THE WAR.

Western Star, 6 September 1918, Page 3

THE WAR.

BRITISH STILL PROGRESSING. LONDON, Sept. 4. Sir D. Haig reports: Minor actions are reported in different localities. We reached the east side of Vaux Woods, ulorthward of Moislans, and slightly advanced at other points'. Generally we reached the line of the Oanal du Nord. We occupiedi Ecourt St. Quentin, northward of the Arras-Cain-brai road. We progressed astride the Lyis. W© are approaching Neuve Chapelle and Leventie, and gained possession of Ailly, Nieppe, and Romarin. FRENCH CROSS THE SOMME. LONDON, Sept. 4. The French communique states: Our infantry crossed the Somme opposite Epenancourt. Further south the F'renoh gained a footing at Genviy. east of the Canon du Nlord. East oi Noyon we made fresh progress and reached the outskirts of Salency. Artillery action continues heavy in this region. > Between the Ailett© and the Aisne yesterday we captured twelve hundred prisoners. Our aviators are actively co-operat-ing with the artillery, destroying centres, of resistance 1 . Tons of bombs were dropped on back areas and camps were machine-gunned. THE AMERICANS ATTACKING. NEW YORK, Sept. 4. North-east of Sbdssons a battle is raging, the Germans vigorously defending Pont Rouge plateau and the Laon railway. The Americans are attacking. Several villages are in flames. GENERAL HORNE’S VICTORY. LONDON, Sept. 4. Mr Percival Phillips says: General Home’s victory on the Drocourt line and the capture of 10,000 Germans had a surprising sequel. Without even the semblance of a counter-attack the Germans are retiring, chastened beyond belief, to a new line beyond the wide, dry moat of the great Nord Canal, miles’ weist of Cambrai. In places the retreat became a. race between the vanishing German and British - patrols. Our infantry advanced eight miles in some places during the day, and are still pushing into empty hamlets fax in advance of the artillery. Eleven German divisions were reported] in the sector, and there were many isigns of an impending counter-stroke of great magnitude as we broke the Drocourt line. Then the German infantry suddenly slackened their effort. The night was strangely quiet. It is significant that British aeroplanes were not fired] upon until over the Nord Canal. , Many German prisoners taken by the naval units in the Prouville area were exhausted through lack of food. They had, had no rations for Hour, days ©wing to the breakdown of communications. Those captured further north complained bitterly of hunger. Even stiff-necked cavalry officers, swaggering into the cages in their smart grey coats, asked 'for food, and at© it ravenously. German artilleymem ©otmplained of, lack of shells. Company commanders blamed the interruption of the telephones and; cyclist .services for their inability to get orders out. In fact, the story of German disorganisation yesterday almost suggests the deliberate abandonment of these broken division® to their fate. CROWN PRINCE INTERVIEWED. AMSTERDAM, Sept. 4.. The Crown Prince, interviewed; by the Berlin correspondent of a Hungarian newspaper, stated; “ Owing to our elastic system of defence we’re retired in some places. Germany is. carrying on a defensive wax. We don’t wish to destroy our enemy. For uS victory means only the successful defence of the Fatherland.” Alsked what, would be the' endi of the wax, the Crown Prince pointed to the Allies’ losses and! added: “ The present attack will probably continue, but it can’t reach its goal. Only the brilliant defence of our troops prevents the enemy’s enormous superiority crushing ns.” , , He concluded: “The French are fighting excellently and unselfishly, the English are badly led, and the Americans don’t know what they are fighting for.” BRITISH ADVANCE ON ARRASPERONNE FRONT, LONDON, Sept. 5. . Sir. D. Haig reports; The AugloWelsh forced the passage of the T’ortille river and the Canal du Nord on a wide front northward of Moislans. During the early part of the day the enemy held the east banks of the river and the canal, and endeavoured] to arrest our advance at this line with artillery and machine-gun fire. Despite the natural strength of the enemy’s- positions we advanced with, great dash and: courage and carried the villages of Manaucourt and Etricourt (seven miles north of Peromie). Overcoming the obstacles of the ©anal and the river wo substantially progressed eastwards. Further north the English and New Zealanders took Ruyaulcourt, and reached the northern outskirts of Havrincourt Wood, eastward of the canal. Other English divisions gained the west bank o ie canal opposite Demicourt and Bournes, heating off a ooanter-ataek. lb© English entered Moeuvres from the north, and are fighting still among the old Hindenburg line of defences. We captured further prisoners and material, including two or three German tanks which were used in an unsuc-

oessful counter-attack on 31st August. iWo progressed at different points on the Lys front. DOUAI AND CAMBRAI THREATENTD. LONDON, Sept. 4. Wo made further progress,along the . Canal du Nord which we crossed on a three mile front southward olf Inchy. We also reached Neuville-Bourjonval, which is a mile eastward, of the canal. We are now approaching the old Cambrai battlefield. Our troops are fighting their way through Ha.vrincourt Wood, of which we already hold the north-western portion. We captured Moeuvres and. are pressing towards the German positions prepared for the defence of Douai and Cambrai, Large fires well behind) the Vesle indicate further German retreat . before the Franco-Americans. AERIAL CO-OPERATION. 1 LONDON, Sept. 5. i Sir D. Haig’s aviation report states that aeroplanes and balloons co-oper-ated effectively in the advance, on the 3rd. W T e dropped 21 tons of bombs in the daytime, . and 21 tonisi in the nighttime. Wei destroyed 19 hostile machines and; drove down 7 uncontrollable. Ten British machines are missing. PUNISHING THE REARGUARDS. LONDON, Sept. 4. Reuter’s correspondent at British Headquarters, writing on Wednesday morning,* says that the great pursuit of the retiring Germans continues. The German rearguard are quite unable to check our galloping batteries which frequently fired at the masses moving eastward at point blank range. The floods caused by the enemy damming the Sensee-Soarp© canal increased yesterday, but have not seriously retarded our progress. The amount of enemy war material toi be cleared up in the terrintory over which we have swept is, immense. The enemy had no time to destroy all the canal crossings. We rounded up yesterday over 2600 prisoners, and 22 field guns.' The booty at Riohebourg St. Vaast, in addition to that already reported, included two 4.2 howitzers. IMPORTANCE OF BRITISH VICTORY. NEW YORK, Sept. 4. The New York Times, commenting on the British victory, says that the importance of Sir D. Haig’s victory must be estimated by the significance of the breakdown and the shattering of the Drocourt-Queant line defending the railway and strategic centres of Douai and Cambrai. No official sophistry can distort the character of the defeat suffered by the German army. The condition of the German army now verges on demoralisation. At no time during the war has it suffered such heavy losses in men and guns. GENERAL MAURICE’S COMMENT. LONDON, Sept. 5. General Maurice writ®; The shortest line the enemy can bold in Flanders runs from Ypres-Wytchaete-Messiues ridge-Hill ■ 63-Nenve Ohapelle-La Basse©. He is nearly on this line now, and will probably try to hold it, though he may prefer to stand ou Ajubers ridge. This is the shorter front by 13 miles. In the spring of 1917 the enemy had 100 divisions ou , the west front, of which 110 were in .the line and 50 in reseerve. In March, 1918, he had 150 in the line, so it will be possible to make a considerable saving if time, is given him to re-sort his troops. We have not yet turned the main north sectors of the Hindenburg line, which begins east of Moeuvres. To do this we must take Douai. Presumably the enemy’s immedait© plan is to hold the Sense© canal, covering Douai, and go- back to the Hindenburg line in front of Cambrai and St. Quentin to the Ohemiu des Dames. There are still several Allied armies which have not yet had their say, s© Foch has an opportunity for further improving the situation'.