Le Quesnoy battle

LONDON, November 5: On practically the whole front between the Meuse and the Scheldt an advance of between a mile and two miles has been made. Fighting is proceeding at Le Quesnoy, where the position is obscure. The enemy are heavily counterattacking from the Mormal Forest, the southern part of which we have penetrated for a mile . . . There was severe fighting at Le Quesnoy, where the New Zealanders repulsed a strong counterattack, inflicting heavy losses. We passed south and north of this fortified town, and are now several

miles eastward of it. A message from Sir Douglas Haig, dated November 5 (1.20 p.m.) states: Yesterday afternoon we surrounded and captured the walled town of Le Quesnoy, taking over 1000 prisoners. The 37th and 62nd Divisions had hard fighting southward and northward of Le Quesnoy, and took many prisoners. These divisions, after overcoming strong divisions at the outset about Louvignies and Orainval, pushed forward rapidly on the flanks of the New Zealanders eastward of Le Quesnoy, advancing with them to a depth of between three and four miles, and capturing the villages of Jolimetz, Lerond, Quesne Fresnoy, Elipeht, and Marais.