EARLIER MESSAGES

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

EARLIER MESSAGES

BRITISH OFFICIAL REPORT. GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS REPULSED. FURTHER PROGRESS MADE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Router. LONDON, September 19 (3.15 p.m.). Sir Douglas ELaig reports: The enemy opened a. violent bombardment from many guns yesterday afternoon in the northern portion of the battle-front, and their fire rapidly cut oft' all our telephonic communications with our divisions in the line. Ihe German infantry, at 5 in the afternoon, srongly attacked on a wide front from the neighbourhood of Trescault northwards. Our Guards Division, the 3rd and the 37th Divisions, completely repulsed the enemy at all points, with great loss. Another strong attack northwards of Mosuvres was driven off -with heavy losses. In certain localities bodies of the enemy succeeded in reaching and entermg our trenches, where our counterattacks overwhelmed them, and our line in these localities was re-established in- i tact. Many prisoners were taken, and 1 great numbers of German dead lie before our positions on the whole front attacked. Soutnward of Gouzeaucourt the operations of the Third and Fourth British Armies were continued successfully in the evening and during the night. English troops progressed northward of Pontruet reaching the outpost positions of the Hindenbmfe line. On their left the Fourth Australian Division renewed their attack at 11 p.m., and carried the outpost positions of the Hindcnburg line after heavy lighting, capturing many prisoners and a number of machine guns. This division and the First Australian Division now hold the outpost positions of the Hindenbum front 0n whole of their respective Further north severe fighting occurred eastward of Ronssoy and Epehy. We took possession of Lempire, and beat off determined counter-attacks. In the Villers-Guislain sector the 17th Division, which took several 'hundred prisoners yesterday, recaptured Gauche Wood, which the enemy had regained. , \\ e repnked with heavy loss strong enerav counter-attacks from Villers-Guisiain Repeated enemy attacks N on Gauche Wood in the afternoon and evening were repulsed. .By successful local operations yesterday morning we improved our positions southward and eastward of Ploegsteert (north of Armentieres, Flanders), a number of prisoners being captured. AT THE SIEGFRIED LINE. GERMAN GUN-POWER INCREASED. MONSTER BATTLE-PLANES DESTROYED. MERCILESS GERMAN DISCIPLINE. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. \r T)i,-r September 19. Air Philip Gibbs writes: The English troops met with very hard resistance at Epehy, whore the German Alpine Corps put up a hard fight. It is too soon to sum U P wjcs results of the day's fighting It is now raining hard, which does not lieip our troops, but may prevent night bombing over our lines. Lately the enemy have been flying giant planes by night, these monsters carrying crews of eight and dropping bombs each 13ft long and containing 20001b of explosives. We have destroyed several of these during the past week. The primary object of the English, Scottish, Irish, and Australian attack was to rega,m our old outpost line running along the ridge, from which spurs strike down to the St. Quentin Canal. The enemy had already withdrawn their artil- I lery belnpd the canal, relying mainly on ' their long-range, high-velocity guns to ■ harass our position. The Germans are now 1 strong in gun-power for th» protection of the Hindenburg line, and have a most unusual number of long-range guns. > The enemy are holding the outpost line ' •with troops who have borne the full brunt of recent battles, and whose spirit has been lowered to gloomy depths, while the less-mauled divisions are being reserved to defend the Hindenburg line itself. The enemy are now giving their troops no rest or support until they aTe thoroughly worn out, when the command stiffens them with of befcfcec class. This method is

merciless, but necessary.' Among the men lighting to-day were remnants of the second Guards' Division, who some weeks ago had been routed like rats from Mont fct. Quentin, near Peronne. * A?* rainstorm early this " morning made the ground bad to the tanks, the slimy chalk surface giving no grip; but after a brief hurricane of fire our troops went forward with perfect confidence. Our losses m the first assault were men who were mostly hit by shell-splinters, not machine-gun bullets, showing the temporary end of open warfare. SATISFACTORY BRITISH PROGRESS FIERCE OPPOSITION" ENCOUNTERED. ~ .. LONDON, September 19. Mr Percival Phillips writes: The casualties of the Third and Fourth Armies were not heavy. They attacked at 520 a.m. on a front of 15 miles, in co-opera-i a\ r th ■^ renc ' l oh our ritrht. j Although greater resistance was encouni! ? dunn S the earlier stages of the British advance the troops of the United Kingdom and Australia made saisfactorv progress along the ridges, these being protected by wad-fortified villages, which give access to our old outpost line immediately f l ol ' e 1 the Hindenburg line. All the essen tial objects of the attack were attained, and our infantry are still going forward. , . Z 1 "? was prepared for the blow and intended to fight stubbornly on the bits of high ground. Wo are up against stronger forces than the old German rearguards. The ridges and spurs, attacked were seamed with trenches, which connected Gouzeaucourt and Ilargicourt, and the ruined villages afforded an ample screen for the German machine gunners, wn j el P al , n . s of several farms are embedded in the enemy trench system, which ran alonjj the entire front. Rain fell while our infantry were assembling and made the ground sticky. News of the advance came back slowly; and it is stiL impossible to know the full results attained. Our attack commenced three-quarters of an hour before the Germans expected it. f". enemy batteries across the St. Quentm Canal replied promptly, ths»enemy's gun-fire being heavier than at an v time since August 8 (the date of Haig's fccarpefMmme offensive). GERMAN COUNTER-ATTACKS BROKEN. FEARFUL LOSSES. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. LONDON, September 19 (5.10 p.m.). In the region of St. Quentin, continuing our advance, we penetrated Contescourt! where the enemy defended himself desperately. North of the Aisno there is great artillery activity. _ A strong enemy counterattack on Moisy Farm was resultless. We maintained all our posts on the Yesle front A German attack north-east of Umrlandon (east of Fismes) was broken by our fire, before it reached our lines. Enemy raids in the Champagne and on the heights of the Meuse "were repulsed. The United Press reports that the Germans vainly threw in 40 batteries and six divisions. At one point south-east of Havrincourt the fighting was the fiercest of the whole battle. The German death roll is fearful. The British withstood lieavv counter-attacks. GENERAL DEBENY'S ADVANCE. IN ST. QUENTIN SECTOR. OLD TRENCHES REOCCTJPIED. Router's Telegrams. t LONDON, September 19. Reuters correspondent at French Headquarters, writing on the evening of September 18, says: General Debeny's army continues to advance in the direction of St. Quentin in conjunction with the British on the north. The attack was resisted vigorously by the Germans a few hundred yards in front of the Hindenburg line, which runs west of the town tho suburbs of which form part of _ its defence. Groups of infantry lavishly supplied with machine were dotted everywhere, endeavouring to hold up the advance; but their defence was in vain, for the French, alternating forward rushes with infiltrating tactics, made steady progress, and are naw only two miles from St. Quentin's suburbs, already holding some of their old trenches on a wide stretch of front.

A SWISS RUMOUR. RETIREMENT IN ALSACE. and N.Z. Cable Association. PARIS, September 19. A Basle newspaper reports that the Germans have evacuated Mulhausen (in Upper Alsace). AUSTRALIAN CAPTURES. LONDON, September 19. General Monash anouncos that the Australians on Wednesday took 30C0 prisoners, 30 guns, and 100 machine guns and trench mortars. The Australians are now right against the Hindenburg line.