The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1917-12-15
Progress of The War
From Sundays Salt Lake Tribune

and others to be withdrawn the Teu-
tons plan TO overrun Italy and ulti-
mately to break the Allied lines in
Flanders and France.
The Germans were taken by sur
nrise in the Cambria sector just as
they we're preparing for drive
somewhere along the line and just as
they were about to resume their Of
fensiye against the Italians. The
Byng smash prevented the Germans
from attempting anything more than
an offensive-defensive, but it did not
influence the operations in the noun
tains of northern Italy. The Austro-
Germans are carrying out their Of
fensive against theItalians as planned.
Field Marshal Won Hindenburg was
able to pass from the defensive to
the offensive at Cambria about ten
days ago. He pierced the British
line at the southern end of the arc
which swept across the Hindenburg
line beginning at Queant on the north
and extending to Gonnelieu on the
south. 1t was at Gonnelieu that he
struck his heaviest blow. carrying
the line both northeast and south of
this village as a center. In the
counter-attacks the British drove the
enemy back to Gonnelieu and retook
La Vacquerie.
This was the situation at the begin
ming of the week. The British held
practically all the ground they had
captured except near Gonnelieu and
La Vacquerie. During the first three
days of the week Won Hindenburg
continued to hurl his men in masses
against the flank which had given
way. Although his losses were enor-
nous, he kept pounding at the
lines until he broke them once more.
taking and holding La Vacquerie.
Some time during these operations
Byng held a council of war and it
was decided to evacuate all of the
salient beyond the strongest positions
of the Hindenburg line. The British
Immediately began to wreck the de-
fenses in Bourbon wood and at Notre
Dame. Meantime they drew back
from small salient east of MarcOing.
which is southwest of Cambria. This
took them out of the village of Mas
nieres. which had seen some of the
hardest fighting.
1t was not until Tuesday. however.
that Byng' forces retired from Bour-
lon wood and Notre Dame. The
wood had been made poisonous with
gas shells from both sides. The heavy
fumes clung to the ground and marsh
es and made life miserable for assail-
ants and invaders alike.
In retiring the British took with
them all that was of value and blew
up dugouts, trenches. underground
tunnels, concrete emplacements and
anything else that would be helpful
to the returning enemy. The re-
treat took the British not only from
Bourbon and Notre Dame. but from
Anneaux, Cantaing. Graincourt and
Marcoing. But when the retreat
had been completed they held the
strongest positions of the linden
burg line and were in position to
resist the greatest efforts of the Teu-
tons. The retirement was not
noted for more than "a hours by the
Germans. They made discovery
some time during last Wednesday
and since then have been reoccupying
their old positions under heavy fire
Of gas and explosive shells.
During the Hindenburg drive at
the British right flank a party of
American engineers were caught be-
sween the lines. Some of them were
captured - about eighteen = an d
others lay in shell craters until the
British counter-attack reached them.
Then they joined the British in the
nghting. Dropping their axes and
shovels they armed themselves with
rifles and went forward. Twelve of
them were wounded. some seriously.