CHEMIN DES DAMES CAPTURED.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 1013, 5 November 1917, Page 5

CHEMIN DES DAMES CAPTURED.

BRILLIANT RESULTS BY FRENCH. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON. Nov. 3. A French communique says: The results of th« victory at Malmaison have not been slow in showing themselves. Threatened on (he right, pressed by our infantry, and crushed by our artillery, which has increasingly bombarded their organisation south of the Ailette, from our new positions, the enemy has been compelled to abandon Cliemiu des Dames, lo which he has been clinging for tho past six months. On a front of 20 kilometres from Froidmont farm to a post. <-ast of Craonne, our troops descending the northern slopes of Chemin des Dames occupied the German positions to a depth exceeding a kilometre in certain places. The villages of Cour'ticon. Cern.V-en-Laonnes, Allies, and Chevreux are in our hands. Our patrols, keeping contact with the enemy reached the Ailette between Brayc-en-Laonne and Cerny. During the night we continued tho advance between the Oise Canal and the region of Courany, and reached the southern bank of the Ailette. Along the entire front the enemy fell back on the northern front, the bridges and passages to which had been cut. The artillery struggle has continued lively in the Cliev'ignon sector and at some points in the region of the plateau. Among the material captured since October 23 are 200 heavy held guns, 222 trench guns, and 720 machine "guns. Violent artillery action continues on the right of the Mouse. During the last ten days of October 51 enemy aeroplanes were brought down.

WHAT THE CAPTURE MEANS. GERMAN POSITIONS DOMINATED. (Router's Telegram.) Received November 5, 10.40 a.m. PARIS, Nov. 4. Semi-official: The evacuation of Chemin des Dames means that the Germans have abandoned the heights from which they viewed the German back lines, and have taken up a position in the marshy region of the Ailette, which tho French dominate. Moreover, any serious enemy attempts at ail offensive on the Aisne front in future is out of tho question, while the defence of tho Fronch position in this region is rendered oasier and requires fewer troops. NEW GROUND ORGANI&ED. Australian Now Zealand Table Ai*ooiation. LONDON, Nov. 4. A French communique says: We are organising the now ground on tho Ailette front. Tlio artiliery duel continues at Chemin des Dames. In the battle at Malmaison the French airmen destroyed 16 German ' machines and engaged in 611 air flights. Fifty German machines crashed down in their own lines. A DEFEAT EXPLAINED. "TO PREVENT UNNECESSARY BLOODSHED." Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. Received November 5, 11.5 a.m. AMSTERDAM, Nov. 4. A Berlin semi-official message explains thai the withdrawal from Chemin do.Dames was in order to prevent unnecessary- bloodshed. ENEMY ARTILLERY ACTIVE. GERMAN ATTACK FAILS. Australian-New Zealand Cable Association. Received November 5, 10.10 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 4. A French communique states: Artillery activity continues very marked to the north ..f Chemin des Dames in the region of Pinon A r auxaillon. , After a violent bombardment the Germans twice attacked north of Chaume Wood on the right bank of the Meuse. Our lire dispersed the assailants with heavy THE GERMAN REPORT. LONDON, Nov. 3. A wireless German official report say.-: Unnoticed and undisturbed, we last night withdrew our lines from the hilly front of ' Chemin des Dames.