In the West

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 87, 6 November 1918, Page 5

In the West

LE QUESNEY CAPTURED. LATEST BRITISH SUCCESS. _ > Press Assn. —Copyright—Australian Cable Association. (Received 9.0 a.m.) London, November 5. The British have captured Le Quesney. BIG FRENCH OFFENSIVE. ON A FORTY-MILE FRONT. Press Association —Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9.0 a.m.) New York, November 5. The United Press Paris correspondent says: The French launched an offensive on a forty-mile front from the Peron river to the Aisne. WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS. ADVANCE AND CAPTURES. Press Association— Copyright, Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.

The High Commissioner reports London, November 5.

Sir Douglas Haig reports: - The New Zealand and the 37th and 62nd Divisions advanced four miles, capturing Colimetz, Le Roy, J'lesTiOy, le Petit, and Maraisai. AMERICANS STILL ADVANCE. MANY TOWNS LIBERATED. Press Association— Copyright. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Received 9.-55 a.m.) New York, November 4. The Americans continue to advance northwest of Verdun. They are extending the area of the attack on the east bank of the Meuse. All towns west of I the river and south of Sales have been captured. PROGRESS STILL CONTINUES. Press' Association—Copyright, Australian'and N.Z. Cable Association. , (Received 11.20 a.m.), London, November 5. Practically the whole front between Guise and the Scheldt has been advanced a mile to two miles, lighting is proceeding at Quesney, where the position is obscure. The enemy us heavily counter-attacking from Normal Forest, southern part whereof we penetrated for a mile. The French line now runs along the southern Ar-dennes Canal. Franco-Americans are within ten miles of the ; Longuyon-Mczicres-Hir-son railway. ,

HAIG’S LATEST REPORTS.

great ADVANCE OF THE ALLIES CAPTURES OF TERRITORY, MEN AND MATERIAL. Press Assn.— Copyright—Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn, and Reuter (Received 10.15 a.m.) London, November 5 (1.20 a.m.) ’ Sir Douglas Haig' reports: The Fourth, Third, and First British Armies. attacked between Sambre Canai and the Oise and on the Scheldt northward of Valenciennes. On Die whole of this thirty-mile front, the British and New Zealanders broke in deeply the enemy’s positions. Wo prisonered over ten thousand, ami took two hundred guns. On the night of the attack, the First and Thirtysecond divisions attacked in conjunction with the French to the southward. Then these Divisions, with great dash and gallantry, stormed a formidable line of the Sambre Canal. They overcame the resistance and reached a depth of three miles. Eastward of the canal, the First Division under General Strickland, alter, capturing Catillion, forced passages or the canal opposite Catillion, and neiu the Lock two miles to the southward. At the latter point, assisted by the Engineers and Camerons, they crossed the. canal in six minutes. The First Division captured Fesmy, Hautreve, and Lagroise, and made prisoners ol fifteen hundred. To the leftwards, the Thirty-second Division crossed the Ors Canal, and after severe fighting captured Uuedenhaut, and cleared the line ol the Canal to the southward and northward of this village. 'They captured Mezieres, La Folic, and Sambre. In the centre, we attacked the western face of flort De Normal with infantry and tanks, and drove the enemy Irom the western outskirts. We captured Soyores, Preux Aubois, Hecq, hutoy, and Louvignies. The Twenty-first Division forced a crossing,of the Lambre Canal opposite Landrecics, which was captured. Further north the Eighteenth and Fifteenth Divisions pentrated the forest, and are still advancing. The Twenty-eighth Division readied Les, Grand es Patures. The Seventeenth Division captured Locquiqnol in the centre of the forest. There was severe fighting at Le Quesnoy, where the New Zealanders repulsed a strong counter-attack, inflicting heavy losses. %e passed south and north of this

fortified town, and are now several miles eastward of it. We drove the enemy out of his new positions oil the Andelle Elver. Our guards captured Prenxausart. The Twentyfourth Division captured Wlargnies le Petit, and Wargnies le Grand. The Canadians made progress on the right bank of the Scheldt, and passed beyond Estrenx and Onnaing. Our advance continues on the whole battle front. A message dated the sth at 1.20 a.m. states; Yesterday afternoon we surrounded and captured the walled town of Le Quoshoy, prisonering over one thousand. The 'flirty-seventh Division had hard fighting southward and northward of Le Quesnoy, ana pr.isonered many . These Divisions, after overcoming a strong Division at the outset about Louvighies and Orainval, pushed forward rapidly on the flanks of the New Zealanders eastward of Le Quesnoy, advancing with them to a depth between three and'-, fpur miles, and capturing tm> villages of Jolimet/., Le Rond, Quesne, Fresnoy. le Petit, and Marais. We progressed further in the evening in Normal Forest, and eastward of Valenciennes, capturing the village of Eth.

ANGLO-FRENCH PUSH ON.

ENEMY RESIST VIGOROUSLY.

AMERICANS ADVANCE ON THE MEUSE.

(Received 1!.-5 a.m.) London, Nov. o. A French communique states: The First Army during the morning attacked in conjunction with the British on the Samhre-Oise Canal, between the Oise and Vadencourt, and despite difficulties in crossing the canal and the stiffest enemy resistance, we everywhere forced the crossings and gained a footing on the heights of the eastern hank. We reached the outskirts of the villages of Bone, Lacauteete, Lancuille, Lesdorengt, and passed Les que Milles, -realising a maximum advance of three kilometres. We captured over three thousand prisoners and fifteen guns. We completed the occupation of the’ south bank of the lArdennes Canal, between Semeny • and Lechesnc. Ihe enemy has been resisting vigorously on the northern bank. Since November I, fifty-three guns were captured in this region.! An American communique says: The First Army continued' to advance on the entire front between the Meuse and the Bar. Our extreme right drove the enemy into the valley of the Meuse and fought through the Fpvest of Dicult,' and occupied Lahceuville, opposite an important .crossing ? of the Meuse, near Stenay, ,Wc Stenay rpad.and the heights overlooking Beaumont. Our left reached. Gran des Armoises despite vigorous opposition. The enemy abandoned much material. One hundred and forty-five aeroplanes bombed .the crowded enemy traffic at Montmedy and destroyed thirty enemy aeroplanes. Several American machines are missing. GENERAL ITEMS. ’ London, November 3. A Belgian communique states:— Our troops completed their task of driving the enemy beyond the GhontTe.neur.en Canal. The Germans now hold onlv a few 'machine-gun nests on the west bank of the canal. We have reached the western and northern and southern outskirts of Ghent. Our bne follows the western bank of thi Scheldt from Zurgnaerde northwards. The Rotterdam . Courant s Ber correspondent attributes tl.c failure of vou Ludenorff’s great offensive to the tenacity of the British soldiers who refused to be panicked by am de < , and the sangfroid of Marshal Foeh « reserves to the utmost. The con espondent adds that he is a’ b . special reasons, to couhrm that the resistance of the British on Marc,. - . near Arras, caused the failure o, the German campaign.