THE MACEDONIAN OFFENSIVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17426, 21 September 1918, Page 7

THE MACEDONIAN OFFENSIVE

RAPID ADVANCE OF SERBIANS Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. TACTICAL VALUE OF BRITISH GAINS. FIERCE COUNTER-ATTACKS. ENEMY SUFFERS VERY HEAVILY. Router's Telegrams. LONDON, September 19. (Received September 20, at 7.30 p.m.) Reuter's correspondent at the.British Headquarters states: On the front held by the Fourth Army alone 11 divisions have been identified. In addition to prisoners and guns, great quantities of stores were captured, but the tactical value of the gains far exceeds the material. One of the main objectives was to gain clear frontal positions commanding the Hindenburg line along the whole face of attack and this was partially accomplished. By 3 .o'clock we had taken Bell Englise and Bellicourt, and established ourselves along the St. Quentin Canal in places within 50 yards of the Hindenburg outposts. „ Further north the resistance was more stubborn. There was long and bitter nghting between Gauche Wood and Epehy, but the most determined effort was | south of Berthancourt, where our artillery played such havoc that it was a mere straggling remnant which received the final repulse from the infantry. The moral | effect of the tanks has been immense They frequently gained their objective without tang a shot. Numerous gulches and sunken roads gave them much i opportunity for tactical enterprise, and their skill and daring were too much for the Germans. To sum up: We advanced over 4000 yards on a front of 18 miles, engaging 13 divisions between Gouzeaucourt and the Somme, and obliging the enemy to throw in two more divisions from a close reserve. At no period of the war has the individual superiority of our soldiers been more pronounced. In an order dealing with raiding von Below, commanding the 17th Army, says: "This Land British have a fighting superiority over our troops in No Man's This morning it is renorted that we are holding all our gains. The enemv desperately counter-attacked on Wednesday evening southeast of Havrincourt Wood t^ P v°Sy Sl of Vme^G^slti" 08 COnl?letel y r *e ulsed > ** effort in. BRITISH HOLDING GREAT GAINS. ENEMY THROWING IN KESERVES. DETERMINED COUNTER-ASSAULTS BEATEN BACK. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. LONDON, September 19. (Received September 20, at 7.30 p.m.) The United Press correspondent writes: At 5 o'clock in' the evening south-east S , J the enemy, with 40 batteries and six divisions-some of them from behind the Hindenburg line-attempted to crush the British, who had advanced here during the day. Ihe assault was repulsed with heavy loss. North-east of Havrincourt and beyond the canal and main defences, where the British recently mstalled themselves, the Germans attacked and temporarily gained a sunken road The British soon ousted them, but thev still hold Boine Arons Latest reports of the morning fighting show that the British are holding E reat gains on an 18-mile front, while the Germans' desperate efforts to beat back elements of General Byng's army which were too near to the Hindenburg line in the neighbourhood of Havrincourt were entirely unsuccessful. The fightino- here on Wednesday afternoon was the fiercest of the whole battle. The German fearfu} e death rdf 10nS P ° lDfc ' gaining a tom P° ra *y success at the cost of a Indications are that General RawJinson's army is operating in force between Peiziere and Holnon Wood and part of General Byng's army is already beyond the Hindenburg line. The Germans believed that the British were seeking to turn I," event the enemy threw in a great mass about Havrincourt and as far south as Gauche Wood and south-west of Gouzeaucourt. The result was that General Byng gathered in 32 officers and 1438 men, which, added to Rawlinsons, make more than 6500 prisoners captured. He also took a complete battery crow and horses and 11 77mm guns. ' p The enemy's first counter-attack came at Gauche Wo6d earlv in the aftemr™ grey masses emerging from Villers-Guislain after an artillery gaSTe wood and holding it briefly; but they were beaten back. They again' assayed an attack m the evening, but were again repulsed. y 1111 ANOTHER PEACE RUMOUR. ITALY AND AUSTRIA THIS TIME. The Times. AMSTERDAM, September 19. (Received September 20, at. 7.30 p.m.) ~ According to the Deutsche Zeitung, there is some foundation for the reports diplomat! Itdy are ne S°tiating- unofficially for peace through a SwiS FURTHER SEVERE FIGHTING." BRITISH GAIN MORE GROUND. TEN THOUSAND PRISONERS CAPTUKED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Router. LONDON, September 19 (11.40 p.m.). (Received September 20, at 10.30 p.m.) Sir Douglas Haig states: Further reports confirm the heavy nature of thp enemy s counter-attacks yesterday afternoon north of Trescault and the severitv nf his losses. There was fighting to-day in the sector eastward of Epehy and akn ~ 6 "^S^ 0 "^ 00 ' 1 of G ™zeaucourt, where we gained ground" northward of Gauche Wood. Local engagements on the remainder of the battle-front improved our positions slightly west of Wytschaete. We repulsed raiders east of Neuve Chapelle and nortn of the Yjyfts-Commines Canal. The prisoners taken during operations commenced yesterday north-west of St Quentin now exceed 30,000, and over 60 guns were captured. KING GEORGE CONGRATULATES THE AMERICANS. PRESIDENT WILSON'S REPLY. VICTORY WITH QUICKER AND QUICKER PACE. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Router. LONDON, September 20. (Received September 20, at 11.55 p.m.) T resident Wilson, replying to King George's congratulations on the St. Wihiel victory, says the generous rivalry now going on between the forces of the Allied countries against Germany is touched with enthusiasm and heroism which must certainly bring victory with quicker and quicker pace, and it is one of the happiest circumstancc3 of the war that the armies can admire each other's achievements

METZ UNDER LONG-RANGE FIRE. AMERICAN GUNNERS SCORE HITS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. OTTAWA, September 19. (Received September 20, at 11.55 p.m.) The Lnited Press correspondent on the west front states that American aviators havo reported American heavy shells are falling in the centre of Metz. A binfactory was hit, and sevei-al direct hits on tlio fortifications were scored. FRENCH EXTEND THEIR GAINS. ADVANCE APPRECIABLY INCREASED. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association and Renter. LONDON, September 20. (Received September 20, at 11.55 p.m.) , A French communique states: Our troops on Thursday continued their attacks in the region westward of St. Quentin, extending their gains. Despite stubborn resistance we advanced beyond Contescourt, which is onrs. Southward we reached ] j , 9, n t] l° P l ;' lteau westwards of Jouy the enemy again • unsuccessfully. We inflicted heaw losses upon the enemy, and - appreciably increased our advance. J (High Commissioner's Cable.) liYp.,l, , LONDON; September 20 (0.10 a.m.) French official : We continued our attacks south-west of St. Quentin, and exfWvl ° U n g< ]l nS obstinate resistance, capturing Contescourt and heavy looses p ux west °* J° u y enemy counter-attacks were broken with GERMAN OFFICIAL REPORT. LOSS OF POSITIONS ADMITTED. Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, September 19. (Received September 21, at 0.55 a.m.) German official: Between Havrincourt Wood and the Somme the British resumed attacks on our positions before the Siegfried front. Attacks against the village ? , between Gouzeaucourt and Havrincourt we repulsed the British who stormed forward several times with strong forces and'armoured cars. Epeh'v and mT4° y whT ln f tv f fleir * fa , S ' The enem y> in the evening, repeated his attacks on the whole of this front, and was everywhere repulsed. After hard ficrhtinrr we brought the Australians, who advanced by Hargiecurt and Pontruet, to a halt O . I<:our t and Belle Englise the Anglo-French attempted to break through St. Qir in and northward thereof, but were driven back. THE AUSTRIAN PEACE OFFER. STRONG AMERICAN PRESS COMMENT. NO BARGAINING WITH CRIMINALS. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. NEW YORK, September 19. (Received September 21, at 1.50 a.m.) Th® New ork Times, commenting on the Austrian peace offer, says: " Austria nL d G™ 117 ha ™ themselves to blame if when they confess defeat and propose /P ace the proposal is_ peremptory rejected as insincere. There will be no tradma no bargaining with the criminal Powers which long planned the war, began it and he W d t° n l i At final P eace conference the Central Powers will be forced to stand at the bar and accept the sente'nee imposed. The terms of that —assissarts? proposal, as a confession oi defeat and an offer of surrender. Considering 'it, so wo Wi? S V on " pr ° poSal be considered on the principles laid down by' Mr theSeraflLer&Tnrt^L regard T + d ° nl -7 dissonant note in toSe end^tte m a hO Tr ab V CCepfc )" MieT tU'T willXd vitati-an h* r™ ' Y practice and custom of nations demand that- this intoitL.a fXSIJLV"' """" and by tl,e i MR DANIELS EQUALLY EMPHATIC. PEACE ONLY ON TERMS STATED.. Australian and New Zealand Cable Association. . NEW YORK, September 19. (Received September 21, at 1.50 a.m.) German ° f the Navy), in a speech at Annapolis, said: "The last Ann'l for'. .l e er understood Mr- Wilson's utterances until he declared t t EVen theU - th t Qmom -offS to meet German divisions The rVrnnn P ariu> ln fc he al> ' e successfully to lh6 gttess roSam sy ™