THE GERMAN RETREAT.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14892, 15 October 1918, Page 5

THE GERMAN RETREAT.

BRITISH PROGRESS NORTH OF CAMBRAI. | DOUAI REACHED. * SENSES CANAL CLEARED. -,' MANY VILLAGES CAPTURED. • HEAVY GERMAN CASUALTIES. \ (Australian and N.Z. Cable .Association and Reuter.) London, Oct. 13. Sir Douglas Haig reports: i. There was fighting all along the line of theSelle river, between Le.Cateau. and Solesmes. We steadily progressed north-west of Solesmes towards the Sello Valley, and drove out enemy rearguards from St. Aubert and the villages of En Gauches, ' Avesnes and Le See. j More to the northward we cleared the west bank of the Sensee Canal between Arleux and Corbehem, both of which are in our possession. j We are closely approaching the line of the canal westwards of Douai. Eastwards of Lens we captured Montigny, Harnes and Annay. We inflicted numerous casualties on , German rearguards, and took prisoners in sharp local fighting on the whole of this front. Sir Douglas Haig later reports:— Eastward of the Scheldt Canal we took possession of Monchecpurt and reached the outskirts of the Douai sector. ■ We are now within a few. hundred yards of the town, and have captured Faubourg, Esquerchin, Douai prison, and the greater part of Flers. Eastward of Annay, we made progress along the south bank of the Haute-Devle Canal towards Go.urrier.es. Low-fliers bombed and machine-gunned parties of German infantry and transport, dropping nine tons of bombs and inflicting casualties.

Night flying was impossible.