Our Third and Fourth Armies, forming the left centre of
the Allies, continued from Thursday week to Saturday last their great offensive south of Valenoiennes. The enemy offered a moat stubborn resistance, but was forced back across the Ecaillon River and the Valenciennes-Hirson. Railway. By Saturday our troops were on the right bank of the Schelde south of Valenciennea, and on the western and southern edges of the great Forest of Mormal, which covers Maubeuge from the west. Nine thousand prisoners and one hundred and fifty guns were taken up to Thursday week. The extreme importance which the enemy attached to the lost ground was shown by the many violent counter-attacks which he delivered from Friday week onwards. The further advance of our armies in this region towards Mons will make Valenciennes untenable and turn the whole line of the Schelde north of the town. More- over, when our troops reach Maubeuge in the Sambre Valley, they will be nearer to Liege, on the German line of retreat from Belgium, than the German armies in Flanders are to-day. The advance of our Third and Fourth Armies will thus involve the hasty evacuation of Belgium.
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