The enemy delivered a strong local attack north-west of Hulluch (north of Ler.sl this morning after a heavy bombardment, and we completely repulsed the attack, capturing a number of men. English troons carried nut a successful minor operation this morning north-west of La Bassee. and advanced our line on a frontage of two miles and a-halt as far as the villages of Hue do Marais nnd La Tourelle. and beat off a counter-attack after sharp fighting. September 21. Sir Douglas Haig reports; Yesterday afternoon fresh attacks on our posts northward of Mceuvres were repulsed. During the evening the enemy heavily bombarded our positions in the neighborhood of Gauche Wood (north-west of Le Catelet 1 , ‘and succeeded in pressing bade slightly one of our advanced posts northward of the wood. A!! night the enemy made repeated nnd determined attempts, with flammenwerfer ami bombs, to drive in our positions in this locality; but all these attacks were repulsed, after hard fighting. At night our line was advanced slightly north-west of Hollenglise (between Le fatelei and St. Quentin). This morning fighting was recommenced in the sector east of Epehy (west of Le CateVt). We improved our positions slightly last Bight west of Messines, capturing a German strong point. We made progress south-east of Ypres. In a minor operation this morning eastward of Epehv the English trnoos successfully advanced their line after fighting. Strong opposition was encountered nt all points, and later the enemy launched a number of counter-attacks in considerable strength: but, despite the resistance, we made substantial progress m the whole front of attack. In conjunction with this attack the Australians made further progress in a completely successful opeiatinn in the Hargicourt sector, taking some prisoners. OUR VALIANT DIVISIONS. SOME DP THEIR DOINGS. LONDON. September 21. Correspondents at Headquarters continue to detail the splendid achievements of j British units, including the Guards, who , bloodily repulsed a German counter-attack j st Havrincourt. The Germans around Tem ulcus-le-1 Guerard buried themselves deep in quarries , and caves, which were honeycombed with i machine-gun nests, but the British Yeomen worked round under cover of smoke screens and cut them off. The 17th Division perhaps holds the record for a continuous advance since it attacked on the Anere. This divirinntonk ThiepvaT, the Schwaben redoubt, Pnriorcs. Gonrcelette. Martinonirh. and finalKcrossed the Canal dn Nord. sei zed the bridgeheads, and established themselves in Gauche Wood. THE GAUCHE WOOD BATTLE 17th and 21st DIVISIONS GET BACK SOME OF THEIR OWN. LONDON, September 20 Mr Philip Gibbs wirt-es: Wednesday wa? , one of the great days of tbs war—far more important and successful than I , guessed when I went among tho Austra- j pans early in the day. It developed into a big victory before nightfall, after rr.'.ny hours of desperate fighting. We are now overlooking the main defences of the Hindenburg line. The enemy launched verv fierce count ovatfcacks against Gauche Wood, which the 17th Division—Lancashire and Yorksh : re j troops—crushed with superb courage. The achievement- was more memorable V-cavse the division had been fighting incessantly since August 8. Meanwhile tho enemy were making fierce attacks at Mceuvres and Havrincourt. The German commander ordered his 6th Division to Tronic the British line, nnd gave 40 batteries to help tho attack. The Germans advanced under cover in face of a frightful lino of firo;_ but the Guards were there end the glorious old srcl Division. who were the heroes of the defence of Arras last April They found quid: targets among the - masses of Germans, and slaughtered them. It was a black day for the Gorman hopes and manhood. The 21st Division, including the Lincolns and Leicester*, fighting south of YnVra-Giridai" fad 'pining 1 Wood' captured the famous portion of Vaucelelte Larin, advancug. like the Australians farther south, under cover of a dense ranoke screen. The Lincolns and Leicesters so confused the enemy that tho farm was surrounded before a shot was fired. Near at hand were tho Wiltshire*, and these met tho Germans advancing to counter-attack in tho Linnet Valley. The Wiltahiros never halted to consider a withdrawal, but charged straight into the German wave of assault, and destroyed it, capturing eight field guns. It must never be forgotten that these men of the 17th and 2lst Divisions suffered grievously in the March retreat; yet thev fought their way back, and captured all the old ground. Oar Eastern County men had - a very hard time at Epehy, where an Alpine corps fought like tigers. Epehv contained a strong earthwork, called Fisher’s Keep, which was finally taken after a trench mortar bombardment. The Londoners repulsed counter-attacks throughout the day and night farther south. Nearer St. Quentin were the Buffs, Sherwoods, and Norfolk®, fighting at Holnon ; arrt near by were the Camerons and Black Watch, at Bcrthau- ‘ court, Fresnoy, and Esome. The Germans of the 119 th Division ran away panio-gtricken. but small bodies of brave tnea kept machine guns busy in copses. pile cable news in this issue accredited to ‘ The Times ’ has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly stated, la such news the editorial opinion of ‘The Times.’]

IN FRONT OF LE CATELET. SCOTS’ HEROISM AT MOEUVRES. Press Association—By Telegraph—Oopyrig at. MORE NIBBLES IN i GERMAN REPORTS, FLANDERS. , „

LONDON, September 20. German offiu-al : We repulsed strong counter-attacks against Gouzeaueourt and or, I'C-th rides of Fpohv ; also attacks between Omignon Rivulol and the Somme. September 21. German official : So ithward of the Somme we withdrew orr advanced troops, thus evacuating Kssisniy ic-Grand (south of St. Quentin). The ©nemv gained a footing on tho high ridges westward of Jc iv (north of The Aisne). FRENCH REiPORTS. Australian and N.Z Cab la Association anti Reuter LONDON. September 20. A French ccmnun.iquj stator,; We advanced eastward.! of K?r:imv-le-Gra,nd, and 1 also on tho Mnisv Farm Plateau (north of Ith > Aisne), and captured some prisoners, j There was lively artillery firing in the region of St. Quentin. September 21. A French communique, states; At_ nighttime our troops operating in the region of j St. Quentin tortured Benav (about two miles snufh-c-ast of F.-signy-le Gra-d). and made progress northward thereof. Wo roj pulsed an enemy counter-attack against | Cast res. i Artillery was active in the region of j the plateau northward of tho Aisn-e. | In Lorraine two German attempt | against our posts towards Arracourt and I Aacervilles were without result.