THE FORWARD MOVE IN THE WEST

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16979, 16 April 1917, Page 5

THE FORWARD MOVE IN THE WEST

SIR DOUGLAS iIAIG'S REPORT. ENEMY'S POSITIONS TAKEN. 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Reuter. _ LONDON, April 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports : Wo attacked last night on the front between St. Quentin ,and Cambrai. After sharp fighting we captured the enemy's positions on a wide front northward of Hargicourt to Metz en Conture. We now hold Sart Farm, Qanohe Wood Gouzeaucourt village, and Gouzeaucourt Wood. We successfully raided last night southwestward of Loos. Our machine guns stopped a raid in the neighbourhood of Ploegstreet (north of Armentieres). NEARING ST. QUENTIN. FRENCH IN THE SUBURBS. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, April 13. Mr Wood, war correspondent, giving details, states that the French have reached the suburbs of St. Qnentin, He further asserts that the capture of St. Gobain and St. Quentin, according to French strategists, "vvill mean the breaking of flindenbuxg's line. The Germans are believed to be engaged in sacking St. Quentin. There are many fires. _ Prisoners assert that Prince Eitel Freidrioh ordered the town's destruction. , THE FRENCH REPORT. FIERCE ENEMY RESISTANCE. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association and Reuter. LONDON, April 13. A French, communique states : We attacked this morning German positions south of St. Quentin. Despito the enemy's desperate resistance, we earned several lines of trenches between the Somme and the La Fere-St. Quentin road. Our advanced elements progressed south of the Aisne and eastward of Coucy-la-Ville. We captured prisoners and materia] during the artillery stragglo in the Aisne and Champagne. Two enemy coups-de-main in the Verdun rogion failed under our fire. THE GERMAN VERSION. ! . .'. LONDON, April 13. A wireless' German official message states : Our counter-thrusts balanced the strong British thrusts against Angres and' Crivenohy-en-Gobeile. We twice repulsed attacks from the Arras-Gavrelle road. to the Scarpe, and repulsed several attacks including cavalry, south-eastwards of Arras. The French attacks southward of •ot. Quentin failed. WORKING NORTHWARDS. MORE VILLAGES LIBERATED. THIRTEEN THOUSAND PRISONERS IN FOUR DAYS. Q . LONDON, April 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: Extended operations took place to the northwards to-day. East and north of Vimy Rido-e we pressed the enemy back on our whole ffont from north of the i>carpo River to southwards of .Loos, Wo seized the villages of Bailloul, Willerval Vimy, Petit Vimy G ivencJiy-en-Gobelle, and Ajictc&, and also gamed a footing i n the trenched 3ioi th-cast of _ Lens. Southward of the Arras-Gambrai road we captured Sancourt lower and advanced astride tho Hindenburg line to a point seven miles south-east Of Arras. We also progressed on the hich around eastward of Le Vergnier. In Wood yesterday we brought down five hostile aeroplanes. Three of ours are ovor ln n nnn tho 9th wo over 13,000 prisoners, of whom 285 are officers, and captured 166 guns, including eight 8m and 158 field guns and howitzer^ 84 trench mortars, and 250 machine guns and Juried! W6l '° d^lkhed