Mexico Missouri message., 1917-12-06
General Byng Smashes Through
Hindenburg Line Toward
City of Cambrai.
BOCHES TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Tanks Play Big Part In the sensa-
tlonal Vlctory-italian BraVeIy Re-
slstlne Powerful Attacks Of Austro-
Germans-Enemy AIlensJn Amer
lea Under Surveillance.
BY EDWARD w. PIcKARp.


Lieut.. Gen. Sir Julian Byng smashed
a great hole In the Hindenburg line
between st. Quentin and the Scarpe.
General Dlaz and his heroic Italians
put a stop for the time being to the
Teuton attacks on most Of the Piave
river line. General Allenby and the
British army in Palestine moved
steadily on to the development of Je-
rusalem.. The French struck the
crown princes forces hard blow in
the Aisne sector. President Wilson
placed the severest restrictions on en-
emy aliens in the United States.
Altogether 1t was not a pleasant
week for Kaiser Wilhelm.
General Byng's sensational advance,
which was begun Tuesday and con-
tiAued through the week, was hailed
as the greatest British victory since
the Somme. Its success was due large
y to the element Of surprise, for the
British had been delivering their pre-
paratory artillery fire much farther
north and then suddenly attacked In
the Cambrai sector, taking the Ger
mans quite unawares. General Byng,
who devised the plan and whose army
carried 1t out, first sent out a great
number Of tanks, and as these cleared
away the barbed-wire entanglements
and broke through two of the strong
est lines in the German defense sys-
tenn in the west, the infantry and cav
airy followed with a rush that car
ried an before II. The Germans were
lemoralized, and for many hours Of
fered little resistance, surrendering
by the thousand, and the British
moved rapidly forward, taking village
after village, and quickly consolidate
Ing the enemy positions, which had not
been badly demolished by shell fire.
Almost to Cambria.
On Wednesday the resistance Of the
enemy stiffened considerably, but to
no avail, for the British pushed on un-
Ill they had put behind them the towns
Of Mosnieres, Marcoing, Ribecourt
Havrincourt, Graincourt and Flies
quieres. The tanks still were leading
the way, and cooperating with them
were the mounted forces, which have
had so little opportunity for real &C
ton. BY Thursday noon Byng's troop:
were but little more than two miles
from Cambrai, and his big guns had
begun to shell that most important
German base and railway center.
The British swiftly built roads ant
light railways across the captured sec
tion up to their new lines and also be
gan to widen out their salient, which
at first was dangerously sharp. Grown
Prince Rupprecht rushed up masses
of troops and took up strong position
| in Bourbon wood just north of thu
British salient, dominating the imme
diate region. He also pushed the nd
vance posts of the British out of Fon
taine Notre Dame, but they held ant
consolidated all the rest of the terri
tory they had gained.
The secrecy which enveloped tn,
preparations for this great movemen
was astounding and speaks vOlume
for the skill OF the British command
ers and the efficiency Of the aviation
corps which prevented the enemy al
scouts from discovering the massln
of troops and tanks. The Cambria
sector had been quiet for long time
and the Germans considered that par
of their defense lines impregnablt
They also thought an attack In fore
on such defenses could not be mad
successfully without artillery preps
ration. At tremendous cost they hav
learned they were mistaken in both In
stances.
Attack Has Several objects.
| Aside from the capture of Cambrt
and the possible forcing Of generf
retreat of the Germans on the yves
front, the immediate object Of thi
British offensive probably was to n
lIOve the pressure on the Italians an