Allied Offensive Resumed

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 216, 14 August 1918, Page 5

Allied Offensive Resumed

East of Chaulnes. French Gain Footing on Lassigny Ridge Germans Burning Towns. Chaulnes and Peronne in Flames. pUM AMOCIATIOH COM-I (Received 14, 10.5 a.m.) New York, August 13. The French have conquered the Lassigny massif. The Allies have resumed the offensive east of Chaulnes. The Germans are evacuating the Oise river trenches west of Bailly (across the river, north of the Foret de Lainle). —A. & N.Z. (Received 14, 10.35 a.m.) London, August 13. The French have reached the Lassigny ridge. The Germans hold the northern corner. There is desperate fighting. The French are pressing close to Roye on the west and south. — (A. & N.Z.) (Received 14, 1.50 p.m.) Paris, August 13. “ Le Petit Journal’s” correspondent on the British front says that Chaulnes, Carbonuel, Suzanne, Mericourt and Peronne are burning.—(Reuter.) SIR DOUGLAS HAIG'S DESPATCHES. London, August 12. Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was successful fighting in the neighbourhood of the Roye road, also eastward of Fouquescourt (south-west of Chaulnes), and on the south bank of the Somme. We advanced our line in each of these localities, taking hundreds of prisoners. We captured Proyart, southward of the Somme, after sharp fighting, in which the enemy lost heavily in prisoners and killed. The fighting continues. The French on the British right have taken Les Loges (on the railway midway between Roye and Ressons). (Received 14, 8.55 a.m.) London, August 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: We further improved our positions north of the Roye road and on the north bank of the Somme, capturing additional prisoners. We repulsed a local attack in the neighbourhood of Fouquescourt. We repulsed an attack in the Merris sector (on the Lys front) after sharp fighting.—(A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) ,_ _ « WITH THE AUSTRALIANS. HARD FIGHTING AT PROYART AND LIIIONS. (Received 14, 10.35 a.m.) London, August 13. The “Morning Post’s’’ headquarters correspondent says: The Australians on Saturday night tried to advance between the Somme and the Amiens road, with the view of taking Proyart, but machine-gun fire was so heavy that the Australians did not attempt to proceed. They made a fresh attempt on Sunday night. The enemyhad been reinforced, and fought strongly for two hours amid old dug-outs and trenches. The advance was therefore difiicult and tedious, but the Australians, crawling on their stomachs over the last thousand yards, pocketed nest after nest until the village was reached.—(A. & N.Z.) London, August 12. Mr. H. P. Robinson'writes: The enemy is recovering from his panic. Although the divisions bearing the brunt of the attack on the British front were practically blotted out, only remnants escaping, new divisions are fighting with greater determination and resisting in the 1916 trenches and dugouts along the river on the line of Chuignolles ( ? Chuignes), Proyart and ißray, where machine-guns were so fierce that the attackers were compelled to crawl on their stomachs the last thousand yards. Nevertheless the Australians determinedly attacked and won the ground, but failed to get beyond Proyart owing to the great number of enemy machine-guns. We captured the wood north of Provart after two hours stiff battle, while the Australians on the left worked through strong defences, winning the ridge of Chuignolles (? Chuignes) to Rainecourt, and capturing the latter, thus greatly- improving the situation for the troops on the north side of the river. New German forces heavily- counter-attacked at Lihcns, and succeeded in forcing us back. The Australians dashingly reattacked and flung the enemy back, placing Lihons safely in our hands. It is estimated that the Australians over-ran 60 square miles since Thursday, and captured 15 villages, 8000 prisoners and 120 guns. It is premature to regard the pause on the Western front as closing the offensive. Time is needed to bring up artillery and re-organise prior to a further push.—(“Times.’’) BRITISH AND FRENCH AIR SERVICE REPORTS. London, August 12. Sir Douglas Haig states: On the day and night of the 11 th inst. we dropped fifty tons, chiefly- on the Somme crossings and certain railway- junctions. We bombed Courtrai station and sidings by daylight from a low height without loss. Many direct hits were observed. At night we attacked Peronne and Cambrai stations. All our night bombers returned. Enemy aircraft in large formations were active on the battlefront. We destroyed 29 and drove down 24 enemy- machines. Five British machines are missing. Our anti-aircraft guns brought down a Gotha. —(A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) (Received 14, 8.55 a.m.) London, August 13. A French aviation communique states: Despite attempts of enemv squadrons to oppose the passage of c.ur bombers on August 11 th, they made fruitful expeditions against the enemylines, copiously bombing bridges, roads, railwavs and troops. Numerous convoys were blocked altogether. Fifty-seven tons of bombs were dropped in the day and night. Fifteen enemy- aeroplanes fell and 21 were disabled by-Franco-American action.—(A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) OFFICIAL FRENCH DESPATCHES. London, August 12. A French communique states: Between the Avre and the Oise we captured the village of Gury. We progressed north of Roye-sur-Matz and north of Chevincourt. . On the Vesle (between Soissons and Reims : we repelled two ■counter-attacks against our nositions on the north bank in the region of Fismes. —' \. -S: N.Z. and Reuter.) 'Received IJ, i.Tp.m.l London. August it. A French enmmunirmo -tn'---- There m imnortant event during the night on the bn*tle-f-o-t. Se-*»r-1 >-.-,{<l= ,- n the .Vosges and in Upper Alsace failed. —(A. & N.Z. Reuter.)

DEEPLY RUTTED ROADS ENFORCE A HALT. (Received 14, 12.10 p.m.) r, , , , - London, August 13. Reuter s correspondent at French headquarters last evening reported: Our pursuit and the German retreat have reached a point of momentary stabilisation on the French wing The necessity of bringing up artillery and munitions over’ deeply rutted roads has caused an enforced halt. We aie now at grips on the ground on which the Germans entrenched and held iiom the autumn of ipi(s to the spring of 1917. The trenches are m a tumbled and over-grown state, they a.foid the Geimans the best opportunity ot clinmim to the ground since they left the line of the Avre valley. ° The Geimans aic evidently determined to remain as loan* as they can. lhey r are well supplied with machine-guns. To-day a continuous enemy line opposed our progress bv regular barrages instead of casual harassment fire.—(Reuter.) “ THE SOISSONS-REIMS FRONT. HARD FIGHTING IN THE FISHES SUBURB. (Received 14, 10.5 a.m.) New York, August 13. . lhe Germans attacked Fismette, on the banks of the Vesle river. The Americans were forced to retire across the river. I hey counter-attacked and recovered the ground. A. & N.Z. ... ’ . London, August 12. An American communique states: We repulsed attacks in of J F ’ smes - . The enemy’s losses were severe.— (A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) WAR CORRESPONDENTS’ EARLIER DESPATCHES. THE POSITION"3N MONDAY. A PAUS'E TO BRING UP ARTILLERY. n . , , „. . London, August 13. Reuter s coriespondent at British headquarters, writing on the evening of the 12th, says: Stiff fighting is in progrest' today the mam feature of which is the greatly increased enemy artillery and machine-gunning, proving a rapid swelling of reiniorcements. Our long-range sixty-pounders have some bridges on the i unc^er steady fire, so the enemv communications must be aiHicult and sometimes deadly. In the neighbourhood of Hallu the ground was retaken by a counter-attack after we had been forced to fall back therefrom. Reuter s correspondent at French headquarters, writin o- on the afternoon of the 12th, says: The period of arrest of development in the battle continues. This morning some villages behind our front were heavily bombarded by the enemy, hoping to disperse our troop concentrations. The pause will last while we are gathering strength for a further push at the new line. It is probable that General von Hutier’s army, with its left resting on the Thiescourt massif , and the Oise at Noyon, is sufficiently well placed for the defensive, except for the' threat of a further advance of the British on the Amiens-Roye road. lhe Allies at Andechy are only four miles away from Roye, which is already under fire from the Allied guns. The enemy position on this part of the line is anything but solid. ENEMY EVERYWHERE COUNTER-ATTACKINC. ’ FRENCH ON CREST OF LASSIGNY MASSIF. London, August 13. A violent battle is proceeding between Brav and \ illcrs-lcs-Roye. ' » An American division was hotly engaged m the Brav sector, lhe Germans are everywhere vigorously counter-attacking. The French arc now practically on the crest of the Lassigny massif, and are firing into the (.■erman rear. It is anticipated that the massif, which is a heavily’ wooded plateau eight miles square, will fall to-night. Its loss would involve a further retirement menacing Noyon. The Allies captured Gury this morning. \\e are now' bringing up heavy guns. The German artillery is also coming up. Some 29 German divisions have already been identified. Unofficial Pans reports also claim 40,000 prisoners and 700 guns. MDNTDIDIER WRECKED AND SACKED. Paris, August 12. The Germans before evaluating Montdidier left little more than a mass of wreckage. The Palais de Justice was devastated. The ancient tapestries have disappeared. > 1 hey also sacked the Basilica of St. Peter, a fourth century edifice. FROM CERMAN SOI’RCEC. THE STORY TOLD IN BERLIN. London, August 1?. A German official message states: We repulsed violent attacks northwards of the Somme and between the Somme and Lihons. The enemy advanced beyond Lihons, but our counter-attack threw him back to the northern and eastern edge of the village. We took Hallu. During July we shot down 518 aeroplanes, of which 230 are in cur possession. We lost 129.— (A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) . AUSTRIAN DIVISION HELD IN RESERVE. An Austrian division has been discovered on the West front, but thus far it has not been engaged. lhe object of its presence is probably to demonstrate the solidity of the Austro-German alliance and improve the morale of the troops.—(“Times.”) ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN THE RETREAT. A Berlin semi-official message attributes the latest German defeat to the fact that only hasty defences were possible in the over-run area owing to the lack of time and transport for material. The message mentions the hurricane fire concentrated on the trench garrisons, breaking down telegraph and telephone communications, also that the signal rockets were invisible in the thick fog. The gunners suddenly found themselves attacked in flank and rear by squadrons of tanks, whose machine-gun-ning played terrible havoc. The German newspapers are beginning to admit the Allied success, though professing calm confidence in the future. The “Cologne Gazette” says that there is no good in hiding the fact that this check by an enemy not numerically superior hits us hard. The “ Tages Zeitung,” the organ of the pan-Germans, says Jhat the first serious defeat of the war is due to the state of the tnorale of Prince Rupprecht’s troops. The “ Vorwaerts,” commenting on the crisis confronting Germany, says that the morale of the nation has been damaged by the pan-Germans’ wild cry of conquest. General von Ardenne, of the “Berliner Tageblatt,” says that the failure of the defence must be admitted. The losses of ground, guns and prisoners must be painful, as the German High Command is now particularly anxious to economise its forces. The military critic of the “ Mittags Zeitung ” prepares the public for a further retreat. — (Reuter.)