RECENT ALLIED GAINS

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 10082, 21 September 1918, Page 7

RECENT ALLIED GAINS

BRITISH BEYOND HINDEN6UR6 LINE GERMANY’S HUGE SACRIFICES - ■ <9* 10,000 PRISONERS TAKEN NEAR ST QUENTIN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. Renter’s Telegrams. (Received September 20, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON. September 19. Reuter’s correspondent at British Headquarters states:— This morning it is reported that wo are holding all our gains. The enemy desperately counter-attacked on Wednesday evening south-east of Havrincourt Wood, employing six divisions, but they were completely repulsed, ns was a similar eftort in the vicinity of Villers-Guislain. On the front held by the Fourth Army alone eleven divisions were identified. In addition to prisoners and guns great quantities pi stores were captured, but the tactical value of the gains far exceeds that or the material. One of tlie main objectives was to gain clear frontal positions commanding the Hindenburg line along the whole face of the attack. This was practically accomplished. By 3 o’clock we had taken Belle-Eglise and Behicoiirt. and established ourselves along the St. Quentin Canal in places within fifty yards of the Hindenburg outposts. Further north tho resistance was more stubborn. There was long and hitter fighting at Gauche Wood and Epcby, but the most determined effort was made south of Berthancourt, where our artillery played such havoc that it was a mere straggling remnant which received the final repulse from om; infantry. ■ • . ' The moral effect of the tanks has been immense. They frequently gamed their objective without firing a shot. _ Numerous gulches and sunken roads gave them, much opportunity for tactical enterprise, their skill and daring being too, much for tho Germans. Summing up. wo have advanced over 4000 yards on a front of eighteen miles,, engaging thirteen divisions between Gouzoaucourt and the Somme and obliging the enemy to throw in two more divisions from his close reserve. At no period of the war has the individual superiority of our soldiers been more pronounced. - In an order dealing with raiding parties, General von Below, commanding the 17th Army, says;—“.This shows that presently the British will have fighting superiority over our troops in No Man’s Land.” ENEMY MAKES VAIN SACRIFICES BRITISH WITHSTAND HEAVY COUNTER-ATTACKS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. (Received September SO. 7.30 p.m.) LONDON. September 19. Tho United Press Agetury reports that,' fearing an outflanking movement, the Germans vainly threw in forty batteries and six divisions at on© point south-east of Havrincourt. Fighting was most fierce in the whole battle, and the German death-roll waa fearful. The British withstood heavy coun-ter-attacks. Wednesday’s prisoners number 8000, and upwards of fifty gun? were taken. , - _ At 5 o’clock in the morning, south-east of Havrincourt, the enemy, with forty batteries and sjjc divisions, some of these from behind the Hindenburg line, attempted to crush the British, who had advanced hero during the day. The assault was repulsed with heavy loss. North-east of Havrincourt and beyond the canal and the main defences where the British recently installed themselves, tho Germans attacked and temporarily gained a sunken road. Tho British soon ousted them, but they still hold Borne. . • . ' , Tho latest reports of this morning’s fighting show that the British a r c holding their . great gains on an eighteen mile front, while the Germans’ desperate efforts to beat back the elements of General Byng’s Army, which are too near to the Hindenburg. line in the neighbourhood of Havrincourt, wore entirely unsuccessful. The fighting'Jicre'op Wednesday afternoon was the fiercest'of the whole battle, the' Germans laqnohipg six .divisions at one point and gaining ft temporary success :; at the cost of a fearful death-roll. The indications are that General Rawlinsqn’s Army, operating in forre between Pozieres and. Holnpn Wood,' and hart of General Byng’s Army ain already beyond’ the Hindenburg line. 1 ’ The Germans believed the British’ were seeking to turn the line. In any event, the enemy threw in great masses about Havrincourt and as far south as Gauche Wood and south-west of Gouzeaucourt. The result was that General Byng gathered ip thirtytwo officers’ and 1438 men, which, added to General Rawlinson’s captures, make more than 6500 prisoners. He also took a complete battery, with its crew and horses and eleven 77’s v The enemy’s first counter-attack came at Gauche Wood early in the afternoon, grey masses emerging from Villers-Guislain and after an artillery tornado gaining the wood. fThe enemy held it: briefly, but was driven back. They , again essayed an attack in the evening, but were again repulsed. WORK OF THIRD AND FOURTH ARMIES HUN IS PREPARED AND FIGHTS STUBBORNLY. LONDON, September 10. Mr Pereira) Phillips writes:—Tho casualties of the Third and Fourth Armies are not heavy. We attacked at 5,20 a.m. on a front of fifteen miles, in co-operation with the French on pur right.' Although greater resistance was encountered than during tho earlier stages of tho British advance, the troops of tho United Kingdom and Australia made satisfactory progress along the ridgfes protected by weU-for.ti(led villages, which give access to our old outpost line immediately before the Hindenburg line. All the essential objects of the attack were attained. The infantry is still going forward. The Hun was prepared for tho blow, and intended to fight stubbornly for bits of high ground, and wo are up against stronger forces than tho old rearguards The ridges and spurs attacked were seamed with trenches, which connected Gouzeaucourt and Hargicourt, and the ruined villages afforded an ample screen for the machine-gunners. The remains of several farms are embedded in the treneji system which rap along the entire front. Rain fell while tho infantry was assembling, and made tho ground sticky. Nows came back slowly, and it fa still impossible to know the full results attained. Our attack commenced three-quarters of an hour before the Germans expected it. Enemy batteries across Die canal replied promptly, and tho gunfire' was 'heavier ,;than any since August Bth. PRIMARY OBJECT OF THE ATTACK ENEMY’S METHOD OF SAVING RESERVES. I _ LONDON, September 19. Mr Philip Gibbs states:—The Australians encountered and overcame stiff resistance at Hargicourt and lo Verguior. Elsewhere the Germans rushed out of their trenches and surrendered before the Australian barrage reached them. The Australians at an early hour had taken 500 prisoners. The primary object of the English, Scottish, Irish, and Australian attack was to regain our old outpost lino running along the ridge, from which spurs strike down to the St. Quentin Canal. Tho enemy had already withdrawn his artillery behind tho canal, t and was replying mainly on long-range high-velocity shells to harass our position: He is now strong in gunpower for the protection of tho Hindenburg line, and has a most unusual number of long-range guns. Ho is holding tho outpost line with troops who hnvo borne the full brunt of rccent_ battles, and whoso spirit is lowered to gloomy depths. The less-mauled divisions are being held in reserve to defend the Hindenburg lino itself. The enemy is now giving his troops no rest or sunport until thoroughly worn out,, when ho stiffens thorn’with material of a better class. The method is merciless but necessary. Among tho men fighting to-day ware the remnants of tho Second Guards Division who were routed like rats from Mont St. Quentin and Peronne. A rainstorm early in the morning made the ground bad for the tanks, tho slimy chalk giving no grip, but after a- brief hurricane tiro our troops went forward with perfect confidence. Tho losses in tho first assault wore light. The men were mostly hit by shell-splinters and not machine-gun bullets, showing tho ’ temporary end of open warfare. The English troops met with very hard resistance at Bpehy, where the Gorman Alpine Corps put up a hard fight . It is too. soon' to sum up tho results of tho day’s fighting. It is now raining again, which does not help our troops, hut it may prevent night bombing over our linos. Lately the enemy has been flving giant aeroplanes, by night. These monsters carry a crew of eight and bombs thirteen feel long, containing two' thousand pounds ■of explosives. We have destroyed several of these machines during tho past week.

ENDEAVOUR TO THROW BRITISH BACK

GERMAN COUNTERATTACKS REPULSED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. LONDON, September 19, 3.15 p.m. Sir Douglas Haig Teports: —The enemy opened a violent bombardment from many guns yesterday afternoon on the northern portion oi the battlefront. His lire rapidly cut all the telephone communication with the division in the line. The German infantry at sin the afternoon, strongly attacked on a wide front from the neighbourhood of Trescault northwards The Guards, 3rd, and 37th Divisions, completely repulsed the enemy at aU lioints with-great lass. ,„,, j- a -u. Another strong attack to the northward of Moeuvres was driven oil with heavy losses. In certain localities bodies of the enemy succeeded in reaching and entering our trenches, where our counter-attacks overwhelmed them. Our line in "these localities was re-established intact. Many prisoners were taken, and groat numbers of German dead lie before our positions on the mholo front attacked. ~,■,■>-,■.■■, t ■ South of Gouzeaucourt, the operations of the 3rd and 4th British Armies continued successfully during the evening and night. The English troops progressed north of Pontruet, reaching the outpost positions of the Hmdenbur" line. On their left, the 4th Australian Division renewed the attack at fl p.m., and carried outpost positions of the Hindenburg line after heavy fighting, capturing many prisoners and a number of machine-guns. Tins division and the Ist Australian Division hold the outpost positions of the Hindenburg lino on the whole of their respective fronts. Further north, severe fighting occurred east of Ronssoy and Epehy., We are in possession of Lempire, arid beat off determined counter-attap.ks on the Villers-Guislain sector. The 17th Division, which took several hundred prisoners yesterday, recaptured Gauche Wood, which the enemy had regained, and later repulsed with heavy loss a ttrong enemy counter-attack from Villers-Guislain. Repeated enemy attacks at Gauche Wood in the afternoon and evening were repulsed. „.. A successful local operation yesterday morning improved our position:? south and oast of Ploegsteert, and a umber of prisoners was captured. SEVERITY OF THE ENEMY'S LOSSES , BRITISH TAKE OVER TEN THOUSAND' PRISONERS. (Received September. 20. 10.30 p.m.) LONDON, September.. 19, 11,40 p.m. Sir Douglas ■ Haig states:—Further reports confirm the heavy nature, of the enemy's counterattacks yesterday -afternoon north of, Trescault and the severity of his lasses. ■ '■'• ■ . . There lias been fighting to-day in the sector eastward, of Epehy, alsom the neighbourhood of Gouzeaucourt,- where wo gained ground, and northward of Gauche. Wood.. .There have been,local engagement?..on the remainder of the battlel'ront. ' Wo improved our positions 'slightly west of Wytschaete. Wo repulsed raiders east of Neuve Chapefleiand hofth of the. Ypres-Conimines Canal. ':..',..'■. • :'., .. ■ ■■-.': The prisoners taken during the, operations .which were., commenced yesterday north-west of St. Quentin now exceed-..IOjOOO" and over sixty guns havebeen captured. ■"'"''.-. -'. '. :....,'.■■', Sir Douglab Haig's aviation report- states;—There- w.as,.slight enemy activity on the ISth. -.'Wo brought' down'four hostile,machines and drove down three uncontrollable., Four British machines are missing. _ Our aeroplanes assisted the advancing troops and dropped, bombs and fired .with machiite-KUlls on the enemy. We .dropped sixteen tons',""of.' bombs, during the last twentyfour hours. Anti-aircraft guns blougKt'-'do>vn one hostile machine oh the 10th and machine gunfire from the gi'6und : brought.- down another on the 17th. .;.;•' ."■ ;.,•';"■' ,- " : , Jf -;:;;; ':\ '-' ' " "" IMPORTANT GAINS. BY THE BRITISH- . : :-. ':'■ OTTAWA, September 19. The United Press Agency correspondent on the'West front states that Hie British, between Holnon Wood and Gouzeaucourt, have;advanced three miles, captured ten towns, and taken six" thousand -prisoners;; a-number of guns, and important positions. .:;:'--''-.•.->!■: .; •■•■ y •■.-. -.-,- ■■•.-- CAPTURE BY AUSTRALIANS -■■■"■■■/■': ;: --■ '^LdNDONi.',September 19. General Monash, announces that l the Australians 'on .Wednesday took 3000 prisoners and thirty guns, and -hundreds, of machie-guns and trenchmortars. The Australias are now right against the; Hindenburg line. FRENCH ADVANCE WQRRW TO HUNS f : VAIN ATTEMPT. TO~ST,6iP^FO^AE-I>--MQVE: ; .. ;: - : -. ~ T -'.'.".' Reuter's Teiegrains;-.i»> :,■;::; ~• ~.-■:•.-'..■ ; r:.-^.-";•--LONDON, September 19:' - Reuter's correspondent, writing f rom ,r FrehahvHeadquarteiis : on Wednesday evening, states: — ■;, -*:-" :\->r,~ -"*' . ;: - ....... General Debeney's Army continues: tij advance'in the direction ofJSt. Quentin, in conjunction with the British: in-'the.„north:: ■ They sv ere. resisted rigorously by ..the Germans a few hundred -yards. ;in front of.- the Hindenburg line, which runs west of the town, whose suburbs 'form part of its. defences. ) «:v-.' ■•;'.',:■:::■:.••". i ■': . ■> . Groups of infantry, lavishly supplied with machine-guns, are dotted everywhere, endeavouring to hold up the advance,.', bulj - f orD the Fronch alternating their rushes with infiltration-tactics,. n are- -steadilyrprogressing, and are now only two miles from..the;St. Quentin suburbs, and already are holding some of their old trenches.;inj,a;wide itrotch-'pf front. - DESPERATE DEFENCE BEING MADE: Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reuter. /LONDON,. September 19. A French communique states: —ln the region of St. Quentin we continue to advance,-and have penetrated Contescouyt,*; where the enemy is defending himself desperately. ' ■' \ r ~'\ ? '"---' J -, ■ :.''.' ... North of the Aisne there is great <abtivity. : ; A string; enemy omnter-attaok at Moisy .Farm was and we maintained,'all *ur posts On the Vcslo- front a German' attack' north-east of •Courlandori was broken by our fire before it reached our ;lpigs.. Enemy raids in tho Champagne and on the heights of tho Meuse I ' were repulsed. <."•',- FURTHER EXTENSION OF GAINS (Received September, 20, 11:55 ; p.m.) ■'. . . i. 5 ;;v,.;';; September 20. A Fronch communique states:Our troops oh ,£h.ui'6,da,'y pontinijed the at 7 taoks in the region< westward of St. Quqntjn,., emending our gams despite Stubborn resistance. 'We advanced Ogtitescourt, which is purs. -To the southward we reaohed the outskirts n t>f: ; seaiay, Ton the plateau:westwards of Jouy. '■■-', •'■ '; i,,.). "-*' . The enemy again countor-att&dked- unsuccessfully. , We, inflicted .heavy losses on the enemy and -appreciably increased our advance. CLAIMS IN ENEMY OFFICIAL REPORT r (Received September 21, 12;6£i ■■a.m.) ;.j ■:'■:"". LONDON, September 19. A wireless German official report states:-—Between' Havrincourt Wood and the Sommo the English resumed their attacks, on our positions befbre the Siegfried front., Attacks at Northcourt"'and''against the,-village failed.. Between Gouzeaucourt and Havrincourt we' r*epulsed-' the, English, who Stormed forward several times with strong-forces an'dannod.cars,'!, Epehy and-Ronssoy remained in their hands. -The enemy; in tho: ; oyehjng inado repeated attacks on. tho whole of this front and wore everywhere, repulsed./ After a hard fight wo brought xho Australians., who had tidvaiirea-by-Hargicourt and Pontruet. to a halt. Westward of Bollioourt and Beilo-Eglise the Anglo-French attempted to break through at St. Quentin and'rroijthward of that place, but ttero driven back. ■'■ •"*•'•" ."';**'-■•' • '';"■" ■'■ '"''.''; ii, 'i ri tif -.: " ' " '■ GENEROUS RIVALRY BETWEENrALLjEp ARMIES Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Reutcr. (Received September, 20,. 11.5 a p.ul.} - ',..:, LONDON, September 20. President Wilson, replying to King .Qeprge',s ..cpngratul/i.tions ,»n tho St. Mihiel victory, says: —."The gonerous rivalry' which': is,now Roinc on between the forces of the Allied countries against tTcfm'a'ny is touched with-enthusiasm ,and heroism which.must certainly bring victory with quicker and quicker paco, and it is one of the happiest circumstances 'Of that our armies caK admh'e- each other's achievements." ■ ; f. r :>. " " ■".c•'"! "- » , AMERICAN GUNS BOMMRDINQ METZ Australian and Now Zealahd, C,aWe Association. (Received September 20, }l.'§s p.m.) .. '" ■"■-''■" 'OTTAWA,- September 19. The United Press Agency's correspondent on the West front states that Americau aviators havo reported that Amorican heavy shells are falling in tht centre of Motz. A big, factory 1-as been hit and '->voral direct hits on fortifications have, been scored. -> ■• • ' -."-A -: ' ""';;'-" - ' EVACUATION OFIwULHfIUSEN V GERMAN oPimATl)q'N^ ■' .'...'• J ',-'■ / ■ < ' r Septomhor 19. A Basle newspaper reports that the ;Qerm'a"n£jhav,e avocuatcd Mulhausen (m Southern Alsace). .'.,"! :'i-"r---■ : ■.-"—-.- Mulhausen is fltout fifteen miles fron\ 'the nearest noint on tho border of France and Alsace. 'ltis a place of first-rato industrial importance. It has great cotton factories, printing, -and dyd «"nrks fflK dotton, linen, calico, wool, and'such fabrics, and chemical works, factories," iron, mnchnicry, and other metal works. It bocamo German after th«P war of 1870-71.

SURVEY OF THE MILITARY SITUATION

ENEMY FEAE.S FURTHER ADVANCE ON METZ. REDUCTION OF STRENGTH IN TEE WEST. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. .Received September 20, 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, September 19. An official review of the war situation states:— Tht> Germans havo constructed a line across the base of the St. Millie! salient to which they have retired, but it is believed to be of no great strength. The Germans realise that any further advance in this sector will involve Metz and important lateral communications from Straaburg to Metz. via Montmedy. .They are, therefore, likely to offer determined resistance. The French are emphatic in praise of the American staff work in carrying out, on such a large spale, an attack when comparatively new to the game. As the position threatens the whole line on the Meuse northwards, its influence on ,tue. future, course of, the war may be very great. The enemy probably intends to hold the Jrlindcnburg line until winter renders further operations impossible. The German strength on the West front is .now. reduced to 191. divisions. Fifteen : divisions have recently been broken up, while in more than twenty divisions the battalions have been reduced to a strength of three companies. Evidence exists showing that the enemy is finding great difficulty in arranging reliefs for divisions in the line.