1918-10-01 — Page 5

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THE WAR.

FIGHTING FROM

ST. QUENTIN TO RHEIMS.

FATE OF CAMBRAI SEALED.

DESPERATE RESISTANCE OF THE ENEMY...

GERMANS RETREATING FROM ROUMANIA.

BULGARIAN PEACE PROPOSAL. GREAT BRITAIN'S REPLY.

BRITISH AND ENEMY PRESS COMMENT

Franco-Belgian Front

LATEST CABLES. {THROUGH BETTER'S AGENCE.]

BRITISH FRONT. DOUGHBOYS" SURPRISE THE

GERMANS.

Lospos, September The Canadians, after crossing the Nord Canal, aspected heavy fighting, but were genuinely disgusted to find that the-Ger- mans had bolted beyond effective rille

range.

Later, our success was extended south- wards, capturing Gouzeaucourt.

The Sixty-Second Yorkshire Division captured Marcoing, progressed

and

south-eastward of that town.

The Fifth Battalion of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment forced the cross- ings of the Cansi-de-Lescant at Marcoing and established itself in the German defences on the east bank. "

2

HONGKONG DAILY PRESS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1st, 1918.

We again attacked this morning, made progress and took prisoners.

At Margoing we enlarged our bridge- head position eastward of Canal-de- l'Escaut and drove off a hostile counter attack, taking prisoners.

BATTLE FRUITFUL OF SURPRISES.

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British

LONDON. September 28th. 1.16.-8. Reuter's Correspondent Headquarters, telegraphing last evening staten-To-day we got our teesh into themselves eastward of the Hindenburg Line in a l'Escaut river, opposite Cantaing. mind manner than heretofore and broke Northward of the Bapaume Cambrai | down 'a long chain of formidable resist- road the Canadians took possession of ace.

Further north English naval units established

the defence systein known as the Mar coing-Masnieres line as far north as Sailly...

Y

The English troops completed the capture of Aubencheul, Aubign and Palleul, and are fighting in Arieux.

We crossed the Trinquis river in the neighbourhood of Sailly-en-Ostrevent.

The British bay captured over 16,000 prisoners since the morning of September 27th." BRITISH, AND BELGIANS ÄTTÄCK IN FLANDERS.

LONDON, September 29th.

A Belgian communiqué states:-At dawn yesterday the Belgian wing attack eil the German positions between Dix

made and north of Ypres.

Northwards, the Second and Fifty- The attack began with a violent artil Seventh Lancashire Divisions cleared they preparation lasting some hours, în which there participated, in co-operation west bank of the Canal as far north as

Cambrai now lies at our feet and is La Folie Joote. and captured Noyelles with Belgian batteries, numerous French

dominated by our field-guns.

The appearance of American infantry at the other end of the battlefield must

have been a nasty surprise, as the enemy would scarcely expect the Doughboys" so far from the Woevre

Prisopers

report that there is very great

sur-l'Escaut, Cantding, and Fontaine

Notre-Dame.

The Lancashires are progressing east.

ward of Fontaine Notre-Dame and are cooperating with the "Canadians north- ward of the Bapaume-Cambrai road.

and British batteries, as well as British warships, which bombarded the const defences of the enemy and vulnerable points of his communications.

After the preparation, our infantry moved forward and attacked strongly the

LATEST CABLES.

FRENCH FRONT. VIOLENT ENEMY ATTACKS."

BROKEN

PANIA, September 20th. A communique states-North of the more deter-Aisne the pursuit was continued at

night-time. .

We occupied the "forest of Piñon, and rouched the Ailette in those regions, also east of Chavingon,

";

The battle has been more fruitful in surprises than any of its predecessors.

On the Ostel-Chivons front the enemy

Thus, we expected a formidable resist-

is more lively in resisting our advance, ance erossing the canal; instgail, we

In ChangTIE the violent attacks crossed it very easily, subsequently inter. launched by the enemy gesterday, were cepting enemy bombing parties hurrying

to contest the crossing. Moreover, the German artillery aring, with a few local exceptions, was inconsiderable.. On the other hand, prisoners say barrage was not war, but murder, our smoke barrages covering the infantry very effectively.

broken.

We resunied progress, particularly north of Gratreuil, where we took, pos- session of the Bellevue Heights: ENEMY FIGHTING WITH ENERGY

OF DESPAIR.

LONDON. September 29th. 7

8.50 a.m.

Reuter's Correspondent Reentrant, between Havrincourt Wood

t French and Hermes, proved a trap to the

Headquarters, telegraphing at D'o'clock last evening stated: The whole enemy enemy, who considered it impregnable. Consequently, it was held in considerable front from St. Quentin to Rheims has strength. On either side the British become a salient, the bases of which are advanced until the Germans. becoming being vigorously attacked on both sides suspicious owing to no attacks upon this and on both wings. He is fighting with

-bot

that

fact. that they

the

1

lair, awoke to

energy of despair. " were almost cut off. Thence followed a The enemy began to retreat on the regular scramble. The Germans in head-front Laffaux-Maimaison, the plateau long manser deserted large numbers of from which Chemin-des-Dames runs east- mounted machine-guns, but A goodly proportion of this enemy force was casualtied or captured by our troops who advance yesterday the whole of the Mal maison plateau and the western end of were awaiting them..

Chemin-des-Dames for about 1.500 yards

The wide valley skirted by the

ગ

ward to Craonne and touches the Ailette,

Ax result of General Hangin's

The Germans in Champagne furiously counter-attacked en our right

And

desperate 6ghting is proveding in the Bonconville Pegion on the heights south of Gratreuil.

Our troops in the centre and left hare

continued to progress, particularly north of the Challeranges Railway, and they captured Maures and reached the castern outskirts of Ste Marien-Py."

Our losses were slight..

Nid Gernina aeroplanes were felled in air fighting.

Leut Fonek felled six aeroplanes on Thursday.

AMERICANS CAPTURE OVER

TWENTY TOWNS.

LONDON. September 19th.

9.45 am.

An American communique states:-

Our attack was continued succesfully. To-dagi We advanced, despite heavy infantry, artillery and machine-gun fire, and reached the outskirts of Brieulles and. Exermont,

We captured over 20 towns and enue- mous quantities of material.

The number of prisoners increases- American aviators eummand the ait.

They brought down is balloons and more than 60. planes. The American planes missing number under 20.

Despite the unfavourable weather, our aviators successfully executed their mis-

sions.

ENEMY DEFENDING. ON VAST SCALE.

Lexnos, September 29th.

11.15 p.

Reuter's Correspondent Headquarters, telegraphing

French

to - day,

states:-The trans are evacuating

the ravine between Sailly and Chemin des-Dames

The French have occupied Jany and

confusion among the enemy reserves, who Here the enemy resisted strongly and organised German positions, vying with Elesqueires ridge was crossed without are in our possession. The enemy is bere, Aize, and are, advancing.

are hopelessly scattered and mixed with lost heavily in killed and prisoners.

other units.

There is a continuous stregin of enemy transport eastward, also fires behind the German lines. It is impossible yet to tell how far the latter have been caused by our artillery!

Great masses of our troops rested at

GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, September th..

.7.15 p.m. wireless German official report utates:-British and Belgians attacked from southward of Dixmude na far as Walverghem, and captured our crater positions, and in places advanced into our artillery lines.

Northward of the Arras-Cambrai road the Canadian and English troops steadily advanced on the west and north.

Strong bostile counter-attacks Rail'encourt last evening were beaten

back with loss.

at

To-day the Canadians took posession

||

each other in courage.

་

minch opposition, and both ridge and after fighting desperately for weeks to Superous fires have been observed village were carried early in the morn-keep them, abandoning the approaches to behind the German lines in that region ing; indeed, quite a number of enemy the massif of St. Cobain on the Enon and further south along the north bank

Qur troops carried all the organisations of the defensive lines on the enemy's stop to attack the second strong front position and passed on without positions appear to have been evacuated plateau. That is, on the group of heights of the Aisne.

organised position of the enemy.

In spite of the enemy's resistance and

vain counter-attacks, which were launch night-time in the capacious shelters of the of Raillercourt and Sally, also theed particularly astride the railway at Hindenburg system.

our infantry. "captured" prae- trench system running through these Staden,

tically the whole of the Houthulst Forcat villages.

Further north the Fifty-Sixth London zone, which the Germans had strongly Division entered Palluel.

fortified during the last four years, and The total of prisoners and guns cap-all the ground extending to a line mark- tured continue to increase...

ed by the localities Woumen, Pierken shock, Shaepbelic, and Brodsende.

An advance was made of about six kilometres, Numerous prisoners have for the been brought in, the total Belgians being" 4.000.

The guns have so far not been counted, but they include a complete battery and crew, as well as some guns of very large calibre.

AERIAL OPERATIONS. Our aeroplanes. yesterday, heavily machine-gunced enemy troops and trans-

We held the Wytschnete heights against port at the canal.crossing and on the repeated attacks.

rouds.

We withdrew westward of Cambrai, "owing to the loss of the Canal position

astride Marquion."

were

Many explosions and fires observed on hostile battery positions as a result of our artillery fre.

One thousand photographs were taken.

We withdrew behind the Oise Afane) Canal between Anity-le-Chateau and and we effectively bombed several aero- Bourg.

dromgy and railway junctions, in addi- tion to extensive bombing" just behind

Lovboy, September 30th. 10.50 p.m.

the lines.

A wireless German official evening re port states:-There were fresh engage-

Thirty tons, of bombs were dropped ments eastward of Ypres and tremendous during the day-time and 18 toms of fighting between Cambrai and St. Quen-bombs at night-time.

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•

Considerable material was captured. The number of German dead lying on the field of battle is evidence of the

enemy's losses.

SCALING THE CANAL DU NORD.

LONDON, September 28th.

6.50 B

Mr. Percival Phillips, at British Head- tin, the English assault failing on the We destroyed eight balloons and shot

quarters, telegrapha :-The attack which whole.

down 20 enemy aeroplanes and drove rolled up the German defences west down 20 uncontrollable. Nineteen of our and south-west of Cambrai was more machines are missing.

difficult and more dangerous than the

KING ALBERT IN COMMAND.. PARIS, Septeniber 29th. A despatch from the Belgian front states that King Albert commanded the Belgian and Second British Armies which attacked on a "front of 13 miles between

south of Ypres and Lake Biankaert.

After carrying the first German posi

BRITISH AND AMERICANS

ATTACK,

LONDON. September 29th.

1.20 p.m. Field-Marshal' Bir "Douglah Haig `re- porta:-The British and Americans

fret rupture of the Hindenburg Line in the same, area ten months ago. It was necessary" to throw troops across ibe dry ravine called the Nord Canal, 80 feet deep and 70 feet wide at the top,

WO

without the measure of resistance expected. Hence, the number of prison- ers is not likely to reach a total commen surate with the extent of the operations

་

The British and Belgian attack in the which for four years formed the central

north, coupled with the French' and pillar of his lipe in

France. The

American attack in Champagne, Argonno strategy of Marshal Foch compels him, and on the Meuse, has compelled the as it did on the Marne, to withdraw his enemy to defend on a much vater scale and gains.

centre before the Allies' attack north and in pocket such as those which brought Our airmen, again in good visibility, ense has forced him to withdraw his him to disaster on the Marne and the have done wonderful work.

wings. This retreat is the first fruit of Avre Our casualties are believed to be very the French, British and American üffen-

light.

REMARKABLE BRITISH

report

Sive during the last three days.

GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, September 29th. 1.13 p.m.

official A German wireless states:-The French captured Sommepy. We withdrew in Argonne as far Recon, south-eastward of Binarville and south-westward of Apremont.

BS

เล

ENEMY'S MAIN LINE OF RESISTANCE,

12.50 a.m.

LONDON, September "th

Reuter's Correspondent

French Headquarters yesterday,

states:-Tin Champagne battle WDER resumed morning.

this

We have now arrived at the enemy's. main line of resistance, which is very hard around Sommepy, on the river Py,

PROGRESS.

LONDON, September th. 7.06 p. Reuter's Correspondent at British Headquarters, telegraphing this morn." ing, states:-Yesterday's battle on the Cambrai front gained in magnitude, and the whole of our day's objectives was attained to an extreme depth of miles trough the most formidable and as Cunel Wood and Cays. most jafficate network of enemy defences the war has yet produced. So remark- able was cur progress that we brought up not only field batteries but heavy sixty pounders to the western fringe of Bourlon Wood, and we were taking the port states:--Violent French and Ameri-attack, which is being pressed with on- wood before the Germans had completed can attacks in Champagne and between remitting vigour." their rearguard withdrawal from the Argonne and the Meuse were repulsed, eastern edge.

e

The Americans pressed us back as far which runs two miles north of the line at Buttes, which we captured yesterday. The arrival of French infantry on the banks of the river marks they successful

LONDON, September 30th! 12.50 p.m.

A wireless German official evening re termination of the first phase of the

Ardouil.

EARLIER CABLES.

Car converging tactics worked so except for local breaches on both sides of admirably that large bodies of Germans were taken in the rear. The Tanks were very useful in clearing the machine-gua thickets of Quarry Wood and quelling attempted street fighting in Bourlon village.

GERMAN REPORT.

and

report

Peronne...

·FRENCH CAPTURE SOMMEPY.

PARIS, September 29th. “A communiqué states:-This morning. the attack was resumed at 3.30. ·

Our troops captured St. Illages and

This morning the line ran west and east from a point south of Sommey to Gratreuil, thence aouth of the Cernay Woode. It marks an advance of five or six miles over extraordinarily difficult. ground.

GERMAN REPORT.

LONDON, September 29th.

7:05 p..

A wireless German official report

American attacks between Epehy and Bellicourt, driving back the enemy be yond his starting-point at L'Empire

LONDON, September 28th.

1.05 p.m. wireless German official stateSixteen English and Canadian Sommery and carried the heights north-states-We repulsed strong British and divisions attacked "astride and between ward of Fontaine-en-Dormois. the Arras-Cambrai Cambrat roads.

We have taken more prisoners and The enemy advanced towards Bourlon and Ficaquieres. He extended these guns. The battle continues. breaches and pressed us back northward Between the Ailette and the Aisne the

the Oiny-le-Verger-Haynecourt line.

THE PASSAGE OF THE CANAL PARIS, September 28th.

tions and Houthulst Forest they assaulted attacked north-westward of St. Quentin with sloping sides of brick, under fire of the Arras-Cambrai road as far a pressure of our troops was continued at

the Flanders hills forming the second this morning. German position.

EARLIER CABLES.

CAPTURE OF GOUZEAUCOURT

AND MARCOING.

LONDON, September 29th.

1.00 0.2.

Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Hoig re ports: The operations on the Cambrai battle front progressed favourably.

The British have captured 16,000 pris- onere since the morning of September

27th.

BRITISH AND AMERICANS IN

HEAVY FIGETING.

LONDON, September 29th.

2.10 p.m. Field-Marshal Bir Douglas Haig re- ports: The British and Americans attacked at 5.50 this morning north-west ward of St. Quentin,

from machine-guns and artillery, which could be crossed only at certain places. The accomplishment of this feat was most remarkable, as a deep bed of mud prevented-its

"BOTE": "Tassige at

night-time and this morning.

North-eastwards of Bancy vigorous local operations gave us ground and 250 prisoners, including 10 officers,

"A bortile counter-attack north", of Allemant completely failed:

A Havas Correspondent at the British front, describing the passage of the dry | Nord Canal, says it was a most formid- able obstacle, being 120 feet wide and 45 feet deep and could only be crossed at three points. The Canadians sinos Bep- Farther southwards we penetrated the tember had held the bridgehead at Mar- quion and the British acquired a second ravine from Jouy to Airy, and we bridgehead at Harrincourt. It remained occupied these two villages. to find a method of crossing the canal in

parta. Surface bridges were impos- zible, because every yard of the Canal was ranged; therefore, certain narrow

were arranged.

The men the

routes

assembled in the darkness with scaling and to attack in the direction ENEMY RETIRES TOWARDS THE

AILETTEN

FARIS, September 29th, A communiqué states:-Qur repeated

The French gained a little ground be tween the Suippes river and the Aisne

Bast of Argonne the American attacks. were brought to a standstill south of the Apremont-Mont Cierges, line.

We evacuated Mont Faucon, in view of its being threatened with excirclement.. Italian Front-

LATEST CABLES. (THROUGH BRUTER'S AGENOT.}

ITALIAN FRONT.

ITALIANS OVERCOME OBSTINATE' DEFENCE.

Mauvres, where there is no bridge bend. When artillery by dawn had ladders," which they flung across at a fixed destroyed the masonry on the banks, moment, when a handful of soldiers Beveral superannuated tanks, on the top On the right the Fifth and Forty- Second Divisions had heavy fighting last

descended the gawaing chasm, taking of thich was the necessary gear for con- attacks on the plateau north of the Aise struction. of bridge, were launched. right about the Beaucamp ridge, where the whole front from St. Quentin to the to climb to face the machine-gunners on

The battle is proceeding fiercely along other scaling-laddera, up which they had while Chison fighting tanks crossed at finally, forced the enemy to retire towards

their backa At Marquion and Havrin- the Ailette, the enemy counter-attacked strongly.

the other side Prisoners declared that court the Canal was crossed mest gallant-

Pursuing the German rearguards east the enemy had expected the attack, yet during the whole operation. Picked men of the line Allemant Jouy, we occupied Baby, and we have broken the strong

ly. The bridgeheads were under fire ||||| This morning they overcame enemy r

Heavy Sghting occurred yesterday he failed to hold the Canal

ground behind it, and the stormers were entrusted with the delicate and dan-

Scarpe,

or the

;

LONDON, September 20th. 7.15 pm. An Italian Macedonia oficial report states we overcame an obátingte defence, advanced across the rugged massif of Mt.

sistanco in-this locality and 'pressed for- about Gonnclieu and the "Wolah" ridge.ir bed up and poured into the region gerous tack. They included Canadians, village, and the southern outskirts of resistance of the enemy rearguards in the

We continued our forward march astrides the Krusvo er road and occupied Pri blicki and Kocista.

ward two miles beyond, capturing the We progressed on the high ground of craters, a smoke barrage ahead of them Naval Brigade, Boots and Guards. The the Forest Pinou, and captured. Vaudea-region westward of Kraagvo. highly organised defences called the south-westward of Gonnelleu, but were confusing the enemy, who could be seen

enemy forces confronting them consisted prewed back slightly at the "Welsh "

running from one trench to the next toing the Havrincourt sector, consisted of

of nine Divisions, two of which, defend son, Chavignon, and Fort Malmaison. Highland" and "Welsh" ridges.

Further south we progreased consider ridge.

escape the irresistible onslaught.

chosen troopia......

ably on this plateau north of Vailly.

(Continued on Page 0.)

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