THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1918. THE LATEST BATTLE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 215, 13 August 1918, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. TUESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1918. THE LATEST BATTLE.

The further reports to hand show that, as anticipated, the right or southern wing of the new Allied attack under Sir Douglas Haig’s immediate direction has now been extended as far as the Oise, a message received late yesterday reporting the French as having gained possession of the village of Cambronne. which 'lies within a mile or so of the river. The occupation of this village shows that the enemy’s left flank resting on the river has been pushed back a mile and a half further .from Compiegne than where it dug in at the end of General von Hutier’s movement on Compiegne during the second week of last June. That offensive, designed as a complement to the Crown Prince’s efforts on the Marne, had gained marked success in its first two or three days, and when its centre reached the little river Aronde the German commander had seemingly justifiable hopes that Compiegne would soon be his. However, the French, by one of the most brilliant and deadly counter-attacks of the war, drove him back as far as the line of the Matz river, and there he has remained ever since. The French are now attacking along the whole line established, and for two months held, by von Hutier, and have regained appreciable ground everywhere. The fighting is now, however, getting into high wooded and broken ground—the Lassigny massif spoken of in the cables—where further advance may prove difficult, unless the disturbance of communications arising from Allied successes further north compel retirement. It is, however, stated that the German resistance is likely to be more obstinate in order to enable the removal of the vast accumulations of stores and munitions which von Hutier had brought forward, doubtless with a renewal of his advance in contemplation. Nothing can more surely attest the surprise shock the Germans here, as between the Aisne and the Marne, have sustained' than the confidence with wiicih they seem to have piled up supplies of all kinds in relatively close proximity to their forward lines. As has been said, according to the latest reports available at time of writing the whole French front from Montdidier to the Oise is now in motion and is sweeping in a. general northeasterly direction l in sympathy with the more directly easterly direction of the Allied front northward of that town. A message received as we write, however states that German reinforcements are being hurried into this area, the importance of defending the commanding high ground being recognised.

On the sector between Montdidier 1 and the Somme there has been some I progress, but mainly at the extremi j ties. The most notable advance has been immediately east, of Montdidier, along the road to the inipor rant road radiant of I’oye, which is now within two or three miles of the French line. In the centre little if any further advantage has beet, gained. Indeed, mentally at least, it. would seem as if we had receiver a slight set back. When one of yesterday’s late received c/Vial despatches spoke of heavy fighting in the neighbourhood of Lihons, it at once had the effect of causing doubts as to the capture of Chatlines reported earlier in tin- day and accepted as being a quite likely development of previous authentic news —for Chatlines lies a mile or two east of Lihons. When, this morning, Sir Douglas flaig again reported determined German resistance at Lihons. those doubts were turned into conviction, which is confirmed l.y a cable just to hand isaying that there is no official verification of the reported taking of Chatlines. However, there is still strong- hope that the announcement has been, at worst, only a little premature, and, in any event, the Allied guns are so near this important railway junction that the lines converging there can be of but little service to the enemy. Of the meaning of yesterday’s reported capture of lloye there could be no doubt, as the other place names with which it was associated showed clearly that it had reference to the little village of Roye-sur-Matz, some ten miles southf-east of Montdidier, and not to the considerable town of lloye, which lies about the same distance east of Montdidier. and to which we have already made reference above. Northward of the Somme, between that river and the tributary Ancre, some appreciable progress has been made, the latest available report stating that the British are on the outskirts of Bray, nearly six miles east of Morlancourt. This means that the Germans have been forced entirely off the higher ground in this short sector. Passing still furthe north, beyond the limits of the offensive movement as so far definitely indicated to us by the cables, there are in one of today's press messages suggestions of its’ extension northwards. This message, as it reaches us, opens by saying that ‘‘the Allies are progressing splendidly on the whole front between south of Arras and the Oise,” and later on adds that ‘‘the enemy is showing signs of anxiety between Arras and Albert, where'no material advance has been made.” There is, of course, quite a possibility of mutilation or misinterpretation of this cable on its way to us. In any event, the indications given have so far received no support from any of the official reports on which alone it seems best to place implicit reliance. A t the same time, a northward extension of the mobile front is a quite likely development, if only for the purpose of preventing the creation o’ a dan gerous salient, but any such development would probably be gradual, and we may well, on this point, await authoritative announcement from British Headquarters.