GERMAN ARMY BEATEN BACK IN THE TEST BATTLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16970, 2 October 1918, Page 7

GERMAN ARMY BEATEN BACK IN THE TEST BATTLE.

STRONG POINTS OF SIEGFRIED LINE OVERWHELMED. RAPID AND DECISIVE mDVANCE OF NEW ZEALANDERS. United Service. <* (Eeoeived 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 80. Mr. Beach Thomas, writing on Sunday, says : To-day was to be the test battle. The enemy knew that if he failed to stand here he could stand nowhere. Consequently he brought up Bpecial storm divisions. Sir John Monash faced a problem as hard as a problem-solver could Wl 3h. The only favourable accident was the disappearance of the canal under the hill, giving the tanks C an opening. When the 48 hours' bombardment ended with a hurricane of gas shells, the Americans bounded forward, fought with desperate bravery. 'nd forced the redoubts, the tanks helping them. Midland troops stormed the colossal defences of Bellenglise. At nine o'clock the Australians ' leap-frogged" through the Americans, after which successive strong points of the Siegfried line were won, and the signals were flying up from objectives thousands of yards ahead. Among these Le Catelet was the most valuable, for the roads and railways of Cambrai will soon be between the pincers, the Canadians approaching from the north and the English, Scots, and New Zealanders from the south. The New Zealanders reached the road towards Cambrai with unbelievable speed, sending back 1000 prisoners before the morning mist had cleared. They encircled La Vacauerie, and bombed out tho garrison before the scheduled hour.