In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 85, 4 November 1918, Page 5

In the West

I PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALANDERS, NICE, BUT TOO THICK. Press Association—Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9 a.m.) London, November 3. General Rosenthal, of the Australian Army, addressing the Overseas journalists, said the New Zealandors were easily the Ijest troops on the West front. THE ALLIES'- OPERATIONS. PUSHING BACK THE ENEMY. MANY TOWNS LIBERATED. Press Assn. —Copyright—Australhu and N.Z. Cable Assn, and Reuter. (Received'lo.ls a.m.) London, November 3 (12.40 a.m.) Sir Douglas Haig reports: There was determined fighting throughout the day south and east of Valenciennes. We made good progress northwest of Marosches and east and north of Preseau, capturing the hamlet of St. Hubert and the farms in the vicinity. Eastward of Valenciennes we captured Marly village, and entered St. Saulve. Tn the course of this operation we captured two tanks, which the enemy used in his unsuccessful counter-attacks on November 1, and we also made prisoners of several hundred. We advanced our line by successful minor operations westward of. Landrecies. A French communique at 0.10 a.m.; states: Vigorous attacks by the Fourth Army on the lAisne front, combined with a victorious American effort between the Argonne and the Mouse, compelled the enemy to retreat through the Argonne Forest. His rearguards resisted desperately, but were unable to arrest our advance. Our left occupied the southern bank of Ardennes Canal for two kilometres between Semuy. and Neuville et Day. Farther south, we captured Vandy Woods and Ballay village, and reached the outskirts of Alleux despite the fiercest resistance Our right captured Lougwe and Primat, and passed Chinepate, vigorously pursuing the enemy despite the serious obstacles of the Argonne forest. The enemy is abandoning huge qirantities of material, and hundreds of prisoners have been taken. An American communique states: The First Army continued to advance, overcoming all resistance and capturing among others the towns of Chnnipigneulles, Morthomme, Verpel Buganey, Villers Devantdun, Clery le Petit The prisoners taken now exceed 1000, including battalion commanders with their staffs. The enemy has abandoned huge quantities of material. Sixty-three guns and hundreds of machine-guns have been capLured, including a complete Bavarian l,atterv with the personnel and oi-

Sir Douglas Haig reports: We dropped fifteen' and a-half tons in many directions, securing hits on the railways We shot down thirteen enemy'aeroplanes,.and drove down seven tvhich were uncontrollable. Ten British are missing.

A British and Belgian communique states- Attacks by the Second British Army and Franco-American army from the 30th October to Ist November bore fruit to-day. Pressed by the Belgian Army and the left ot the-French Army, the enemy was forced to retreat hastily in the direction of the GhenVfcmeuzen Canal. At the end of the day the Franco-Bel-gians had reached the line of the Eeoloo-Waershoote-Lieve Canal, and further south as far as Seoverghein we reahed four kilometres from the outskirts of Ghent, the left hank of the Scheldt being occupied north to Somercem.

Allied aviators throughout maintained the mastery of the air. The results obtained by the British aviators are particularly remarkable A French communique states: Des.pite the dense fog on the whole front, ! our aviators were most active. Two ot their reconnaisanees pushed seventyfive miles in the enemy's exploring the province of Namur. Great activity among the troops and convovs was reported in the enemy rear opposite the Argonne front, One hundred and forty-eight bombing 'planes in successive groups protected by 120 inditing 'planes dropped forty tons of explosives, and fired thousands or cartridges, panicking and dispersing the enemy concentrations. Seventeen German aeroplanes were shot down, and twenty-one tons were dropped on enemy stations at night. NOTES IN GENERAL. Press Association— Copyright, Router's Service. London, Noa'. -. Renter's correspondent at French headquarters, writing on Friday even, ing savs that further operations towards! 'Mezieres and Bcrman, the main communications with Germany, will depend largely on the success ot •the battle launched to-day on both .ides of the Argonne. General Gourand's army is striking north-eastward from the Aisne to Argonne, and is in touch at Grand Pre with the larger American attack directed north or

the lArgonne. They are both engaged in turning the labyrinth of wooded hills and ravinea styled the Baa Wood and Doult Forest. When they join hands north of this great forest, the enemy will have lost the last natural : fortress remaining to him. Mr Gibbs, describing the fighting at Valenciennes, says the Canadians advanced under shelter of smoke shells, which made ii dense white fog and put the Germans in a haze so thick that they could not find targets and were as helpless as if blankets had been thrown over their heads. Some units surrendered directly the Canadians arrived. The officers taken prisoner acknowledge that the situation is hopeless now that Austria is out of the war. Around Audeqarde we are fighting among the villages and farmsteads. We have stopped all use of gas, owing to the civilians, but the Germans are using it daily. Many baliies, women, and girls were found dead, dying, or blinded in the Flemish villages. We distributed the gas masks captured from the Germans among the villagers, hut they are of little use without long training.