The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-05-22
HOW ENTENTE GENERALS AND
TROOPS DESTROYED PLANS
OF MARSHAL HINDENBERG
GERMANS SURPRISED BY SUDDEN
OFFENSE OF THEIR ENEMIES
Over 10000 Prisoners Taken During
Offensive and TeutOns Placed Per-
manentIy on the Defensive BY Great
Movement.
By PERRY ARNOLD
Omitted Press.)

NEW YORK, May 22-Something
like las square miles of French ter
ritory regained; more than 10000
prisoners taken; from $4,000 to 25O,-
900 killed and stoppage of all plans
for a German western front offensive
have been the results achieved to
date in the great Franco-British Of
fensive.
The figures are purely estimates.
Neither the allies or Germany have
yet issued casualty lists for this fight
ing. The front is so irregular that it
is difficult to figure out actual acre
age wrested from the invader But the
defeat of Hindenberg's plans for the
summers fighting have been achieved
beyond all doubt
The strategy of the famous linden
| berg retreat was to force the British
and French to make their much-adver-
tised spring offensive over ground
chosen by the German commander
and against positions defensively pre-
pared in advance.
Hindenberg selected the last few
days of winter as the time in which
to make his retreat, figuring it was
too early for the spring offensive to
begin. and that the spring thaws
!
of pursuing troops would be most diff
ficult. However, in order to hamper
pursuit, he laid waste to every inch
of ground. At least three supplement
tary defense lines to the Hindenberg
line were spread over this ground re-
leased to the French and British The
Germans figured these lines would
check all advances and permit with
drawal with a minimum of German
losses planned a spring offensive Of
their own on some other front, conf
dent in the impregnability of this
long-prepared line against any Fran
co-Brtish offensives.
But the French and British pursuit
was the more speedy than the Ger
mans had counted upon Not only
did the allies quickly swarm over
the first preliminary German defensive
lines, but they speeded up and started
their spring offensive several weeks
ahead of time. Moreover, instead Of
directing the attacks at the pivOts to
the north and south on which linden
berg had swung his retreat, the Brit
ish began turning the northern
point on this Hindenberg line by
capture of Fresnoy, Gavrelle and of
Oppy. To the south, the French
! crumbled it away around Cerny and
CraOnne. 1t is around THESE nOrJhern
and southern points that the fighting
is of fiercest intensity today.
The Hindenberg line is supposed to
start somewhere about Drocourt,
which lies midway between Lens and
Douai. A so-called "switch-line" pre-
sumably long prepared, connects Dro-
court with the old German line around
Lens. From DrOcourt the linden
berg line swings through Bois Ber-
nard, to Fresenoy, then south to Oppy
I through Baverelle, Reoux Pelves, Ri
encourt, Hendencourt, Remy, Boiry-
| Notre Dame and to Queant.
! This section of the Hindenberg line
I has been crumbled and is dubbed the
! Wotan line by the Germans, after the
! Morse Supreme Cod The Wotan line
| is protected by the so-called Oppy line
! "a preliminary defense front between
I Oppy, Gaverille and Reoux. 1t has
been penetrated at these three points
by the British.
From Queant, the Hindenberg lin'
runs through Beaumetz, Villers Heudi
! court, Roisel, Vermand, st. Quentin
| La Fere, LaOn, Sissonne, CraOnne, a
: cross the Aisne and down to poin
I north of Rheims.
I This section from Queant south, ha
\ been called the "Siegfried line" by tn
| Germans-after the Wagerain hero.
! has been penetrated at Craonne ant
near Rheims by the French.