ADVANCE ON PERONNE

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13852, 2 September 1918, Page 5

ADVANCE ON PERONNE

RAPID MARCH OF THE VICTORS. THE WARY AUSTRALIANS. STEER CLEAR OF BOOBY TRAPS. THE ENEMY'S DEMORALISATION. ADMITTED BY OFFICERS. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Assn.) j Received Sept. 2. 1.25 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 1. Mr Gilmour, writing on Saturday, says:—Peronne was merely a broken ruin after its demolition by the Germans last year, and hardly a habitable house remains. Referring to the mines and booby traps left by the Germans in abandoned places. Mr Gilmour says these ruses are now unfruitful, because the Australians, however casual about other matters, evacuated towns and as they would the plague, knowing that traps are set.which might prove their graves. He gives instances of the discovery of several such traps. The enemy blew up the bridges in the Peronne sector, but failed to prevent the Anglo-Australians advancing and outflanking the town, which at the time of writing had not been captured, but its fall was then considered a matter of hours. Mr Gilmour pays a tribute to the rapidity with which the field-guns and heavy batteries are moved, keeping up with the infantry in their big strides forward, while our patrols are so close to the heels of the enemy that they caught up his machine-gunners and crossed some of the bridges before the Germans had time to blow the/ up with mines, pushing forward in the face of severe close-rance trunfire and machine-gunning, tin. long advance has been unbelievably fatiguing, as the men have had few opportunities for resting, but they find satisfaction in the knowledge that these are unquestionably victorious operations.,. Heartened by the fact that the enemy's retreat was necessitated liy the great thrust begun on August Bth, he has not been given a moment's respite since. The German prisoners in various regions give dismal accounts of the slate of affairs on their side of the line. They admit that the retirement is disorderly in many places, and the officers have apparently lost control,. Some say that the Germans ultimately will stand at the old Cambrai-St. 'Juentin l'ne.