The Western Front.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume VIII, Issue 219, 17 August 1918, Page 5

The Western Front.

Nothing Sensational Reported. Slow Progress South of the Somme. Enemy Withdraws a Mile on Ypres Front pMM AMOCIATIGH —COrT*IM».f London, August 15. Mr. Campbell states: The French are a long step nearer Noyon as a result of the capture of Ribecourt, but the appearance of fresh enemy divisions and supporting machine-gunners means that difficult fighting is ahead. —(‘ Times.”) The Australians pressure southward of the Somme continues. They slightly advanced their line last night. —(A. & N.Z.) (Received 17, g. 25 a.m.) New York, August 16. German withdrawals on the Western front continue. The British have gained a mile south of Merris, capturing Vieux Berquin.—(A. & N.Z.) SIR DOUGLAS HAIC’S DESPATCHES. London, August 15. Sir Douglas Haig reports: The Canadians captured Damery (five miles south of Chaulnes) and Parvillers (one mile north of Damery). We also advanced south-east of Proyart (five miles south of Bray), taking prisoners in both operations. Our patrols north of Albert were all day long in contact with the enemy. There was local fighting at a number of points. Our patrols were also active in the Vieux Berquin sector (east of Hazebrouck, two miles south of Merris). We progressed south-east of the t illage, taking prisoners. We successfully'’ raided north-west of Locon, inflicting casualties. There was hostile artiilerying on the Kemmel-Ypres front. Enemy activity has decreased. We dropped 22 tons of bombs on Peronne, Roisel, the Engel dump, and Bruges docks. We destroyed 22 enemy aeroplanes and drove down six uncontrollable, while 1 5 British are missing. Our night-fliers dropped 30 tons of bombs with good effect on the Somme bridges, Peronne, Douai and Cambrai railways. We brought down an enemy 7 night-flier, which was on fire. One British machine is missing. (Received 17, 9. 1 5 a.m.) London, August 16. We advanced our line slightly in the night-time north-east-ward of Morlancourt (5 miles south of Albert). We repulsed an attack on a post in this vocinity after sharp fighting. Local fighting occurred on the north-eastern outskirts of Thiepval Wood (5 miles north of Albert). Our patrols there crossed to the left bank of the Ancre. Our patrols (3 miles) further north progressed between Beaucourt-sur-Ancre and PuisieuX and at Miraumont. There is increased hostile artiilerying southward of the Somme, and between the La Bassee Canal and Ypres.—(A. and N.Z., and Reuter. ) FRENCH OFFICIAL DESPATCHES. London, August 15. A French communique states: As a result of a local operation we made some progress in the wooded massif between the Matz and the Oise, north-west of Ribecourt. We captured Attache Farm and Monolith Farm, both being energetically' defended. We took some prisoners.— >\. & N.Z. and Reuter.) (Received 17, 12.35 p.m. 5 London, August 16. A French communique states: Our troops progressed in the region of Villers le Roye (3 miles north-west of Roye) and St. Aurin (li miles west of Roy’e). We occupied our former first lines in the Champagne. We captured some prisoners in the Perthes les Hurlus sector. We repulsed an enemy' raid eastward of Maison de Champagne.—(A. & N.Z.) FOGH’S SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY OUTLINED BY GENERAL HUMBERT. London, August 16. Reuter’s correspondent at French headquarters states: General Humbert received the correspondents, and summed up Foch’s manoeuvre as follows:— The Fourth British and First French Armies were to attack simultaneously in the general direction of the Amiens-Roye road. At the right moment the Third French Army' would intervene, pushing in the direction of Roye. WTien the Germans were menaced by envelopment they' would be forced to retreat. Our general objective was to drive him back between Amiens - and the Oise. General Humbert was allotted the attack after the Germans were reefing under the blow of Debeny’s and Rawlinson’s armies. He moved reinforcements into the sector between Montdidier and the Somme. The operation resulted as Foch had foreseen. Humbert attacked at dawn on the 10th inst. the thinly held German line incapable of resistance. The Germans had taken the precaution of evacuating the Montdidier-Assainvillers salient. Humbert, finding the resistance weaker than he expected, pressed on in the direction of Roye, the situation developing rapidly. A change of plan was feasible. It was no longer necessary for Humbert to advance in the direction of Roy'e. Therefore, on the 11 th inst. he swung round so that his whole line fronted east instead of north-east, and began the battle which resulted in the capture of the key' points on the Thiescourt massif. On the 12th inst. the enemy' received reinforcements and began to offer an obstinate resistance. Further German divisions have been brought into the line in the Thiescourt hills, which will not surrender without hard fighting.—(Reuter.) LESSENING POWER OF GERMAN OFFENSIVE. ONLY SIXTEEN DIVISIONS IN RESERVE. London, August 15. There is no present indication that the Germans will retire behind the Somme. The enemy has made a further retirement in the northeastern part of the Lys salient of from a mile to two miles over a nine-mile front. He is also withdrawing from the Serre salient (8 miles north of Albert), straightening out the bulge there. The impression is increasing that the enemy intends to abandon the offensive. The Germans have been compelled to use 35 divisions of reserves between the Oise and the Ancre, and now only' has on the whole West front 16 fresh divisions in reserve, of which eleven belong to Prince Rupprecht. lhe latter now only holds the line from the sea to Albert. The front from Albert to Soissons is held by General von Boehm. It is believed that the latter was selected because he did well on the Somme battlefield in 1916. In view of the fact that only sixteen fresh divisions remain, it is doubtful whether the Germans will put up another big attack this year.—(A. & N.Z.) The United Press correspondent states: There are signs accumulating of changes in policy imposed on the Germans by the Allied successes.

General von Boehm’s appointment to command the group of armies astride the Somme under Prince Rupprecht is significant. Hitherto only crown princes and dukes have been named as army group commanders.

A captured order signed Ludendorff says that the internal situation and condition of Gennan resources in men necessitate another drastic comb out. Every possible clerk, storekeeper and cook must go on active service.

It is reliably learned that the High Command refuses requests for reinforcements, saying “ We have no men to send you. You must make what you have do.” Between 600 and 700 guns were captured by the British Fourth and French First and Third Armies, of which 450 were captured by the British. The German losses since the Sth were greater in proportion to the Allies’ losses than in any previous battle. Their dead especially enormously exceed ours. There are indications that the enemy intends to fight approximately on the line now reached, except to the southward, where the French are in possession of the Lassigny massif. This will compel him to retire probably behind the Divette river, a small tributary of the Oise.—(Reuter.) FROM GERMAN SOURCES. London, August 15. A German official message states: We evacuated a projecting sector near Puisieux and Beaumont Hamel (north of Albert). We repulsed partial attacks on both sides of the Avre and southward of Lassigny. Our chasers engaged a British squadron going to Germany, and forced it to return after the loss of five aeroplanes.— (A. & N.Z. and Reuter.) CHANCES IN HIGH COMMANDS. * (Received 17, 1.35 p.m.) London, August 16. Reuter’s correspondent at French'headquarters says: In the German High Command sacrifices are apparently being made to German public opinion. General von Mudra, who opposed General Gourod in the Champagne, is apparently being replaced by the Saxon General von Carlowitz, while General von Boehm has been appointed chief of the new army group, including General von Hutier’s Eighteenth Army and General von Marwitz’s Second Army, which are operating on both banks of the Somme and in the region of Lassigny "and Thiescourt hills. General von Boehm is credited with snatching the German army from disaster after General Mangin’s attack on July 18th. It is his role to accept the responsibility for failures like the Mahnaison battle last October and the retreat from the Marne this year. His immediate business is to take discredit for the next unpleasant episode between the Somme and the Oise, which the German High Command expects at no distant date. (Reuter.)