Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-22
WAR HORSES
IN FIGHT ARE
HAICvICT0RS
Cavalry and Tanks Play Big
Part in English Army
Smashes.

London, Nov. 22.-The village OF
Fontaine NOtre Dame has been
captured by the British in their
new offensive, the war office an
n0Unees. F0ntaine Notre Dame
is two and three-f0urths miles
southwest OF Cambria. on the
main road between Bapaume and
Cambria.
British Army Headquarters in
France, Wednesday, Nov. 81, by
the Associated Press The pres
ent battle more than any ether
in the western theatre has taken
on the SAVIOR of fighting in other
wars when men struggled In the
open and cavalry made thrilling
charges against enemy guns.
Many military critics have long
contended that cavalry was
thing OF the past but the mounted
men have refuted this claim.
Field Marshal Haig has chung to
his horse troops throughout the weary
months of trench fighting. He be-
lieved that some day he would have
chance to use them and his judg-
ment has been vindicated.
Field Marshal Haig's blow against
the Cambria front represents true
strategy. He had hammered at the
enemy in Flanders until they were
worn out completely. He had driven
them back as far as the mud would
permit and had compelled them to call
/ on every ounce Of strength they had
/ to maintain themselves. Then he sud-
denly sprung his surprise attack in
I an unexpected quarter.
/ Cambria Front Strongest.
/ The Hindenburg lines on the Cam
brai front were the strongest the Ger
! enemy considered them impregnable
1 Not only were they strongly fortified
but they were protected by a very
deep belt Of barbed wire. it was
+, thought that only protracted bonn
bardment by great concentration OF
guns would cut sufficiently to allow
the infantry to go through
/ British tanks had never before beer
| called upon for such extensive work
but they did in few hours what the
artillery would have required days tC
accomplish. The Hindenhurg line was
1 pierced absolutely on a wide from
and to greater depth than ever be-
fore
+ The correspondent today inspected
the main Hindenburg line near Hav-
rincourt and saw the amazing work
done by the iron monsters. In mos
places they had no trouble either il
tearing through the wire or in cross
ing trenches. There were gaps in tht
wire entanglements rod in width
where not one vestige of wire wa.
left standing and by following this
tracks of the tanks one could SCI
where they had trundled across tht
trenches as though they were merely
scratches in the ground Instead o
wide, deep bitches.
Germans See Tanks Coming.
The tanks of course. went through
No Mans Land under the full obser
walton of the German artillery an(
while the gunfire was weak, some fir,
Was ulIEtLSu bu bIt ldtthH a. llAIl
advanced. 1t was interesting to fol
low the trail Of the tanks and to SCI
where shells struck all about, appar
emily without doing any damage. TO
in this whole section the correspond
ent did not see one tank which hat
been knocked out.
The condition of The German
trenches showed plainly that the oc
cupants had abandoned them in
hurry. All sorts of equipment ans
personal belongings strewed tn
ground,
Since the beginning Of the attacl
, the gun tire had been extremely weak
, No Mans Land showed comparatiyel,
few shell craters today and this morn
| ing the British guns were doing viz
tuaIly all the firing along most Of tn
, front involved. This a striking con
trast to the Flanders region, whicl
has been an inferno OF artillery fir
for weeks.
The Germans have attempted yer
t few counter attacks thus far and al
! of them have been smashed The lat
est counter thrust reported was mad
. last nlEnL near pSEItIQaLl anu tl4i
was dealt with promptly.
st Germans Fight Desperately.
$ The Germans who at the first attae
4 Yesterday retreated or surrendered /
dismay were fighting desperately &c
: day to regain hold on their rea
( posifions. A particularly hard han
to hand engagement occurred thi
!. morning at FlesQuieres, when the in
) fantrv, accompanied by tanks, storme
this place and drove the German
from it.
!, The fighting about Flesquieres BIZ
gan last night but it was not INT
!, about 5 o'clock today that the BIRTHS
: made an organized assault on tn
i, town, The tanks Went ahead an
were engaged Immediately by seve
:. heavy German guns which began /
: fire at them point blank at shol
range. Il was a critical moment. fe
Il fContinued on Page Five.)