A CONTINUAL VICTORIOUS ADVANCE.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXVI, Issue 17394, 3 October 1918, Page 7

A CONTINUAL VICTORIOUS ADVANCE.

LONDON, October 1

"Reviewing the past fortnight's vie. torious operations, a French communique points out that the armistice was signed at Salonika at 11 o'clock in tlie evening of September 30. The offensive began on September 15, with only two French and one Serbian divisions against th c mountain barrier from Vet. renik to Sokol.

Through the gap which was made, and which was gradually en'orged. the Serbian armies, .surmorled by FrancoGreek detachments, poured unceasingly, despite the exceptional difficulties of the ground, and desperate resistance, towards their principal objectives in the region of Kavadn, and Bmirkapu, which were readied on September 22, cutting simultanecslv the lino of communication s of the Ist Bulgarian Army •north of Monastir, in wluch operation all the Allied forces rivaled each other in endurance, courage and self-sacrifice.

Anglo-Greek divisions, after a desperrate struggle,, carried on September !8 the enemy positions at Do iron., holding up big enemy forces there.

From September 21 and onwards the Italian-G reek-French Monastir array participated in the operations.

On September 22 a general pursuit began, and was carried out with tha ■utmost ardour and solendid vigour. On September 23 the Serbians crossed the Vardar near Krivolak. On Sept. 24 the French cavalry entered Prrep, and on the 2oth Ishtip was carried, likewise the Belashitza Mountains.

The English forced a read to Strumnitza, entering the town, on the 26th, when the Serbian.;? reached Kochana and Voles. Franco-Italians marched on Kichevo on the evening of Sept. 26. The Bulgarians then,asked for an armistice, and announced the despatch of plenipotentiaries.

In tha course of these operations, which the hasty despatch of German reinforcements was unable to hamper, 'the Allies captured a large number or prisoners and immense booty.

Allied aviators took an active and successful part in the fighting, reporting the movements of the enemy to the staff, and bombing and machine-gun-ning enemy troops and convoys, causing confusion and preventing the enemy escaping from our clutches.