The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-12-07
TEUTONS ARE laying
PLANS FOR ASSAULT
Preparing to Regain All Their
Late Lost Ground
.MASSING OF The TROOPS
UhIans Getting Ready to Make
Attempt To Break Through
British Lines
MAssING OF The TROOPS
UNITED Press Dispatch. ]


France, December 5.-German trorps
around Cambria, according to unof
fetal reports, have captured a mum
Der of American troops. No confir-
nation of the saftes has been receiv.
ed at American field headquarters
If number of the American engi-
neers were captured it. was very few
With the British Armies in France
December apparently the Ger
mans have not yet completed their
efforts to regain the lost ground
around Cambria The fighting still
continues. Airmen Have observed the
massing of Germans troops to the
rear, which means another attempt
on the part of Grown Prince Rup-
precht to reduce the bump placed on
the Hindenburg line by General
Byng. 1t was also learned that
Hindenburg had arrived at the Cam
brai front and is causing heavy ar
tillery to be yanlfed from other
fronts in an effort TO break through
the British lines. The latter theory
is substantiated by the fact that
German Uhlans, which is the German
cavalry, have been held in readiness
for just such a move for several
days, but the bull dog tenacity of the
British Tommies has prevented any
such break.
Barraee Fire Mas Weak.
What bears out the theory that
guns are being rushed up from other
fronts, is the fact that in the local
advances of the British around
Passchendaele just the other day the
German barrage fire was the weakest
since the offensive on that sector
The German guns were either sill
enced by the British fire Or else a
great many had been removed. The
latter theory is thought to be the
real situation.
1t is certain that neither linden
burg or Prince Ruprecht will give
out without a desperate effort to re-
gain the lost ground around Cambria
which is so vital to the German
arms sSs
London, December 5.-"Mutual
artillerying." is all that Field Marshal
4aig reported today from the front.
Massing On italian Front.
IAssociatA1 Dress Dispatch.l
Italian Headquarters in Northern
Italy, Tuesday, December 4,-Groat
forces of men and guns are massed
by the Austrians and Germans in the
Asiago section, according to reports
reaching here today and resump-
ton of the offensive is expected. Re-
ports indicate that the enemy is en-
ploying ten divisions of troops.
With the British Armies in the
Field, December British artillery
this afternoon was again blasting its
way into the German massed forma-
lions around Cambria taking a ter
rible toll of life. Owing to German
gains on that sector REIMBURSEMENT
of the British lines is necessary.
British Thwart German Smash.
With the British Army in France
Dec. 5.-The small gains which the
enemy hosts achieved at terrible
cost of life are discounted by the fact
that Field Marshal Haig prevented
the Germans from breaking through
his lines on Cambria front It means
that the critical period has been sue
cessfully passed and that for the sec
ond time in four DAYS Field Marshal
EIaig thwarted what is believed to
have been a German attempt to dupli.
cate the German-Austro-Hu
performance in Italy.
Germans were collected from the
Eastern theater and various parts OF
the German line in the West At La
Vacquerie the one enemy fought his
way through the own and one party
penetrated for some hundred yards
into British territory.
This was the extreme gain. The at.
lacking forces secured a very narrow
strip of ground a little north and
south of La Vacquerie, but the British
still chung grimly to the high ground
north of this place.
Big Sacrifice of Men.
The British commander voluntarily
pulled back his line to the west and
southwest of Masnieres to make it
firmer The british line was near the
western part of Marcoing copse, but
included Barcoing, small triangular
plCSc VI lClIllOIy, lHcTSlCI6 HAS UC0Il
sacrificed by the British.
A heavy concentration of German
guns east of Gonnielieu suffered great.
~ by the excellent British counter
battery work. Things appeared much
brighter in the British camp The
battle probably has not run it's course,
but the defenders from now On will
be in much better shape to handle it.
Checking of the German massed at
tacks was due only to the gallantry of
the British soldiers, who did not yield
before fierce assaults by greatly SUI
.ion,. he