Judsonia weekly advance., 1917-11-28


 This has been battle of strange sights, but no more striking spectacle has been witnessed than that of these, people marching toward homes and comfort back of the British from. Through the very gaps which the tanks had torn in the famous Hinden- burg line mothers were pushing baby carriages containing infants or tramp ing happily along with their babies clutched to their breasts. Beside them toddled other youngsters, many Of them carrying their treasured dolls and not few clinging determinedly to squirning pupies which they dared not trust to run on the ground. Old men and women bringing away all the household effects they could pack on pushcarts or carry on their backs.
 Tanks and Cavalary Join.
 For three years they had been in captivity and some of them in slav- cry. They had beer subsi5ting on the bounty of the American relief commit tee, which furnished them virtually the only food they obtained
 Hard fighting has taken place at Crevecoeur, southeast of Masnieres. The British were holding high ridge in front of this place and some troops had forced an entrance into the west ern part of the town The Germans were still holding the eastern portion A German battery here which had been giving trouble was charged and captured by dismounted savalrymen. The battery was surrounded by heavy barbed wire-entanglements, preclud- ing the use of horses, so the soldiers stormed the position on foot and an initiated the gun crews.
 In the region of Rumilly heavy ma chine gun and rifle fighting was pro ceeding last night and this morning. West of Cambrai, tanks, cavalry and infantry were pressing the attack viz orously about Fontaine Notre Damc Wood. Fontaine Notre Dame has not been officially reported captured, but the story goes that tank crews were served with hot coffee by the civilians in this place this morning. (Field Marshal Haig's official report Thurs day night said the Germans had re- taken Fontaine Notre Dame1.
 Further north near Bullecourt the British were in possession of the en- tire underground fertilization known, as the tunnel trench, which had been famed for it's supposed impregnability At least five determined counter.at- tacks have been smashed in this re- zion. Southeast of Bullecourt hard occurred at Moeuvres last night and strong counter attack was repulsed.
 German Resistance Weak.
 The last line of trench defonses in the region of Cantaing have been broken and the British were firmly es- tablished at many points in the Mas -Bearurois line south of Cam brai.
 It is now possible to give more de- tails of Tuesdays battle. In the ad- vance south Of Cambrai the first hard fighting occurred at Lateau Wood which lies on the Cambrai highway south of Masnieres. This wood final ly was cleared of Germans and the continued toward Masnieres. Some opposition was encountered in a suburb but by l o'clock this had been overcome and the British had crossed the L'Escaut Canal. The small German garrison fought bitterly to retain Masnieres. The whole place was undermined with dugouts in which the enemy was hidden with machine guns, but the Germans were forced to give up this place after a sanguinary struggle, although some of them were still holding out in the cellars.
 Marcoing was taken with small re- sistance on the part of the enemy and this gave the British a second cross ing of the canal Tae advancing troops forced a passage here at the same hour as Masnieres was entered. The Masnieres- -Beaurois trench line north of Masnieres apparently had been reinforced by Germans from Cambrai and this front held up the advance temporarily, but the British alternately forced the Germans from the trenches. in hand-to-hand fighting.
 German resistance on the first day was comparatively weak as q whole and they surrendered freely in many places. Yesterday their lines stiftened and hard fighting followed German reinforcement from Lens and the two companies of invalids already men tioned were thrown into the line.
 Hand to Hand Fighting.
 The first counteieattGclS came over Inc ,idc.o f1,c,,, the northeast If Mas