FRENCH MAKE IMPORTANT ADVANCE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14703, 7 September 1918, Page 3

FRENCH MAKE IMPORTANT ADVANCE.

PURSUE THB RETREATING ENEMY GERMANS EXHAUSTED, GIVE GROUND. OVER 30 VILLAGES RECAPTURED. .Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.! (Reuter's Telegram.* (Received September 7, 11.10 a.m,.) LONDON, Sept. 6. A French communique reports : During tlie day the French continued to pursue the retreating enemy, and by evening on the Oajial dv Nord and Vesle fronts we made an important advance, despite locaJ resistance. We hold Fajlvey-Offoy oil the north bank of the Somme Canal. To the south oiu* lines approach the Haan road, which is the border between Plessia Patte d'Oise aaid Rerlanoourt. Southeast of the flatter- our front passes through the outskirts of Guivry, Oaillouel, Crepigny, north of Marest," Damp-' court, aaiidl the southern- outskirts of Abbecourt. On the whole Ailette front the enemy, exhausted by hard fighting since August 20th, to-day began to give ground. Our units pursuing the German rearguards rapidly progressed north of Ailette. Pieraemaride and Autreville are m our hands, as well a® the greater part of th© low Forest of Coucy. Further east we occupy Filmbray, Coucy Je Chateau, and Coucy la Ville. We have advanced; a kilometre south of Fismes. On thie right our front passes east of Landiricourt. South of the Ailette we hold the line Neuville suv Margivail, Vregny, aud tlie western slopes of Conde Fort. Over thirty vfMages have 'been recaptured to-day on this part of the front. ■South of the Vesle we border the Aisne between Conde, Viel, and Arcy. Eastwards the iline passes north of Dlnr zel to Bai'bouval, and over the Beauregard plateau. Our airmen were prominent m the battle, flying ,at lowest altitudes and machine-gunning the retreating troops, transport, aaid bivouacs. Thousands of rounds were fired) and six tons of bombs dropped on stations, causing the utmost confusion.