Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-10-26
Petain'S Army Now in Sight of
Laon, Objective They Hope
to Reach Before Ending
Campaign.
ENEMY LEAVES GUNS IN
HASTE OF WITHDRAWAL
Counter Attack Launched.
Against British in Flanders
Breaks Down After DeSper-
ate Fighting,

tsy MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIas
The French forces in the Aisne re-
gion continue to develop their sue
cess of Tuesday, where they made a
rapid advance over front of about
six miles, capturing important Ger
man positions and thousands of prs-
oners.
Following up minor successes We'd
nesday, the French again attacked
Thursday along the entire line, fore
ing the Germans to abandon Monkey
mountain, east Oh VauxailIon, the vii
lage and forest of Pinon, the village
of Pargny-Filain, on the extreme
east of the line, and numerous farms
and other points of vantage.
Guns and Stores Captured.
The latest drive of the French brings
General Petain's army within sight
of Laon, the objective sought, which
now is a scant eight miles distant.
Large quantities OF war stores were
abandoned by tic enemy in their
retreat and additional guns and pris-
oners were captured. The number
of prisoners taken since the drive
began now exceeds 1900 more than
200 of whom are officers. Two thou
sand of the prisoners were taken
Thursday.
An indication of the rapidity with
which the drive has been carried out
Is the total number of guns the Ger
mans were forced to leave behind
them. These amount to 120, among
them several howitzers not to men
tion several hundred small-caliber
pieces, such as minnenwerfer and ma
chine guns.
Italians Resist Stubbornly.
One the twenty-five mile front run
ming from Monte Rombon to the
Bainsizza plateau the battle between
the Austro-German forces and the
Italians apparently is growing in in
tensity with the Austro-Germans the
aggressors but with the Italians stub
bornly resisting everywhere.
Although the German war office
asserts that gains have been made
Italian official communication does
not concede any losses except on the
east bank of the Isonzo south of
Monte Rombon. To the contrary this
asserts that on the
Bainsizza plateau where the Germans
had announced successes, and on the
west slope of Monte San Gabriel, enc
my attacks were repulsed and that
the Italians even took several hun
dred prisoners.
Claim 10000 Prisoners.
Not alone does the German war
office assert that the Italian line bar
ring the way to the valley of the
Flitsch basin and to Tolmino was
oyerrun and that positions also were
captured on the Bainsizza plateau, but
that large quantities of booty were
taken by the Austro-Germans and
that more than 10000 prisoners fell
into their hands. including divisional
and brigade staffs
While the operations on the Ypres
sector of the front in Flanders con-
tinue to be carried out mainly by the
artillery, with the British and French |
guns hurting the greater weight Of
metal, the Germans have launched |
another strong. counter-attack south |
of the Houtholst forest where the |
British and French armies have join
ed hands. Again this attack met with !
repulse. i
Twenty Planes Downed.
In intense air fighting "Wednesday |
night the French airmen shot or |
forced to land in a damaged condition |
twenty-five German planes.
The retirement of the Germans on |
the northern Russian front continues. |
The enemy now is back as far as the |
Rodenpois-Turk line, approaching |
The Dvina river region. Behind them |
the Germans are destroying every !
thing on the fifteen-mile front over !
which they are retreating.
ON the Gulf of Riga the Germans |
have attempted a further landing on |
the wercer peninsula in order to |
,arass the Russian right wing, but
we're stopped by the Russian fire. |
Possibly in view of the operations OF |!
German naval units at the head of the
Gulf of Finland, the civil population !
IS evacuating Kronstadt, the great |
Russian fortress and naval base near !