THE GREAT NORTHERN DRIVE

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13894, 21 October 1918, Page 5

THE GREAT NORTHERN DRIVE

THE WHOLE OF THE FLEMISH COAST RECAPTURED. STIRRING RECEPTION TO THE LIBERATOR OF OSTEND. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.) Received October 19, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, October 18. The great sweeping movement now progressing in Belgium is crowded with dramatic events, particularly the re-entry into ostend on the anniversary of its surrender, four years ago. Admiral Sir Roger Keyes was the first man ashore The people were wild with delight, and carried shoulder-high the French airmen who landed as the German rearguards hastened from the town. The British marines met a stirring reception. They witnessed extraordinary pathetic scenes when the inhabitants later welcomed the Belgian infantry, who were Hushed with pride in their mission of liberation. Meanwhile the Belgian cavalry pressing on Bruges, saw the Germans hurrying towards Eecloo, a railway junction IT> miles east of Bruges. Ihe Allies have captured Zecbrugge, the hornets' nest of the Belgian coast, and Turcoing, 5A miles northeast of Lille. The whole Flemish coast may be regarded as in the Allies' hands. DRAMATIC SCENES AT THE LIBERATION OF LILLE. INCREASING SIGNS OF THE ENEMY'S DEMORALISATION. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.) at, a ' Received October 19, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, October 18. Mr Percival Phillips writes that the German Commandant at Lille, at four on Thursday morning, called the women, children and old men from their beds and assembled them in the principal squares. German officers said: "Go, you may leave in the direction of your friends, our enemy." Thereupon little processions moved westward in the darkness. Simultaneously the German garrrson apparently prepared to march the opposite way. Shortly after daybreak, in consequence of the; inhabitants' signals to the airmen, our patrols rapidly pushed through Haubourdin into the city. It is impossible to give an adequate nummary of to-day's stirring events. The Hun is cracking up; his retreating armies from the Channel to Valenciennes show greater signs of demoralisation, and only the machine-gunners are holding out. Courtrai town was not bombarded. The enemy's high explosives search the roads in the British-held quarter, but display almost ostentatious care to avoid the destruction of buildings in the town. The women and children, so far, are safe. Those within the British lines have been evacuated, but others are caught in the screen of the German rearguard covering the retreat from Lille, a novel position, almost unparalleled in war. They remain in cellars, and move behind shattered windows, listening with feverish impatience for the sound of British voices. ALLIED ATTEMPT TO GUT THE MAIN LINE OF RETREAT (Australian and New Zealand and Reuler.) Received October 19, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, October 18. Reuter's correspondent at British headquarters, writing on Thursday evening, says:—This has been a black day for German arms. Whilst between Lille and the sea a wonderful crop of most brilliant success was being garnered by the Allies, the 4th British Army struck hard between Le Cateau and Bohain, aiming in the direction across which the enemy is trying to effect his main retreat. Fighting has been heavy, but progress has been satisfactory. The principal tactical objectives were reached at an early hour. The heaviest resistance was encountered around Le Cateau. The prisoners at mid-day mustered 1800, from six different divisions. The British landing party under Admiral Keyes, which occupied Oslend, met an enthusiastic reception. The situation at Courtrai is interesting. We hold one-third of the town, in which portion 5000 inhabitants have been liberated, the Germans retaining the remainder of th 6 town, containing .'{o,ooo civilians. We are virtually all round the place, and the enemy's tenure is decidedly precarious, lie attempted on Monday night to evacuate all civilian males from the ages of 17 to 55. The Allies have taken prisoner over 13,000 in Flanders up to last night. Sir Douglas Haig reports Prisoners in the operations on the BohainLe Cateau front exceed four thousand. We also took a number of guns. We continue to advance on the whole front between the Sensee Canal and the Lys. We crossed the canal on the front northward of Cambrai, and are now atride the Douai-Denain road, four miles south-eastward of Douai, and have captured a number of villages. THE CULMINATION OF MARSHAL FOCH'S COLOSSAL BATTLE. ALLIED DRIVE TOWARDS HIRSON RAILWAYS STRENUOUSLY RESISTED. (Reuter's Telecrams.) Received October 19, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, October 18. Reuter's correspondent at French headquarters on Thursday evening wrote:—The British and French attaens which began this morning between Le Cateau and the Oise are the culmination of the colossal battle begun on August Bth. Generals Rawlinson and Debeney advanced along the railway connecting the enemy front between Bois Rethel with the great junction of Hirson, and thereby with Germany. General Debeney's First Army attacned on a front of 12 miles between the Forest of Aneiesy, crowning the OiseSambre watershed and the Oise in the region of .Ribemont, eight miles southeast of St. Quentin. General Debeney's left by this.'afternoon was within two miles of Yadencourtr' station on the Laon-Lassigny-Hirson railway, 13 miles north-east of St. yuentin. The Germans were in strong force on the whole front, resisting tenaciously. Reuter's American headquarters correspondent, writing on Thursday, says—The capture of Grand Pre yesterday was accomplished without artillery preparation. The Germans, with a view to rendering the pursuit more difficult, destroyed the bridges over the Aire, and instead of bridging the river the Americans forded the shallow stream at four points under murderous lire, and after bitter hand-to-hand fighting drove the Germans out of Grand Pre and took possession of this important railhead. BRITISH WARSHIPS SHELLING THE RETREATING GERMANB. 0000 GERMANS SURROUNDED AGAINST THE DUTCH FRONTIER. T" T ENEMY REPORTED TO BE EVACUATING BRUSSELS. (Australian and New Zealand Cable Association.) "W Received October 11), 5.5 p.m. " ' . NEW YORK, August 19. The British are six miles east of Douai, and Mazinghien, south-east of Le Cateau, has been captured. It is reported that the French cavalry has reached the outskirts of Ghent and the British have captured Massigny. British warships off the Belgian coast are shelling the retreating German's! General P. G. Marsh, Chief of Staff, states that the British are approaching Gluis, in Holland. The British have entered Eecloo, surrounding ('.OOO Germans against the Dutch trontier. It is reported that the Germans are evacuating Brussels. A GERMANS EVACUATING THE WHOLE BELGIAN COAST. DESTRUCTION OF BIG BATTERIES BELIEVED TO BE IN PROGRESS. (Australian and New Zealand Gable Association.) Received October 20. 5.5 p.m. ~ LONDON, October 19. The Germans have evacuated the entire Belgian coast. The United Press correspondent states that instead of entering Lille on Thursday, the British passed beyond on both sides, as part of an apparently unwritten agreement that Lille was not to be used for military purposes, thereby remaining immune from German shelling iH the future as fro>~, British shelling in the past four years. The only soldier seen there after the Germans withdrew was Captain Charles de Solle, an aviator, who flew from Dunkirk in Hie afternoon to visit his father, the Mayor of Lille. Father and son had not seen each other since the outbreak of Lne war. ' PARIS, October 18. One hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants remained in Lille; hut the Germans had deputed all the hoys over 15 years of age to an unknown destination. The captures at Ostend included the Tirpitz battery, with 'in enormous quantity of material, which the Germans could nut withdraw. Tremendous explosions were heard, and it is believed that the Germans are destroying their big batteries. (Admiralty per Wireless Press.) ' J ~ l-■ Re'•> i\ed October 20, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, October 19. German official: We evacuated ostend, Tourcoing, Foubuix, Lille, and » Douai. ENEMY UNABLE TO REPLACE THE LAST THREE MONTHS LOSSES. (Australian and New Zealand and ReUter.) Received October 20, 5.5 p.m. The King and yueen of the Belgians have entered Bruges. It is reported that comparatively littl<■ damage was done to Ostend. King Albert flew over the town before its evacuation. A striking feature of the situation is the enemy's inability to replace the last three months' losses. The Germans do not attempt to dispute the British general superiority, Imt are content to concentrate their strength in pellicular sectors. General von Below, in a recent army order, said that the numbers of German air scouts could never equal the enemy's strength in fighting machines 1 ; and the troupb in the quiet must rely on ground defefii^s-.