BAPAUME CAPTURED BY NEW ZEALANDERS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10064, 31 August 1918, Page 7

BAPAUME CAPTURED BY NEW ZEALANDERS

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association, ■(.Received August 30, 8.10 p.m.) ~„■„' LONDON, August 29. The latest' developments make it sufficiently clear that the Germans intend to retiro to a shorter line, where they can oDtain a hotter defensive position and economise troops, the necessity for which his man-power situation makes urgent lor the enemy. It is not improbable that he will retire to the Hindenburg line, but there is reason to think that he will try to postpone this as long as possible and that he may hope to defer it until the weather makes active operations impracticable. The moral effect oi such a retirement, both in Germany and on the German Army, would be very great. Tho enemy's present intention therefore, is to make a stand on some line west of the Hindenburg line. There is a very favourable line along the Ailette, Oise, Somme and Tortille rivers. It remains to he seen whether the Germans will', be allowed to carry out their retirement according to plan in gradual stages. The British advance on both sides of the Scarpe is a serious threat to this line, as we are already in contact with Hindenburg's Drocourt-Queant switch. It is clear that the enemy cannot allow us to advance much further in this quadter without endangering his whole plan; hence his determined resistance there. The German resistance has varied greatly in different parts of the battlefield. Although some divisions fought with their old determination, others have been surrendering very freely. ENORMOUS GERMAN LOSSES DECREASE IN DISCIPLINE AND MORAL. Published in "The Times." LONDON, August 29. Since August Bth the British have taken 52,000 prisoners, and captured 550 guns. Ino Allies, since July 18th, have captured 120,000 prisoners and 2000 guns. . , It is expected that the Germans will attempt to hold the line ot the Ailfitte, the Oise, the Somme, and tire Tortille until the campaigning season is finished when they hope to retire to the Hindenburg line unmolerted. Though the enemy is displaying considerable determination, Jus moral and discipline are decreasing and disobedience,of orders, and the laxity of officers in punishing offences are increasing. Captured orders show refusals by new drafts to enter the line. It would tie unwise to form expectations of a German collapse, but the enemy's moral is very law in many divisions, which show a disposition to surrender freely. ■ ' It is definitely known that the <Jerman dead considerably exceed two Billion. . . Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received August 30, 8.10 p.m.) LONDON, August 29. A published estimate in which the German authorities'admit that the tctal of German killed is 1,400,000 is greatly under the mark. The real figures are well over two million and may be much greater. SPIRITED REARGUARD ACTIONS FOUGHT LARGE QUANTITIES OF STORES DESTROYED. Eeuter's Telegrams. LONDON. August 29. Reuter's correspondent at British Headquarters wrote on Thursday mornThe enemy is fighting spirited rearguard actions in places, but it seems clear that his great desire is to get back to a settled line of retreat as rapidly as possible. The Germans are burning and blowing up such supplies as are too heavy to" be hastily removed. We are still within two thousand yards of the Drocourt-Queant line, but have cleared the tortuous intermediate zone of machine-gun nests, and have established an excellent defensive north of tho Scarpe. A. feature of the battle is the exceptionally large number o£ enemy scouting aeroplanes, which are fighting in big formations. Twenty-two Fokkers were counted in one flight, and several others numbered between fifteen and twenty! ' CONFUSION OF THE GERMAN LINES -, ; ' : HOPELESS MIXTURE OF ODD UNITS. > Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, August S 9. Mr Philip Gibbs, instancing the confusion of the German troops, says:— Odd battalions and companies were mixed chaotically, but were goaded forward and told that they must fight. On one stretch of three miles, near Montauban, Qiere were sixteen battalions, hopelessly mixed, and drawn from five shattered divisions. Two storm divisions .at Mory and Cherisy were reduced to twenty-five per company; One battalion at St. Leger found itself abandoned by its neighbours, and was surrounded and ,captured en masse. The commander oursed the Higher Command, which had sent a decimated regiment into battle. The Higher Command, in order to encourage them, had previously issued an order, declaring: "We have defeated four British divisions, and they know it." The High Command sent four divisions against Moyonnevillo and Ablainßerillo, but, in spite of the encouraging order, many were non-starters. .. Those who started wore caught by our artillery. _ The slaughter was terrible, and few came to close quarters. Two new divisions counter-attacked against the Canadians at. Monchy, and again many were non-starters. Only a few resolute groups persevered, yet they only covered four hundred yards before they were wiped out. Another division was ordered forward, and a number of brave men did their best, but the disorganised division drifted back. Apart from tho gallant machine-gunners, the German infantry, for a time at any rate," has lost its (spirit, and has had enough of rearguard fighting. A rot has set "in', 'which will load to disasters unless the German Army £a,n bo rallied and refreshed. Our men will not give them a rest. The British were not in a good state in Maroh, but vre had reserves. The Germans at present have no such reserves, but we can expcot a ©hock at "the Drocourt-Queant line, which is strong, and will be defende'd by every available man. ...■•('' POSITION OF HINDENBURG LINE SERIOUS PROBLEM FOR GERMAN HIGH COMMAND. LONDON, August 29. Mr Pereival Phillips writes:— Though the German High Command most bo anxious over tho fall of Royo and tho Australian advance on Bapaumo, tho peril of the Bapaume position and before Arras must claim, attention before all else, bocauso tho bulgo above and behind the Ifindenburg line grows deeper hourly. Geseral Home's First Army pushed through tho greater part of the dofence, which the enemy behoved to bo practically impregnable. Our infantry an»L guns occupy territory untouched by the British since the enemy invaded France at, comparatively speaking, the cost of few men. The Germans yielded with great readiness, and their counter-attacks were soon broken. Tho fate of Bapaume and Peronne matters little by comparison. Meanwhile our extreme right is passive, if tho Australians can ever bo passive. In any circumstances the outstanding feature' of the First Army's advance is the symptoms of tho enemy's demoralisation. Undoubtedly confusion exists, prisoners are badly suffering from nerves, the infantry accuses the gunners, of criminal inaccuracy, and the officers blame the Hhrher Command for ordering impossible counter-attacks. 'Cases are recorded of the enomv boljinir, for exnmnle, at Vis-on-Artois, frohi the .Canadians, and at Bullccourt, from the Londoners; but tho machine-gunners are fighting well. ' '':'"■ . ', tWASHTNOTON.-'.AuKust 28. General March .stntnq that the Frprirh advance indicates tho further oponinp of thr> Foch pincers. ! The British gains in the norfch'are endiinKering tho Hindenburg line, which has now-been ponbtrated for one mile on a front of three miles. •

OUTFLANKING MOVEMENTS IN PROGRESS Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, August 29. South of Bapaume the British have reached Morval and Lesboeufs, and are nearing Le Transloy, and the movement is outflanking Pc-ronno. Tlio French Have captured Brenil, on the ©anal du Nord, three miles south-east of Noslos. They have also approached Ham, and threaten to outflank the Germans between the Somme and Ohauny. ■ — I PROGRESS OF BRITISH OPERATIONS ONE WEEK'S HAUL OF PRISONERS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter..; LONDON, August 29. , Sir Douglas Haig'reports:—South of the Somme wo maintained pressure upon the enemy during the night, and advanced to the eastward. North of tho Somme, as far as the neighbourhood of Fontaine-les-Oroisilles, the night was comparatively quiet. ' ■■ In the sector astride the Scarpc, a strong enemy counter-attack,, oast, and south-east of Vis-en-Artois and east of Bpiry "and in the "vicinity of Gavrelle, was repulsed, with loss to the enemy. After heavy fighting, our advanced posts west of Oppy were withdrawn slightly, as the result of repeated hostile attacks. . ■ ■ We have captured since the morning of the 21st, upwards of prisoners and over 100 guns. Tanks took an active part in the fighting south and north of the Somme on all possible occasions, and rendered very valuable and gallant service in co-operation with the infantry and other arms. .... ."."''." ENEMY FORCED TO ABANDON HARD-WON GROUND BAPAUME CAPTURED By"tHE NEW ZEALANE-ERS. High Commissioner'*! Cable. LONDON, August 29, 10.50 p,ni. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Successful attacks delivered since August Bth by the Fourth and First Armies have rendered tho enemy's positions on the old Sommo battlefield untenable. .'" [''. ; -..-y;' •-; On £fo» whole front from Bapaume southwards the enemy has been forced to abandon, with groat loss in prisoners, guns and material, also in killed and wounded, the ground gained by him with jsuch ; heavy cost in March and April of this year. v ...... We have reached the west bank of the Somme opposite Brie and Peronne and have taken Ham. '-■'■ This morning the Now Zealanders captured Bapaume. "■'• —' " CONTINUED ADVANCE AND SHARP FIGHTING Australian and Now Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. (Received August 31, 1.20 a.m.) LONDON, August 30. Sir Douglas Haig reports:—Northward of Ham we are advancing on the general line Combles-Morval-Baulincourt-Fremioourt. Sharp fighting has occurred on this front, where we inflicted many casualties on the enemy, who attempted to delay our progress. FURTHER BRITISH PROGRESS Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. . j NEW YORK, August 29. Ginchy (two miles north-west of Combles) is reported to haic been captured. The British are within a thousand yards of the Drooourt-Qucant line SUCCESSES BY CANADIANS AND AUSTRALIANS I LONDON, August 29. - The Australians have-taken Feuilleros, Heibocourt. Assorillors, and Belloy, and are now within three miles of tho Brie bridge. They arc advancing on the northern bank towards Hem. General Byng has taken Oinchy. The Canadians are bombing and clearing out the fhmous concrete tunnel running westward' of Bullecourt to the Sense© river Many Germanb wero killed,-and "more, have been taken prisoner. (Received August 31, 12.25 a.m.) LONDON, August 30 The Australians have captured Ham. FURTHER FRENCH PROGRESS ON THE SOMME CONSIDERABLE ADVANCE RECORDED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. , LONDON, August 29. A French communique states:—We continue to pursue tho onemy, who under our pressure, precipitately retreated on a front of thirty kilometres (n«arly twenty miles). We reached the heights on tho left bank of the Somme from Oizaneourt to as far as east of Nesle. Further south we reached the western, bank of the Canal" du Nord for the greater part of its course between Nosle and Noyon. North of the Oise we earned Suzoy, Pont l'Eveque, Vauchelles, and Porquerioourt. . Our advance to-day exceeds ten kilometres at, some points. Forty villages have been recaptured. The vast quantities of material abandoned by the Germans includes three heavily-laden trains. ; Five hundred prisoners were captured. There wero violent bombardments durjng the night'on<the Somme front. Enemy raids in Lorraine were without resulti ' We made tWo raids in; the Champagne. The front is calm elsewhere!"'."'..,■■' ,'. . .'.." CAPTURE OF NOYON AND OTHER PLACES High Commissioner's Cablo. . < ■ ■::* \ ."'■"■' LONDON, August 29, midnight. A Frenoh official report states:—Noyon has been captured, arid to' the eastwards a footing has been gained on the slopes of Mont Saint Simon, capturing Landrimont and Morlinoourt. Progress haa been made 'on tho' Oise and Aisne fronts. '. Router's Telegrams..... . , •: LONDON, August 29. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on Wednesday, said:—The 'Germans are strongly holding,the outskirts of Novon, particularly with machine-guns, concealed in tho housos. General Humbert's army has crossed the Roye-Noyon road near Sermaize and Catigny, and the Germans are energetically defending the hills east of Catigny. General Debeney has reached the neighbourhoods of Caohy and Ramecourt, and has reached tho Sommo between Rouy-le-Petit and Cizancourt. LIVELY FIGHTING BETWEEN OISE AND AISNE SUCCESSFUL FR.VNCO-AMEIUCAN ATTACK. Australian and Now Zealand Cablo Association. LONDON, August 29. A • French oommuniquo states :- r /phero has been lively fighting between ! the Oise and the Aisne. In tho region of Juvigny the Amoricans repulsed several counter-attacks. They also frustrated a big Gorman attempt to cross the Vesle south of Bazoches and Fismette. WASHINGTON,. August 29. The United States troops gained ground at Bazoches on the Vesle, west of Fismos. Tho Germans captured Fismette, on the north bank of the Veslo (opposite Fismes), after all night fighting. There were many hand-to-hand encounters. Tho Americans are'now counterattacking around Fismette. .WASHINGTON, August. 29.' General Pershing reports that tho Americans were forced to retire from, Bazoches and Fismette. ' " . - . -- The United States troops arc advancing with th© Frenoh north-west of Juvigny (on the Aisno heights). SEIZURE OF RAILWAY APPROACHES. (Received August 30. 11.20 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 29. Tha Franco-American attack.on Juvigny resulted in gaining a thousand yards, * The approaches to tho railway havo been seized. THREE ARMIES SWEEPING ONWARD Router's Telegrams, (Received August 30, 9.15 p.m.) LONDON, August 29. In a dispatch written at 8 o clock this evening Router's correspondent at French Headquarters says:—Three French armies are sweeping on in close co-ordination. General Humbert's army at 10 o'clock this morning captured Noyon. General Mangin's Army crossed the Qis© for the first time and occupiod Morlinrourt. On the left bank General Debeney's Army captured Quesnoy Wood. CLAIMS IN GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORTS Australian and Now Zealand Cablo Association and Reuter. LONDON,. August' 29. A wireless German official ronort states:—W*>'held UtTtlie'oncmy'e thrust after bitter .fitrhting east of Pelves, and ; near Vis-e>j-ArfoiS''ltiid.,"CroisiUo's.' Our counter-attack recaptured Flers, and Ldn'geuvni:' "TJpTvrcen the Soinine. and tho Oise wo withdrew our lines, giving ur> Chn'ulnics and Roye. . Wo Stormed Fismetto and frustrated an attack at Bazoches. ',"

THE LATEST NEWS OF CAPTURES Australian an'd N.Z. Cable Association. (Received August 31, 12.25 a.m.) LONDON, August 29. Tho British have reached M.uu'ep.is les Boeufs, and liavu nearly reached Le Tramsloy. , ~ . ■ ~ ~r, ." '" It is reported that the Frenoh have .captured Juvigny, north ot aoissons. AMERICAN CONFIDENCE IN MARSHAL FOCH ■ '•,.!,.••■■ (Received August 30, 5.5 p.m.) , iMiAV YORK, August 29. The "New York Times's" Washington correspondent says there is the greatest satisfaction in military circles with thu Allied progress on the ", ost front. They express confidence that Marshal Foch is able to di'ive the Germans behind the line they occupied Inst spring. HIGH DISTINCTION FOR GERMAN GENERAL I .. ' . • LONDON, August 29. ■ The Kaiser has bestowed the Order of the Black Eagle, which is the highest German distinction, on General von Boehm, Commander of the Seventh Army, in commemoration of his successes in the West. A DISTORTED ARMY ORDER , LONDON, August 29. General Monash, commanding the Australian Fortes, in an Order of the Day to the Australian troops issued on the eve of the battle, said: —"Tomorrow all the Australian divisions will engage in the largest and most important battle ever undertaken by the Australian force. What you havo so brilliantly executed in the past four months has been but the prelude to this greatest'culminating effort. Owing to the completeness of the plans and dispositions, the magnitude of the operations, and; the depth to which w» intend to overrun the enemy's, positions, this -battle is one of the most memorablo of the whole war. There is no doubt that the capture of our objectives will inflict blows that will make the enemy stagger' and bring the end appreciably nearer." . - , „ ,", „ . , . The Germans secured a copy of this order from Kie body of a dead Australian, and published it widely, changing and corrupting the text, and claiming it as proof that unparalleled efforts were made to break.the whole German army and finish tho war, and so laying the'base of a claim to have won T a victors'. •;