Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-26

troops stretched in semi-circle
about Bourbon wood and Bourbon
village, which nestles at the
northwestern edge of the forest.
1t was line which had been es-
tabiished in the face of logged
resistance on the part OF the Ger
mans, who had fallen back step
by step. fighting with the fury Of
despair.
All day yesterday the opposing
forces struggled bitterly at close quar-
ters for possession of the little. viii
lage from which the British were
forced Friday after gaining footing
ing the rush that took them through
Bourbon wood Nightfall still found
waves of infantry surging back and
forth through the streets of the ham,
let and among the houses, their Grim
son bayonets telling the story of the
terrible conflict being waged.
Gradually the Germans fell back,
the British pressing forward with
grim persistence which the enemy
could not withstand. and the hamlet
was finally cleared of the major por-
ton of the German troops.
Today some few Of the enemy still
remained in Bourbon to be mopped
up, but all the main streets OF the
place lad been cleared and it. was
surrounded by q, strong force Of Brit
+, ish soldiers
/ A little to the southwest Of here
another intense struggle was being
| staged in the village of Moeuvres, into
which the British had battled their
way with rifle and bayonet and pushed
the Germans out of the southern half.
Elsewhere along the Cambria front
there was no infantry action Of i'm
portan@e.
= Prisoners Still Arriving.
Prisoners continue to arrive at the
British cages from the front. Nearly
ten thousand captives thus far have
been counted, including 200 officers.
In the capture of Bourbon wood and
village the British have acquired pos
session of one of the most important
points they have secured since the
great drive began last Tuesday. This
/ high ground controls q wide sweep Of
territory and its occupation holds out
the possibility that the Germans even
tually will be forced to withdraw theil
lines TO the northwest.
The Bourbon position also overlooks
Cambria, but this city might be Z
hard nut to crack because the centra
part Is walled and many suburbs ra
date from it, forming natural barrier.
against an advance from the west.
seems possible that GamDrai nigh
ultimately become q sort Of No Man
land, dominated by the big guns o.
both sides, and that this ancient tow
with it's fine old cathedral and pictur
esaue walls would go the way of 81
mary other places which come unde
artillery fire.
A large amount OF traffic in the las
few days has been pouring out o
Cambrai toward the south, incidatini
! the probability that the German
have evacuated the civilian popula
I ton and are preparing for eventual
ties.
Fight for Bourbon.
That the Germans attached great
est Importance to Bourbon wood an
the village was fully evidenced b
their strenuous resistance and the in
tense counter attacks hurled agains
+ the British lines Several couata
o thrusts were delivered by the enem
5 Saturday. Some of them succeede
: temporarily, but the British immedi
8 ateiy pushed forward again aud re
d gained the lost ground.
The fighting over the wooded slope
y Of this elevation has been among tn
y most spectacular of the war. for til
S occupation Of the forest was du
d largely to the work Of tanks and all
/ men who paved the way for the OF
d rushing infantry.
d A number OF iron monitors led tn
advance to Bourbon wood Friday. wit
y British planes circling over the Ell
it envy at height OF from thirty to fit
y feet and carrying on vigorous val
S fare with their machine guns an
d bombs. 1t was hard fighting. but til
e advance was continued successful
II until the northeast corner of The woo
was reached, where the tanks wer
% held up by strong force Of til
s enemy.
British airmen, who had been fgh
ing close TO the grouad, deliberatel
charged down on the enemy infaI
IS trvmen with machine guns. pumpin
& a steady stream Of ballets into tt
= German ranks. The battle was sho
s. and decisive. The aifplanes wheele
n and re-wheeled over the heads CO tt
Germans and maintained such an ii
a tepsive fire that the defenders wei
In forced to retire from the position att
Re suffering considerable losses. II
n tanks then pushed en-, the conquest
a. the wood being completed and an e.
he -
(Continued on Page EleFsrr