EARLIER MESSAGES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17429, 25 September 1918, Page 5

EARLIER MESSAGES

BBITISH MINOR OPERATIONS. SEVERAL SUCCESSES ACHIEVED. 'Australian and N.Z. Cable Association, and Reuter. LONDON, September 28. Sir D. Haig reports: The hostile attack north-west of La Baesee, reported in the niorning, Avas not pressed, and our position is unchanged. In local encounters we slightly improved our positions south of Villers-Guislain and in the neighbourhood of Zillebeke. In the course of successful minor operations on Sunday at several points English troops captured a strong point in the neighbourhood of Ronssey-Bony road, and a counter-attack was repulsed with heavy enemy losses. We also progressed in tho direction of Tombois Farm (west of La Catelet). We captured a group of stronglyheld trenches and a strong poirit at Sssur, north-west of Venduille (close to La Catelet. English troops eastward of Gavrelle (north-east of Arras) progressed threequarters of a mile on a milo front. The enemy, under a heavy barrage, penetrated our line at Berthaucourt (north-west of St. Quentin) at one point, but our counterattack re-established our positions. FRENCH SUCCESSES. FORT AND VILLAGE OF YENDEUIL CAPTORED. LONDON, September 23. French communique: In the region south of St. Quentin we continued to advance last night, asd penetrated the woods north of Ly Fontaine. We carried the fort and village of Vendeuil, and pushed on to tho Oise. Our reconnaissance took prisoners north of the-Aisne. In the Champagne, towards , Butte du Mesnil, we repulsed enemy raids; also north ot the Vesle. METZ BOMBED BY AIRMEN. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. NEW YORK, September 23. British airmen bombed Metz, 16 tons ol explosives being dropped. EXPECTATIONS OF FURTHER ADVANCE. GERMAN ARTILLERY WEAKENING. LONDON, September 23. Mr Murdoch writes from Australiar Headquarters in France: The air is full of expectations of a further advance. Confidence is all the greater because the German artillery is proving much less formid able than was expected. German artil lerymen who have been taken prisonei explain that so many of their guns ha'v« been captured that the Germane are find in£ it impossible to keep up efl'ectivf

firing. There is evidence in our hospitals of a considerable amount of effective • enemy fire upon the Germans themselves for many wounded prisoners bear unmistakable signs of having been ehot from behind, and many show no disposition to discuss the circumstances. There has uni doubtedly been a fair amount of German fire turned upon their own men in an<r ei at their retreat. ° \ * .