DAY OF HEAVY DEFEAT FALLS ON GERMAN ARMIES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16970, 2 October 1918, Page 8

DAY OF HEAVY DEFEAT FALLS ON GERMAN ARMIES.

SURVIVING LIMB OF WOTAN-SIEGFRIED UNE LOST. WONDERFUL SUCCESS GAINED, BY t(EW ZEALANOERS. , Australian and N.2;. t&<i«ived 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 80, •. Mr, Percival Phillips, writing on Sunday, says: To-day defeat fell upon the German when tho last remaining fragment of the Hindeni burg lino was wrenched from him. Men from the British Isles, AusI tralia, New Zealand, and America broke the surviving limb of the Wotan-Siegfried fortress almost at a) single stride. I do not see how the three German armies opposite us can hope to repair their fortunes. The story, which is full of thrilling interest, must be told piecemeal. To take first the breaking of the Hindenburg lino south of Vendhuille: the Australians and Americans drove frontally through tho ! main support systems and over the, tunnel of the canal dividing them. They attacked from the old German outpost line a mile west of tho canal through six layers of deep trenches protected by'broad banks of wire,- the whole forming the strongest defensive system erected-by the enemy on the west front. It was never assaulted before, and was manned by good Gorman divisions, who were ordered, to hold it until they died, knowing tho'immediate future of their pimy depended .on their, exertions, but no troops, however stout,• could offer much resistance after such a bombardment as preceded the attack. The Americans were tho first through the battered defences, and found themselves in the German main defences whan they had gone ] 200 yds. Only isolated machine-gun fire hindered the Americans to any extent until they came against the villages of Bony and Bellicourt, which were strongly fortified,,but they passed both before eight o'clock,' when they were reported to be still fighting. East of the canal tunnel, along the railway ridge between La Catalet and Naurey more opposition was encountered, but the fog lifting yielded a fresh Surprise. The Australians came over broken fields, and struck hard at the German, lino. It wavered and fell back further towards the next line of villages, and the half dug trench system running south towards Estrees. Meanwhile the New Zeitknders had a wonderful success. ' They attacked ftt three m the morning.-' Spreading fanwise as they advanced they reached Plateau Wood on the Masnieres-Oambrai road, "and , encountered the strong point of La Vacquario into which they worked from the north find south along the roads, and pinched off the village, ■ taking over 1000 prisoners. They were then reported'still going strong. f • The prisoners represent every battalion of the Eighteenth Prussian Division. You had only to see this wonderful onward sweep of the British armies to-day in order to realise how far the German has gone •, along the road to utter defeat. , . '