The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-13
FRENCH ARMY WINS.
ATTACK DELIVERED AMID IIUR-
RICANE OF ARTILLERY FIRE
IN CONJUNCTION WITH
BRITISH,
All Of ObservatOries Dominating the
Flanders Plain Are Now In Hands
Of the Allies.

With the French Armies in Flan-
ders, Oct. 9.-(By the Associated
Press Amid one of the most terri
lie hurricanes Of artillery fire the
French army cooperating in conjunc-
ton with the British early this morn
ing. won brilliant victory, which car
ried the troops forward to a depth of
half a mile along front of about a
mile, stretching from Draeibank to
Wydendreeft. More than 800 prison
ers and number of cannon and ma
chine guns fell into the hands of the
French and their advance took them
to position where they command the
western border of the forest at Hou-
thOlst
The movement was a pivotal one
and as a result, virtually all the OBJ
servatories dominating the vast Flan-
ders plain now are in the hands OF
the allies.
The attack was preceded by q howl.
ing wind storm accompanied by q
drenching rain, which made the
ground quagmire. The correspondent
passed over the French side of the
battlefields on the evening preceding
the attack and found everything and
everybody ready for the difficult work
of the morrow. But underneath the
feet the ground gave way, while tho
atmosphere resembled a shower bath.
No garments could withstand the pen
etrating qualities of the elements. All
around shell holes were filled to their
brims with water and the only pro-
lection of the French troops toward
the enemy were the drenched sand
bags piled up. Here the shelterless
troops had passed the day and night
awaiting orders to go over.
AT length, soon after O'Clock in
the morning. definite orders arrived
and the troops were glad. They went
forward with great rapidity notwith-
standing the conditions, cIrcling the
she'll holes and slipping through the
deepest mud. They knew, however
that the success of future operations
depended on their efforts today
When they reached their first OBJ
jective points they found the Germans
covered in nests of craters which
hereabouts form the first lines, the
building of trenches in this section OF
Flanders being impossible owing to
the porous soil.
Good luck had made the advance
coincide with the period when the
Germans were changing the troops oc-
cupying their front lines. A German
division was just handing over the
lines to fresh division recently ar
irving from the Russian front. The
French: with wonderful dash, were
upon them before they realized the
situation and killed many of them.
There was a short respite before the
next forward movement was under
taken in cooperation with the British.
who were advancing simultaneously
on the French right Slithering along
over the broken and muddy ground.
the French troopers made their way
quickly toward Mangelaere, which
soon fell into their possession.
The whole scheme of operations for
the day had been carried out long be-
fore noon. The infantrys advance was.
greatly assisted by the daringness OF
the aviator, who would not permit the
weather conditions, which presented
the greatest danger for the airmen, to
interfere with the work of reconnoi-
tering for the artillery.