1918-09-26 — Page 5

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THE WAR.

THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25rn, 1918,

USEFUL WORK ON WESTERN FRONT

THE HOLY LAND VICTORY.

THREE - TURKISH ARMIES DEFEATED. `

SERBIAN PROGRESS IN BALKANS.

REVIEW OF MILITARY SITUATION.

Franco-Belgian bront.

LATEST CABLES.

TEBOTO REUTER'S AGENCY.)

BRITISH FRONT.

ENEMY ATTACKS SUCCESSFULLY

REPULSED.

LONDON, September 24th.

1.20 p.m. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Esig, re- parts:-Fighting is taking place to our advantage in the sector east of Vermand, where we are making progress.

I

We successfully repulsed a local attack

·ndth of Little Priel Farm, taking

prisoners.

The enemy attacked our new positions south-east of Gavrelle at night-time, sup- porting the assault with a heavy barrage. This attack was completely repulsed, and our line remained intact.

We slightly improved our positions north of Moeuvres, and a successful A minor operation at night-time regained a portion of the old British frone line south-east of Voortgezeele.

We drove of raiders west of Bell Eglise and east of Neuve Chapelle.

The enemy raided west and south of the Scarpe river.

GENERAL REPORTS.

PARIS, September 23rd.

re-

EARLIER CABLES (THROUGH BEUTER'S AGENCY.]

BALKANS FRONT.

General Allebby's lightning stroke, and brilliantly carried.cut operations- in | The|Balkans, coupled with our troops astounding which British, Indian and Allied Forces mobil entrapped the Turks in

under

your "command, with the support gular net of British Croops.

of the Royal Navy, gained a complete Turkey has suffered a blow from which viatory. I am confident this will rank as it will be difficult to recover; even could she find the men it will be impossible to replace the material losses.

EFFECT OF THE DEFEAT. The defeat many have a far-reaching effect on the general situation in the Turkish Army, and especially on the political situation at Constantinople. where a strong anti-Committee and anti- German propaganda have lately been making important progress.

IE

FINEST CAVALRY FORCES IN

THE WAR,

It was the Cavalry which enabled us to.

great exploit in the history of the British Empire, and will ever stand as a memorable testimony to British leader ship and the fighting qualities of British and Indian troops GEN

ALLENBY'S MAGNIFICENT

ACHIEVEMENT.

LONDON, September 23rd.

10.43 p.m.

THIRTY-FIVE MILES ADVANCE,

PARIS, September 23rd

The

A Havas message says:The French and Sorbian drive on the Vardar has created anxiety in the enemy's camp. threatening to cut the lines of communies. tion to the interior of Bulgaria.

total advance is now 35 miles. » Forres are 25 miles north-east of Prilep, the Reuter's Correspondent at Palestine Bulgarian advance base The Serbians Headquarters, telegraphing yesterday, are energeticnlly pressing on the heels of states: The rapidity and completeness of the routed' Bulgarians. General Allenby's magnificent achieva ment almost gives a misleading impres

A Havas message says it is nanounced that the Germans are removing the in- exploit the infantry success to the utter habitants of Cambrai and Doual to the most. General Allenby commands one of preparing for winter in their lines,

Mons district at the rate of 2,000 a day.

There are persistent rumours of the Germans employing women to fire machine-guna

the finest forces of Cavalry in this war, which includes born horsemen from Australia and New Zealand, and some of the best Indian Horse. Their mobility

son af its magnitude. The Turks were

DOIRAN-VARDAR LINE" EVACUATED.

LONDON, September 23rd.

9.10 p.m.

which were of exceptional strength A British official Salonik report lenst three lines states--As a result of the British and there being

of well-dug trenches, "strongly wired redoubts, and abundant artillery and

Greek attacks and the continual heavy pressure, in conjunction with the French

A. woman aviator is, said to have been has been the undoing, of the enemy, machine-guns, bat the complete sur and Serbian advance further west, the

shot down by an American.

FRENCH FRONT."

FRENCH REACH THE OISE.

PARIS, September 24th.

A communiqué states:-South of St. Quentin we reached the Oise between Vendeuil and Travery."

W&L

ARTILLERY ACTIVITY. -

PARIS, September 24th, A communiqué sintes:-There marked artillery activity at night-time in the region of St. Quentin and between the Ailette and the Aisne.

converting their defeat-into a rout.

prise, coupled with General' Allenby's boldness and mobility, completely de- moralised the Tucks. All the movements

worked like clockwork; not a single hiteḥ occurred anywhere. The newly raised Indian troops behaved splendidly and showed a steadiness combined with the finest dash. The London troops, with

Three groups of Cavalry, besides a smaller, force and some French Horse, participated in the operations. When the Cavalry reached Nazareth they found that Liman von Sanders, the German Commander-in-Chief,, bad desumped the previous, evening with his papers. Tho troops at Nazareth offered some registwhich the Indians were brigaded on the ince, which was quickly overcome, and extreme left, lived up to their splendid 2,000 were taken prisoner, including 200 reputation and wore, the first through the German technical troops.

The tracks. over the mountain into the

Turkish lines.

It was a remarkable fent reaching"

Io Champagne wé carried out two raids Plain of Eadráelon were so bad that the Tulkeram the same afterneen and within i

in the region of Perthes sad near Butte du-Mesnil, and captured 40 prisoners. The Near East.

LATEST CABLES. [THROUGH REUTER's agency.)

This

-0703

Cavalry were compelled to leave the horse-gans behind.

group prised the Sherwood Rangers, Indian and Imperial Service Cavalry.

8

minute of the predicted time. Small parties of the enemy are stili. wandering

amorg Anxious surrender. Sixty Turks

to

the hills, but

enemy evacuated the whole of the line from Dairan to west of the Vardar.

He set fire to Cestovo, and. Hudova

stations, and the Tike and Tartaris dumps.

Our airmen are heavily bombing and machine-gunning his troops and trans port crowding along the road to the north.

We are advancing and have reached the line Kara-Ognlar---Hamali, within one

kilometre south of Bogdance.

West of the Vardar we are advancing en Ormenci, and are in touch with the Grecks at Zurincet.

BULGARIAN REPORT:

LONDON, September 24th.

12.45 p.

A Bulgarian communiqué, dated Sept.

The second group, which was composed entrenched in a village near Nabin end, states: As a result of our front BRITISH CAPTURE MANY DEFEN- THE CAMPAIGN IN PALESTINE of Yeomanry and Indian Lareers, follow surrendered on an intelligence oficer with giving way between the Cerna and ed a more easterly course and penetrated a Sikh batman appearing. The Turks in Vardar, our adjacent units were with the plain through a long narrow pass the Jordan Valley appeared ignorant of drawn to new positions south of Prilep

SIVE POSITIONS,

LONDON, September 24th.

4.16 p.m.

British day,

Reater's Correspondent at Headquarters, telegraphing states:-During the past twenty-four bours much useful work. was done in vital

ground between Gouzeaucourt and Saint Quentin, despite the fact that we were opposed by the crack Alpine Corps and four fresh enemy divisions.

During this fighting over 400 prisoners were taken.

THREE TURKISH ARMIES

DEFEATED..

LONDON, September 24th,

Reuter's Agency learns that General Allenby defeated the three Turkish

1.18 8.7.

Armies commanded by Linian von Sanders, who is from the Dardanelles, comprising aration strength, of 100,000. He bus already practically annihilated two armies.

The Turkish hold on Hedjaz, including

the

garrison closely-beleaguered

at

which should have proved an almost the fate of their Palestine armies until our mounted troops to-day reached The insurmountable obstacle.

enemy opposition, however, was brushed aside the Jisred-Damich crossing and captured

800 prisoners. and 400 prisoners taken...

exposed to rifle and machine-gun fire.

On entering the plain the Cavalry were

A Turkish battalion, which was escap- ing towards Nazareth, was charged "by the Indian Lancers, who killed and wounded a couple of hundred, and took prisoner the remaining 400. This body

Many defensive positions were captur Median, depends upon their ability to reached Afulch early in the morning,

ed and destroyed upon ground.to which the enemy attached the utmost value. The prisoners state they were ordered to hold on at all costs.

EARLIER CABLES.

HOSTILE COUNTER-ATTACK"

REPULSED,

maintain the present position," while the capturing immense booty and another Turkish garrison in Asir and Yemen 1,500 prisoners. will be irrevocably cut off from Europe by its failure.

It is bere that the help of Great Bri- tain's Arab Allies will be felt.

41

THE

advarice,

The booty included two made-up trains, six locomotives and 40-coaches. Detachments continued to They occupying Bessan the same evening and have already cut the Turkish communica-bagging" another 1,000 prisoners. They tions with the north both above and also occupied the important bridge over below Deraa.

the Jordan, south of Lake Tiberias.

and north of Doiras.

BULGARIANS RETREAT

PRECIPITATELY.

LONDON, September 24th.

1.15 am:

"

The stream of fugitives along the. Jisred-Danieh road to the river Jordan

A French Eastern, communiqué states: was very heavily bombed by our airmen. The Allied successes in Macedonia are Numbers of then turned back, preferring attaining the character of a great vie- to surrender than face the terrible ordeal. tory. The French and Serbians' rapid Our advanced guards occupied Sef-advance towards the middle of the Vardar furich and Kefrkinna, north of Nazareth, compelled the enemy along the whole TURES WITHDRAWING TOWARDS

AMMAN.

LONDON, September 24th.

*2.40 p.m.

p

Italian Front.

EARLIER CABLES, [THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.} ITALIAN FRONT BRILLIANT FRENCH

COUP-DE-MAIN.

LONDON, September 23rd. An Italian official message states :—On the Asingo Plateau, the French, by a penetrated deeply the enery' lines and brilliant coup-de-moiu eest of Sisemol. cxptured 100 prisoners.

The British raided lines north of Asingo and brought back prisoners

SIXTEEN VILLAGES CAPTURED,

An Italian official message says:- On the night of September 21st we cons tinued to pursie the enemy,

After an advance of 12 kilometres and the capture of 16 villages, our left wing and entre reached, by dawn, the line of Cairlić Dobrusnto, Muga and Oba,

Our right carried a strong position at Mont Bohiste.

Yumerous prisoners were "captured. General..

LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH TER'S AGENCT.} ECONOMIC WAR AFTER THE WAR.

AMSTERDAM, September 24th. Von Stein, State Secretary of the In- perial Economic Department. addressing the Bremen Chamber of Commerce, at- tributed the present distress and danger of future distress to Great Britain, who

had stirred up an economic war. "If an S ceunomic war is forced upon Germany after the war the people must unfold all their powers to enunteract it.

EARLIER CABLES.

ALLIED MILITARY SITUATION WESTERN FRONT.

PARIS, September 24th. A semi-official report emphasises that the local actions" to which fighting on the Western Front was limited yesterday are merely an interlude prior to the imminent resumption of more important Inest' operations. The actions were successful, the British making progress west of Catelet while the French, south of St. Quentin, by the capture of Tendhenil, made progress on the Dise and threaten a Fere with envelopment from the north. These successes are useful as bases for subacqpent operationa

BALKANS FRONT,

As regards Macedonia, the swift ad- vance of the Allies threatens Prilep, also

the famous Babuna Pans.

As an instance of the disorderly retreat of the Bulgarians, two battalions of the latter threw down their arm and were machine-gunned by German troops.

Owing to the custing of communications the Bulgarians are famishing and are fleeing to the interior...

On the other hand, the Allies, electrified by their success, are advancing with extraordinary dash.

NEAR EAST.

LONDON, September 23rd.

9.15 p.m. Reuter's Agency learns that in Palestine the Turkish roadways of escape towards the Jordan are blocked at Nazareth road is cut at El Damic. Thus the rem Besan and Megamic, while the Nablux

boxed up. Moreover, all their, transport. guns rolling-stock and stores are cap- tured. As a fighting force they do not exist.

The estimate of 18,000 Turks west "- of the Jordan cabled on September 20th was the bayonet strength, and included artillery, machine-gun and other units. 25.000 were combatants, The ration strength was 60,000, of whom Up to date we have captured 25,000 combatants

front of 150 kilometres between Mcnastir and Doiran to retreat precipitately, themaining Turks west of the Jordan aro Allied forces closely pursuing them.

North-east of Monastir we reached the A Palestine official report states:-East of the Tordan the enemy is withdrawing line Mogile-Kanatlarts-Kalyani, while towards tamman, on the Hedjaz Railway. the Serbians, marching on Prilep and Some The Australian, New Zealand, West the Babuna "Pass, reached the Vardar Indian and Jewish troops, pursuing, from Demirkapu to Gradsko. have reached Essait, capturing guns and detachments have already crossed the prisoners.

river.

On the right bank in the Vardar Valley the Allied forces are beyond the line Koynske-Zurincet.

LONDON, September 23rd.

Our cavalry in the north occupied 11.30 p.m.

Liman von Sanders escaped the net by

The third group, consisting chiefly of Haifa and Acre, alter a slight opposi- Field-Marshal Bir Douglas Hai

a barrow

margin of six hours

Australian Light Horse, started further tion. states:-By a successful operation this

The number of Turks captured during

Our prisoners are increasing and the morning north-east of Epehy we captured the last twelve months is over 50,000.

in the rear, and after reaching the plain total largely exceeds 25,000.

King Hussein's Arabs have occupied a strong point which the enemy had

One of the most remarkable facts ro- they descended upon the Jenin rond. Maan, and are harassing bodies of the garding General Allenby's achievement The Australians, who were newly-armed enemy retreating along the railway is the reorganisation be effected since the with swords, instead of rifles and towards Amman. North of this locality a hostile counter German Western offensive on March 21st, bayonets, here had an opportunity of attack entered our positions at one point, which necessitated the withdrawals to using the new weapons greatly to thetr where a party of the eneity is still France of part of his force.

satisfaction. They charged and sabred a holding act Elsewhere the attack was.It is a source of very great satisfac-Turkish battalion in the trenches," where the acomplishment of our plans on both disorder under, incessant air-craft bomb-.)

stubbornly defended during the past three

dars.

repulsed.

AERIAL OPERATIONS.

tion to the Empire that the Indians had they captured 1,000 prisoners. such a large share in this far-reaching

OCCUPATION OF NABLUS.

On September 22nd the weather was victory,» Their striking power and To a smaller group, chiefly Australians, overcast and showery, We dropped 11 manoeuvring capacity, which had been tons of bombs and destroyed eight hostile developed under able leadership, was most machines. Four of ours are missing. ' noteworthy.

Our night-fliers dropped four tone of bombs on an enemy aerodrome near Valenciennes. All our machines re- türned.

"

PABLIER CABLES

fell the honour of occupying Nablus amidst remarkable cheers from the Tur- kish wounded and to the professed satis- factions of the civilian population. One 8ood feature of the liberated region in that there is little distress, the peoplo burrying back to their homes, which

ich are mostly undamaged. The roads near, A Hayes message says:The British Palestine Army, telegraphing on Satur-Nablus bear terrible evidence of the and around the efficacy of bombing by our aviators The have pushed forward to redoubts which day, stated:-In

SIEGFRIED LINE ATTACKED.

«PARIS, September 23rd.

TURKISH ARMY ACCOUNTED FOR.

LONDON, September 23rd.

7.45 p.12 Reuter's Correspondent

with the

TURKISH REPORT."

LONDON, September 24th.

5,95.p.m. A Turkish communique states:-Very skilful rearguard fights are facilitating sides of the Jordan... Aerial Activitea.

EARLIER CABLES. (THROUGH RECTER'S AGENCY.] RAIDS ON BRUGES DOCKS

The Turks east of the Jordan who remain to be dealt, with are on the line of the Hedjaz, Railway, and comprise between 8,000 and 8,000 bayonets and ration strength of 30,000.

IN THE BALKANS, On the left bank we carried Ghergheli,

Military circles are astonished at the are fighting so splendidly that it is also the whole of the first enemy line as rapidity of the Serbian advance. They interesting to, recall the Kaiser's state far as Like Doiran.

Rearguards are endeavouring to stemment that Serbia was out of the war. the pursuit of the enemy. Columns on the roads in the region of Monastir, Krusero, and Prilep are fleeing in indescribable

ing and machine-gunning.

Numerous villages and dumps are burn-

and ing. Some prisoners, guns enormous booty have been captured, including two long-range gun.

The enemy is falling back on the British front at Lake Doiran, and their only roadway for retreat is the Kostarino Strumitza road, which is being heavily shelled and bombed.

The enemy is without a lateral line for a long way towards the rear, and import ant developments are anticipated. A FRENCH COMMENT.

PARIS, September 23rd. If A Havas message states:-The Turkis forces are not merely defeated but ann hilated; 25,000 prisoners and 120 guns have been taken. Cavalry has occupied The avenue of escape is Some demoralised Bulgarian clements Nazareth.

blocked by the decisive victory. The Bri tish casualties are incredibly small. flung down their arm, and fed.

The King of Hedjaz brilliantly n "The advance continues on the whole operated by seizing the railway junction front of the attack.

LONDON, September 23rd. The Admiralty announces :--Between September 17th and 21st, the Air Force contingents attached to the Navy made four raids cp Bruges docks, "dropping eight tons of bombs; they also successfully SERBIAN ADVANCE PROGRESSES. bombed five aerodromesa

LONDON, September 24th. In air fighting they destroyed six enemy.

A Berbian communiqué issued last even- lable Three of our machines are missing. machines and drove down five uncontrol-

Ahostile balloon was shot down and ing states:-Our troops yesterday?.con.

1.20 p.m.

east of the Jordan.

German prestige in the Near East has rule in Palestine in eaded forever... sustained a tremendous blow and Turkish GERMAN HIGH COMMAND. BEATEN.

2.30 p.m.

are the backbone of the Hindenburg Line Plain of Eadraglon the Turks, have inhabitants state that the Turks, feared tell in flames on a balloon camp, setting tinued to cross the Yardar, where we the German High Command which has

system, and maintained their net gains Progresa has been made north of the Scarpe and the Siegfried Line has been attacked.

ENEMY VANDALISM:

PARIS, September 23rd. A Havas message says:--M. Clemenceau

A large

our aeroplanes more than the Devil, HIS MAJESTY'S CONGRATULATIONS.

Were

1

on fire three hangars, which

contacted with the enemy. eventually burned out

CONSTANTINOPLE BOMBED Towards Prilep the Serbians" reached Co-operating with the Greek Naval air the very steep massif at Vrenska Planina eraft we bombed Constantinople on the and at several points are on the Gradsko nights of September 20th and 21st. The -Prilep road. also on buildings north of the, Admiralty, bombs burst on Haidar Pasha station,

found their Armageddon proportion of the Turkish Army in Palestine has been secounted for, and the remainder on the other side of the The Press Burcau announces:His Jordan has little prospect of escape.

The Turks on this side of the Jordan Majesty the King has telegraphed the

Own stores. Nevertheless, a commanded, respectively, by Mustafa

pride and admiration that we of propaganda leaflets were dropped.

One Greek and one British machine have great quantity of war material has been Kemal Pasha and Dieved Pasha. These It is with

received the news of the ably-conceived not returned,

captured, including railway trains. two armies suffered a heavy defeat

The

LONDON, September 24th French newspapers emphasize that it i been beaten in Palestine and Macedonia, since General Liman von Sanders "com manded the Turks in Palestine, while the Balkans front was under the direction of General Scholtz, and one of the defeated gul Bulgarian armies was commanded by General You Steinben. "Apparently Bcboltz ordered the Bulgarian retreat too calculated to markedly embitter, the Germano-Bulgar relations.

(Continued on Page 0.)

has paid a visit to a British General consisted of the 7th and 8th Armies, following message to General Allenby Land in Stamboul; where many thousands and hi continues to bura villages inte, and his failure is

and seen for himself the acts of vandalismi committed by the enemy in the neighbour hood of Bapaume and Perente.