The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-11-23
BRITISH ADVANCE LIBERATES MANY
women and Chill DREN HELD SLAVES
FOR Three YEARS BY TEUT0N ARMY
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The great battle field has taken on
the aspect of scenes in wars gone by.
1t Is no longer a conflict of trenches
and shell holes, but of men struggling
bitterly with rifles and bayonets over
a virgin battle ground, while the long
neglected cavalry sweeps in pictur-
esque charges against the enemy po-
sitions over the wide territory in
volved.
The roads everywhere for two days
have been swarming with advancing
troops and with prisoners and civil
ians coming back from the front.
Many rejoicing non-combatants. men,
women and children, have been pour
ing out of the capturad towns under
the guidance of their deliverers from
German bondage.
This has been a 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 front.
had torn in the famous Hindenburg
line, mothers yesterday and today
were pushing baby carriages contain
ing infants or tramping happily along
with their babies clutched to their
breasts. Beside them toddled other
youngsters, many of them carrying
their treasured dolls and not a few
clinging deterninedly to squirming
puppies which they dared not trust
to run on the ground. Old men and
women were bringing away all the
household effects that they could
pack on push carts or carry on their
backs.
For three years they hed heen in
captivity and some Of them in slav-
cry. They had been subsisting on
the BOUNTY Of the American relief
committee. which furnished them vir-
ltuaily the only food they obtained.
Hard fighting has taken place today
at Crevecoeur. southeast of Masnie-
res. The British were holding a high
ridge in front of this place and some
troops had forced an entrance to the
western part of the town. The Ger
mans still were holding the eastern
section A German battery here
which had been giving trouble was
charged and captured by dismoupted
cavalrymen. The battery was sur
rounded by heavy barbed wire entan-
clement. precluding the use of horses,
$50 the soldiers stormed the position
on foot and killed the gun crew.
In the vicinity of Rumley heavy
machine gun and rife fighting was
proceeding last night and this morn
ing.
West of Cambria tanks, cavalry and
infantry were pressing the attack
vigorously about F>ontaine Notre
Dame and the strong position in Bur-
lon 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. that place this morning.
Field Marshal Haig's official report
Thursday night said the Germans had
retaken Fontaine Notre Dame.
Farther north near Bu1lecourt the
British were in possession OF the en-
tire underground fortincation known
as the Tunnel trench, whfct had been
famed for its supposed impregnabil-
fly. At least fve determined counter
attacks have been smashed in this re-
Eion- Southeast OF Bullecourt hard
fighting occurred at Moeuvres last
night and a strong counter attack
was repulsed
The last line of trench defenses in
the region OF Cantaing have been
broken and the British were firmly
established today at many points In
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. line south of
Cambrat
1t is now possible to give more de-
tails Of Tuesdays battle. In the ad-
vance south Of Cambria the first hard
lighting occurred at Lateau wood,
which lies on the Cambria highway
eeuth of Masnieree. This wood
finally was cleared of Germans and
the advance continued toward Mas
nieres. Some opposition was en-
countered in a suburb, but by 1
o'clock this had been overcome and
the British had crossed the PEscent
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 tos give up this
place after a sansuinary struggle,
although some of them were still
holding out in the cellars today.
Marcoing was taken with small re-
sistance on the part OF the enemy
and this gave the British a second
crossing of the canal. The advancing
troops forced passage here at the
same hour as Masnieres was entered.
The Observation-Disclosures trench line
apparently had been reinforced by
Germans from Cambria, and this
front held up the advance temper
arily with rife and machine gun fire,
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 a whole,
and they surrendered freely in many
places. Yesterday their lines stiff
fened and hard fighting followed.
German endorsements from Lens