The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-05
FRENCH TROOPS
AT ST. QUENTIN
Patrols Enter Outskirts,
While Main Force Is
Only Mile Away.
THREE VILLAGES TAKEN
Nivelle's Men Drive Back Ger
mans in Brilliant Bayo-
net Charges.
THREE VILLAGES TAKEN

LONDON, April 4.-French troops have
driven the Germans from the southern
suburbs of st. Quentin and are only a
mile from the city itself. Patrols al
ready have pushed to its outskirts. The
immediate fall Of Hindenburgs strong
hold was made certain to-day by VIC
torious French advance.
Charging with Irresistible dash on a
front Of six miles, the poilus scored their
most brilliant success since the German
retreat began. Advancing through
squalls of snow and ovG ground deep
In mud, they captured a position officially
described as very important" domi
mating st. Quentin itself. Three villages
through which the German line ran we're
taken.
The onrush OF the French infantry de-
moralized the Germans at one point,
north OF the Folie farm. AS the gray
blue lines swept down upon them the
Germans Jumped from the trenches and
fed. They abandoned TO the French
three lines of trenches. deep dug and
protected by barbed wire entanglements.
Thy left behind their wounded and i'm
portant material.
Three Howitsers Taken.
Three six inch howitzers were cap
tured by the French, who seized also sew
eral big motor trucks attached TO the
German aviation service, sure sign that
they had penetrated positions the Ger
mans expected TO hold.
T~..x
Germans, Grugies. Urvillers and Moy,
| mark line extending from point
about one mile directly south OF st.
, Quentin TO a point little over six
! miles southeast of the city. Grugies is
nearest to St Quentin, while Moy, on
| the western bank OF the Disc, is rail-
, road town, a road junction and before
the war had population OF several
| thousands
The extension OF the advance 10 Moy
! and Crvillers, which is practically the
centre OF the line, marks the beginning
of what may be the nanking OF ST
Quentin from the south In case a frontal
attack Is deemed too costly. Moy is
! roughly three miles east OF a line drawn
! straight south from st. Quentin. The
taking of Moy also extends the front Of
the French on the Disc north Of the
flooded city OF La Fere
Berlin Admits Retreat.
To-day's German statement makes
, admission of the French success, which
it calls accommodating attack The
! French paid with sanguinary sacrifices
for the ground which has been aban
doned by US step by step" the state
! Yesterday, received here to-day. say,
that 800 British prisoners were caugh
in British machine gun fire and onl,
sixty survived.
On their part Of the front west Of ST
Quentin. their right wing, the Britisi
made no move to-day. but further north
west of Cambria. they went forward
The village Of Metz-en Couture. ten miles
southwest Of Cambria. was captured ans
/ Havrincourt wood. north of Metz-en
Couture.
In this wood desperate struggle ha!
begun. in which both armies are ex
pected to lose heavily. The wood &
nearly four square miles in area and Il
intersected by many roads and path
and cut by ravine in its northern end
called the high wood" II is a plac
lending itself to ambush.
! F.ii to Win Back Guns.
The Germans tried hard last night I,
recapture the battery OF six field gun
the British took on Monday west of 81
Quentin German Infantry charge,
with determination and reached tn
British lines. Then ensued IA hand L
hand fight for the precious guns such a
the old wars produced. British bayonet
and bombs won. however, and the Ger
mans were driven back. To-day tn
guns were sent back from the Britisl
lines in triumph.
Complete reports show that in tn,
fighting OF Monday the British tool
seventeen machine guns and four trencl
mortars. besides go prisoners. The OF
ficial statements follow:
} French night statement: During
the course of the day. despite violent
snow squalls and the soaked condi-
tion of the ground, our troops con-
tiaued to push back the enemy along
the whole front between the Sonime
, and the Disc. They drove him from
/, a very important dominating position
marked By the villages OF Grugies,
Urvillers and Moy. which were cap
tured by our troops.
North OF the Folie farm the Ger
mans. thrown into disorder by the
irresistible attack OF our soldiers, pre-
cipitately abandoned three lines OF
, trenches. which were protected by
wire cntanglements, leaving behind
their wounded and important mate
rial. Three howitzers OF $50 milii-
meters and several lorries OF the air
, sQuadrons fell into our possession.
a.. Artillery Dsels Violent.
, South OF tho Ailette River there
r has been no change. Violent artillery
, fighting took place In the region OF
r Margival and Laffaux.
In the Woevre our long range gums
caught under their fire enemy detach-
, ments reported In the VigneulIes
railway station. An intermittent
cannonade occurred on the rest OF the
front. In the Vosges a German air
E plane was brought down by the fire
OF our special guns.
Belgian: Tho field and trench ar
psSstSss1 ~ TNtrd PagS