WESTERN THEATRE

Southland Times, Issue 17877, 5 September 1918, Page 5

WESTERN THEATRE

OFFICIAL BRITISH REPORT. STEADY PROGRESS MAINTAINED. ADVANCE ON OUTSKIRTS OF LENS. AIRMEN’S BRILLIANT WORK. (By Telegraph—Prets Asm. Copyright.; (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) LONDON, September 3. Received September 4, 11.10 p.m. Sir D. Haig reports: After the heavy defeat inflicted on the enemy on the 2nd our progress between Peronne and the Sensee was continued. Wo reached the general line Beaumetz lez Cambrai-Baralle-Rumancourt-Lecluse. We captured, or drove back with loss, the hostile rearguards who resisted our advance. Our artillery inflicted heavy casualties on the retreating enemy. Our batteries, over open sights, successfully engaged large numbers of the enemy retiring in close formation over the ridge north-west of Equancourt. In their hurried retreat the enemy left quantities of stores and material. Southward of the Lys the English captured Richebourg St. Vaast and established themselves on the, line of the La Bassee road between Richebourg and Estaires. We captured Estaires, also a number of prisoners and a few guns. We advanced slightly on the western outskirts of Lens, and eastward and northward of Givenchy. We also progressed north-east of Steenwcrck, and entered Wulverghem. Our aeroplanes worked all day long in front of the advancing battle line, v/hile observation balloons followed closely. Large formations of hostile machines frequently attacked our airmen, who persisted in their various tasks, maintaining contact with the infantry and artillery, and bombing and machine-gunning hostile troops and transports. They also silenced anti-tank guns, and dropped supplies of small arm ammunition to the infantry in the advanced zone. There was much air fighting, in which we destroyed 10 hostile machines, and drove down 2 uncontrollable. Twenty British are missing. We dropped 24 tons of bombs during the day and night. PROGRESS CONTINUED. FURTHER VILLAGES CAPTURED. PRESSING ENEMY CLOSELY. LONDON, September 3. Received Sept. 4, 7.30 pjn. The progress on the western frqnt was continued to-day. Further villages were captured this afternoon. The enemy shows indications of a further retreat. Large fires have been observed in Bus and Bertincourt. We gained two miles on a six-mile front in the Mesnil region. We now hold Ytres, Etricourt, Manancourl, and Le Mesnil. Our lines, south of the Scarpe, run south of Etaing, a kilometre east of Dury, to the western outskirts of Buissy, and east of Pronville. The enemy southward of the Sensee river evacuated positions westward of the Canal du Nord. We are pressing the enemy closely. We reached the southern outskirts of Sailly sur Lys, and the western outskirts of Neuve Chapelle, and captured Richebourg St. Vaast. There are signs of an enemy retirement astride of the Cambrai-Bapaume road. BACK TO NEUVE CHAPELLE. PROGRESS BEYOND SWITCH LINE. LONDON, September 3 (9.20 p.m.). Received September 4, 7.30 p.m. In the Lys sector we captured Richebourg St. V aast, and reached Neuve Chapelle. We made further progress eastward of the switch line, and are now approaching the enemy’s second line, having made a two miles’ advance on a six mile front eastward of Le Transloy, capturing Ytres, also 1c Mesnil, and several villages.

NORTH OF THE AISNE. MANGIN’S IMPORTANT ADVANCE. AILETTE CROSSED AT SEVERAL POINTS. PLATEAU POSITIONS TAKEN. (Reuter’s Telegrams.) LONDON, September 3. Received September 4, 10.20 p.m. Reuter's correspondent at French Headquarters writes: General Mangin's attack on the plateau between the Ailette and the Aisne yesterday afternoon resulted in another important advance. On the left, opposite Guny, we have the bridgehead across the Ailette, and French troops occupied the woods westward of I Coucy le Chateau, and also established a footing in the little wood south-east of Moulin de Nogent, so we are now barely a mile from Coucy. I Terny, v/hich resisted several attacks, I has been captured, and a footing obtained on the plateau. North-east of Crouy we are on the edge of the second plateau across Margivai valley, through which the Soissons-Laon railway runs. Over 1200 were taken prisoner during the day. Tanks played an important part on the French attack, also the airmen. The enemy are naturally defending the plateaux tooth and nail. The Prussian Guards delivered five futile counterattacks, leaving the ground littered with their dead. Five days’ hard fighting between the Ailette and the Aisne have given good results. The first powerfully organised line across the Terny plateau has been taken, and the second line is already being attacked. The French are across the Ailette at several points. The battle used up several of the enemy’s divisions, who are no match for General Mangin's colonials. NORTH OF SOISSONS. VIGOROUS ENEMY DEFENCE. GERMANS BURNING VILLAES. LONDON, September 3. Received Sept. 4. 7.30 p.m. Reuter’s correspondent at American Headquarters, writing on Monday night, says that a great light progressed all flay long north and north-east of Soissons. The enemy are vigorously defending Pont Rouge Plateau, east of the Soissons railway, also the line right along the north of the Aisne. We tire bombarding his positions from the south and west. Villages which the enemy hold are burning like vast torches, the fires spreading through the neighbouring woods. The enemy drenched our positions at midday with gas, but a retaliation barrage silenced his guns. TOWNS LAID WASTE. 3AILLEUL IN RUINS. TANKS TERRIFY THE ENEMY. (The Times.; LONDON, September 3. Received September 4, 7.30 p.m. Mr Perry Robinson writes; The retreating enemy arc carrying out their old work and are destroying everything in all towns and i villages. The horizon is wreathed in smoke j by day, and the skies are ablaze at night. Bailleul is ruined, like Ypros. A solid stone I brick town is reduced to formless heaps of i rubble and a few broken ruins. Only frag- ' ments of the Cathedral remain. i Other successes are of secondary import- | ance to the great feat in piercing the switch line. Tanks terrified the enemy at all points, but the German artillery is better than recently, and knocked over a few tanks, preventing pome valuable assistance in the further positions.

The cable news in this issue accredited to The Times has appeared in that journal, but only where expressly stated is such the editorial opinion of The Times.

STRONG RESISTANCE. LONDON, September 3 (4.15 p.m.) Received September 4, 7.30 pun. The Germans are strongly resisting the Americans. Northward of the Neuve Eglise line we were pressed back slightly on Monday. but we again advanced northward of Wuiverghcm. LENS NOT OCCUPIED YET. EARLY REPORT INCORRECT. LONDON, September 4. Received September 4, 11.25 p.m. Sir D. Haig’s communique shows that Lens has not yet been occupied, despite the earlier report that the town had been evacuated. THE NEXT LINE. SITUATION EXTREMELY INTERESTING. 10,000 PRISONERS ON MONDAY. LONDON, September 3. Received Sept. 4, 7.20 p.m. The enemy, contrary to expectations are not attempting to recapture the QueantDrocourt switch line, but are hurriedly retreating. They haye another line behind the Nord Canal, which will probably be the next line of defence. It is not strong, and is too near the Douai-Cam-brai lino for comfort. The enemy last night evacuated Queant, Prcnville, Doignies, and Vein. The Lens-Wulverghem situation is extremely interesting, and opens up enormous possibilities. Ten thousand prisoners were taken yesterday, but to-day's have not yet been counted. SPECIAL BULLETS FOR TANKS. THE GERMAN METHOD. WASHINGTON, September 3. Received September 4, 9.30 p.m. On the American front the-German ma-chine-gunners are using armour-piercing bullets against the British tanks, which the Americans are operating. The Germans regard anti tank warfare as similar to anticavalry warfare. THE SOUTHERN SECTOR. NOT MUCH DOING. LONDON, September 3. Received September 4, 7.30 p.m. French communique: There was artillery activity in the night time on the Somme and between the Oise and the Aisne. There were enemy raids in the region of the Vesle and the Vosges. They were without result. There is nothing to report elsewhere. GERMAN REPORT. LONDON. September 3. Received September 4, 7.30 p.m. A wireless German official states that the English, south-east of Arras, by superior forces pressed us back on both sides of the Arras-Cambrai high road. The French, westward and southward of Coucy le Chateau, slightly pressed us back from the Ailette. Strong repeated enemy attacks between the Aisne and the Ailette failed. LONDON, September 3. Received September 4, 9.30 p.m. Wireless German official; Between the Scarpc and the Somme the movements which we commenced on the night of the 2nd were completed in accordance with our plan.