Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1917-11-29
General Byng smashes Through
Hindenburg Line Toward
City of Cambria.
TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Tanks Play a Big Part in the sensa-
tional Victory-Italians BraveIy Re-
sisting Powerful Attacks Of Austro-
Germans-Enemy Aliens In Amer.
lea Under Surveillance.
BY EDWARD w. PICARD.


Lieut.. Gen. Sir Julian Byng smashed
great hole in the Hindenbnrg line
between st. Quentin and the Scarpe.
General Diaz and his heroic Italians
put a stop for the time being to the
TeutOn attacks on most of the PiaNe
river line. General Allenby and the
British army IN Palestine moved
Eusalem4 The French struck the
crown princes forces IL hard blow in
the Aisne sector. President Wilson
placed the severest restrictions ON ems
emy aliens in the United States.
Altogether it was not II pleasant
week for Kaiser Wilhelm.
General Byngs sensationall advance,
which was begun Tuesday and con-
tinued through the week, was hailed
as the greatest British victory since
the Somme. Its success was due large
ay 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 Cambria sector, taking the Ger
| mans quite unawares. General Byng,
| iwho devised the plan and whose army
7, carried it out, first sent out great
| number of tanks, and as these cleared
| away the barbed-wire entanBlements
! and broke through two of the strong
vest lines in the German defense sys-
I ITEM in the west, the infantry and cav
4 AIRY followed with a rush that car
ried all before it. The Germans We're
d Hemoralized, and for many hours Of
J fered little resistance, surrendering
! by the thousand, and the British
moved rapidly forward, taking village
latter village, and quickly CONSOLIDATE
tng the enemy positions. which had not
been badly demolished by shell fire.
Almost to Cambria.
q On Wednesday the resistance of the
enemy stiifened considerably, but to
no avail. for the British pushed ON I'M
Tin they had put behind them the towns
pf Mosnieres, Marching, Kibecourt,
Havrincourt, Graincourt and Flies
puieres. The tanks still were leading
THE way, and cooperating with them
were the mounted forces. which have
had so little opportunity for real ac-
ton. BY Thursday noon Byng's troops
. were but little more than two miles
from Cambria, and his big guns had
, begun to shell that most important
German base and railway center.
~. The British swiftly built roads ant
l tight railways across the captured sec
ton up to their new lines and also be
3 ran to widen out their salient, which
5 at first was dangerously sharp. Grown
Prince Rupprecht rushed up masses
Of troops and took up Il strong position
In Bourbon wood just north of TIT
British salient, dominating the imme
date region He also pushed the ad
Z vance posts of the British out of Fon
: taine Notre Dame, but they held ant
S consolidated all the rest of the terri
L tory they had gained.
:, The secrecy which cnveloped thu
preparations for this great movement
was astounding and speaks volume
Cor the skill of the British command
sss and the efficiency of the aviation
n<rps which prevented the enemy al
;, seouts from discovering the maSSin
n OF txoops and tanks. The Cambria
G sector had been quiet for long time
: and the Germans considered that par
n of their defense lines impregnablt
They also. thought an attack in fore
on such thafenses could not be mad
successfully without artillery prepa
ration. At tremendous cost they hav
I learned they were mistaken In both ir
T stances.
I'D Attack Has Several Objects.
AL Aside from the capture of Cambrf
and the possible forcing of a genera
- retreat of the Germans on the Yves
u front, the Immediate object of tlli
II British offensive probably was to II
lr ueye the pressure on the Italians an