MACEDONIAN OFFENSIVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17430, 26 September 1918, Page 5

MACEDONIAN OFFENSIVE

SERBS STILL PRESSING ON. IMMENSE STORES CAPTURED. Australian and N.Z. Gable Association and Router. LONDON, September 24. A Serbian communique, issued on the evening of September 23, states: Our I troops yesterday continued to cross the Vardar, where they came into contact with the enemy. Towards Prilep the Serbians reached ' j Ti Sr y - steep massif between Vrenska 1 and PJainina, and at several points are on ' the Prilep road. The enemy continue to burn villages and its own ! stores; nevertheless, a great quantity of 1 war material has been captured, including several railway trains. 1 EULG-AHIAN ADMISSION. WITHDRAWING BEFORE 1 PRESSURE. L ; Admiralty, per Wireless Press. LONDON, September 24. Bulgarian communique: As a result of ; our front giving way between the Cerna ai * i j Vardar, our adjacent units "were withdrawn to new positions on a line ran- • s . ou kh ward of Prilep and northward ' of Doiran. [ ALLIES STILL ADVANCING. ' PRILEP CAPTURED. » Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association, i NEW YORK, September 24. The Serbian advance continues across ; the Vardar. The Bulgarians are desert- : ing wholesale. T' le Anglo-Greek _ force has advanced . north of Lake Doiran and joined the L Franco-Greek force. The Bulgarians are i fleeing. French cavalry have captured Prilep. • PURSUIT OF BULGARS CONTINUES. ; ALL ALLIED FORCES/IN TOUCH. CAVALRY HEADING FOR STRUM- ; ITZA. • Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and 1 Renter. 1 LONDON, September -24. j (Received Sept. 25, at 7.25 p.m.) 1 A British official asport from Salonika says: Our pursuit of the Bnlgars on the Monastir-Dorian front continues. AngloGreek forces have reached tie line Pazarli- ; Furka-Senekvica, -where they touch the Franco-Greek forces. Our cavalrv are - heading for Strumitza. Three 6-inch ' guns, a mountain battery, and some field 1 guns have been captured. , BULGARIAN FORCES SPLIT. i ONE ARMY IN UTTER DISORDER, ; MEN IN LAMENTABLE CONDITION. | Router's Telegrams. ' LONDON, September 24. : (Received Sept. 25, at 7.25 p.m.) General Daspery s astounding success is j proving more important every hour. The r Bulgar armies are split in two, and in full > retreat on 100 miles of front. A few de- , tachments of General Teoderof's army are , attempting to delay the British, who have . reached Karaoglular, north of Lake Doit ran, but General Tosofs army is in utter . disorder, thronging all the roacls and mounI tain trades. The men are foodless and i in a lamentable condition. They are tryI ing to get to the Babuna Pass before the ■ Serbians reach Veles. Several companies s of German machine-gunners, sent postt haste to stop the debacle, fired their ma- . chine guns into the backs of the flvinc j Bulgars. J h j j . i • ITALIANS LIBERATE! VILLAGES. > ALLIES CAPTURE DOIRAN. t Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. I t. LONDON, September 24 (Received Sept. 25, at 11:40 p.m.) t The Italians have .liberated 20 more Ser- , bian villages. The Graeco-British forces ; advanced 10 miles and captured Doiran. j CONTINUED ALLIED > ADVANCE. OCCUPATION OF PRILEP. SMMENSE BOOTY CAPTURED Australian and N.Z. Cable Association and Router, r LONDON, September 24 \ (Received Sept. 25, at 9.40 p.m.) A 1' rench Lastern communique states • . Pursuit continues on the whole front • from Monastir to Veles. The enemy columns are closely pursued and harassed ■ u y ?' r , c ? valr 3', and machine-gunned and bombed by our aeroplanes, and are falling back in the greatest disorder towards 0 the Veles-Ishtip-Strumitza line The • meS ,„ are - drivin S back the enemy upon the Albanian roads. French cavalry entered Prilep, and a founc l th ° town intact. An immense quantity of booty ivae seized. The Franco-Serbians are progressing , northwards beyond the Prilep-Gradsko o road and threaten the Prilep-Veles road In the centre the Serbians, who have f crossed the Vardar by a number of undamaged bridges between Demirkapa and , Gradeko, established a big bridgehead north of the river. We occupy Enfshoba Karahodzali, Voyshan, and UriJi. The right wing of the Allies, operating on both sides of the Vr.rdar. has reached a line ij Petrova-Pardovica-Chevarli-Karaoglnlars.

The number of prisoners continues to increase. A considerable (i uantity of undamaged booty was fonnd everywhere. During Sunday 12 guns, including several heavy cannon, were captured ; also "a number of new aeroplanes, motor-cars, and a big petrol and food dump. CAVALRY PRESSING THE BULGARS. VARDAR LINE HELD BY ALLIES. Router's Telegrams LONDON, September 24 (9.30 p.m.). (Received Sept. 25, at 9.15 p.m.) Salonika says: The British line has been advanced seven miles, and has reached the northern shore of Lako Doiran. Our cavalry aro pushing the Bulgars on tho Strumitza road, their only line of communication. The Serbians have crossed the Vardar on a 15-mile front, and this line of communication is now in the hands of the Allies. Over half of the GradskoPrilep Wood is held by Serbians, who are pressing towards Prilep. Australian and N.Z. Cablo Association. LONDON, September 24. (Received Sept. 25, at 10.10 p.m.) British cavalry are pursuing the Bulgars along tho Strumitza road, which is the only line of communication the retreating Bulgars are able to use. There is a railway ae far as Ishtip, but only a road beyond that place. It is difficult to see how the enemy can extricate himself, as the Serbian advance guard is within striking distance of the road. A certain number of Bulgarians may join the Austrians in Albania, but it is known that the Albanians are unfriendly to them.