The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-11-26
BRITISH EXTEND
THEIR HOLD IN
CAMBRIA DRIVE
They Capture Bourbon vii.
lage and Almost All Of
Wooded Height.
HAND TO HAND BATTLE
Strategic Positions Gained
Command Railroads
Entering Town.
ITS FALL Is EXPECTED
French Strike Hard Blow in
Vcrdun Sector-Take
800 Men.
ITS FALL Is EXPECTED

British Army Headquarters In France.
Nov. u (By the Associated Press)-
There has been much traAic out Of Cam.
bral southeastward during the last few
days, Indicating the probability that the
Germans have evacuated the civil popu.
lation.
LONDON, Nov. 25.-While- the BritiaA
resumed their drive on Cambria to-day.
re>apturing the village Of Bourbon and
nearly all Of Bourbon Wood. from which
they now dominate the city and make
necessary the early removal Of the Hin.
denburg line to a position further back.
Crown Princes forces in the Verdun Sec
tor. capturing the first and second Ger
man lines of defence. including deep
dugouts which formed part Of this "im-
rregnable" position, and taking 500 pris-
oners.
After days OF hard fighting. IN which
the British and Germans fought man to
man. Field Marshal Haig to-day an
nounced that his forces had captured the
strategic key to Cambria and the Ger
man positions on the Somme front.
The Germans had concentrated fresh
reserves to check the heavy and con-
tinual assaults Of the British forces
The latter were told that the village and
the wood must be captured. The Ger
man Crown Prince had ordered that
these places he held at all costs. :ut
English, Welsh and Scotch battalions
once more proved their mettle. for they
swept forward from their positions into
the village and into the wood. Only q
email section Of the wood. the northeast
corner, remains In the hands OF the Ger
mans. and the British probably will
clean them out in their next advance,
Three Miles From cambrai.
This SECTION Of the wood is approx
imately three miles west Of Cambria and
the Germans are following the instruc-
tions Of the Crown Prince and fighting
desperately to hold it. Several times in
the fighting for the village and the
wood the British had taken these places
but each time the Germans surged for
ward in waves in counter attacks and
wrcsted possession from the temporary
occupants.
1t is evident now that Gen. Byng will
concentrate every energy on holding the
positions. for the German tenure in
Cambrai is short with these dominating
heights in the possession of the British
A strike for Cambrai itself, with its
lines Of railroads supporting the Ger
man columns along the Hndenburg line.
probably will be the next move Of Gen
Byng in the opinion OF military men.
Since the advance against Cambria
opened he has had time to bring up his
heavy guns and realign his forces for a
new drive.
The Berlin War Office admits heavy
lighting in the advance toward Cambria,
bu, insists that the british forces have
been driven back. The German state
ment says that four times waves OF
British troops advanced and stormed the
village of Inchy, west of Bourbon, and
each tim" were driven out.
Northwest of Rheims the German
Crown Prince also has been active since
the thrusts of the French last week
placed Laon in danger. Two violent at
tacks have been made by the Germans
but no ground has been gained and the
French repellcd the Germans with heavy
losses
Omctal Reports.
The official statements on the nghting
/ follow: