The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-18
0UT-HINDENBURG
GERMANS IN new
FRENCH OFFENSIVE
is Struggle Between Master
Enemy strategists.
Entire German Battle Line Is
Now Menaced by Allies.
NHhTTEQ GEQMAN unpEe
SKATER GERMAN HOPES
Retreat to Evade Spring Often
sive Was in Vain.
Encircling Movement by the
French Cuts OF Quarry Fort.

With the French Armies in the
Field, April 1S.-All of Germany's
hold on France was menaced today
by the worlds most titanic offensive.
1t is a struggle between Won linden
burg and the master strategists of the
Franco British staffs, on battle scale
undreamed of before.
Frances part N this greatest of all
drives was preceded by the greatest
bombardment in its history. The
artillery roar began Friday. Millions
of shells were hurled over the lines
daily. The French craftsmanship was
So deadly that the first German pris-
oners caught in the infantry sweep
forward declared of their companies
of $50 men, the average that survived
was only eighty each.
The sudden Franco-British drive
shattered Germany's hopes to avoid
spring offensive by their retreat
The French onslaught now gather
ing its greatest momentum. combined
with advances begun by the British.
makes a continuous battle line from
Dixmude to Rheims.
1t is the battle of a hundred mile
front.
French Strategy Unique.
Today the French advance between
Rheims and Scissors menaces the en-
tire German line. coupled with the
British attack on st. Quentin and the
advance of Haig's troops towards Cam
brai and Lens.
Frances onslaught is on too sigan-
tic a scale over this hundred mile
front to permit anyone to visualize
the titanic struggle in its entirety.
But from the crest of one hill one
could see during one stage of the great
struggle an incident that strikingly re-
veaIs the French strategy no less than
the reasons for the Germans tremen-
dous losses This one incident was
Fra US feat in wrestling one OF the
Germans stronges defensive positions
from the enemy. The position con-
sisted of a village surmountinS pre-
cipitoIls raVine The bank of this ra-
vine was horeycOmbed with caves
hewn out of solid stone; in treacher-
ousfv dug quar- excavations and
shafts The Germans had stationed
their machine guns Internationally
fortified in The rock which French ar
tiIlery could not pierce. From the
impregnable quarries below the village
the German infantry waited conf
IDENTIFY the expected frontal attack
from the French.
Two columns of French infantry
suddenly began an encircling move
rYaent from the right and from the left.
Every movement of these forces was
visible to the naked eye. The soldiers
advanced at almost a strolling pace
along the summit of two converging
ridges Their bodies were clearly sill
houetted against the sky.
Stronghold Is Cut Off.
Neither veritable cloud of shrap-
mel which hung low over their heads,
nor high explosive barrages, nor gas
shells hindered the slow, measured
advance of these forces for a single in
slant
Not until both these columns stimuli
taneously approached the outskirts of
the village did the Germans, hidden
in the quarry-still awaiting that
frontal attack-realiZe they had been
"out- Hindenburged.
Instantly they rushed out their ma
chine guns in a desperate attempt to
cover a retreat. But they were too
late. The French converging columns
met behind the village They cut off
all retreat. The Germans did not rel
ish an attempt to cut their way thru.
They hurriedly returned to the pro-
lection of the rock caves. And the
French columns, ignoring their exist
ence and leaving their ultimate cap
ture to other troops, swept on to the
east from the village, penetrating al
every step deeper into the German
line.