ARLEUX TAKEN.

Northern Advocate, 14 October 1918, Page 3

ARLEUX TAKEN.

ADVANCE AT UNPRECEDENTED RATE.

GREAT FLYING FEATS

(Received 1.15 a.m.)

LONDON, Oct. 13. The Press Bureau reports that 548 German aeroplanes were destroyed or disabled on the Western front in September and 59 balloons were destroyed, while 236 British machines were missing. The figures are exclusive of heavy casualties inflicted by the Independent Air Force and British coastal squadrons in raids in Germany and Belgium. Sir Douglas Haig reports: "There is local fighting along the line of the Selle River and between Le Cateau and Solesmes. We steadily progressed north-west of Solesmes towards the Selle Valley. We drove out enemy rearguards from St. Vaast, St. Aubert, Villers en Cauchies, and Avesnes le Sec. More northward we cleared the west bank of the Sensee Canal between Arleux and Corbehem, both of which are in our possession. We are closely approaching the line of the canal westward of Douai. Eastwards of Lens we captured Montigny, Harnes and Annay. We inflicted numerous casualties on the German rearguards and took prisoners in sharp local fighting on the whole of this front. Sir Douglas Haig's aviation report states: "Our low-fliers bombed and machine-gunned parties of German infantry and transport, dropping nine tons and inflicting casualties. Night flying was impossible." An American communique states: "Eastward of the Meuse there has been heavy fighting in the Bois de Caures. We attained our objectives on both sides of the river. We have prisonered since September 26 in this sector 17,659." —A. and N.Z. and Reuter.