The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-11-29
General Byng Smashes Through
Hlndenburg Line Toward
City of Cambria.
BocAES TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Tanks Play Big Part In the sensa.
tfonaI Vietory-ItaIians 6raveIy Re.
sistin0 Powerful Attacks Of Austro.
Germans-Enemy Aliens in Amer.
lea Under Surveillance.
BY EDWARD W. PlcKARo.

Lieut.. Gen. Sir Julian Byng smashed
l great hole in the Hindenburg line
between st. Quentin and the Scarpe.
General Diaz and his heroic Italians
put stop for the time being to the
reutOn attacks on most of the Pave
liver line. General Allenby and the
British army in Palestine moved
steadily on to the development of Je.
rusalem. The French struck the
crown princes forces a hard blow in
the Aisne sector. President Wilson
placed the severest restrictions ON en-
emy aliens in the United States.
Altogether it was not pleasant
week for Kaiser Wilhelm.
General Byng's sensational advance,
which was begun Tuesday and con-
tinued through the week, was hailed
as the greatest British victory since
the Somme. Its success was due large
" to the element of surprise, for the
British had been delivering their pre-
paratory artillery fire much farther
north and then suddenly attacked in
the Cambria sector. taking the Ger
mans quite unawares. General Byng,
who devised the plan and whose army
carried it out, first sent out great
number Of tanks, and as these cleared
away the barbed-wire entanglelnents
and broke through two of the strong
est lines in the German defense sys-
TEN In the west, the infantry and cav
nj al 1t.sft Il, I,.k
.iel all before 1t. The Germans were
1"moraliZed, and for many hours Of
frred little resistance, surrendering
b? the thousand, and the British
moved rapidly forward, taking village
after village, and quickly consolidate
ng the enemy positions, which had not
been badly demolished by shell fire.
Almost to Cambria.
On Wednesday the resistance of the
enemy stiffened considerably. but to
no avail. for the British pushed on UNI
til they had put behind them the towns
nj Mosnieres, Marcoing. Ribecourt,
tIavrincourt, GraincOurt and Fles-
quicres. The tanks still were leading
the way, and cooperating with them
were the mounted forces, which have
had so little opportunity for real ac-
ton. By Thursday noon Byng's troops
were hut little more than two miles
from Cambria. and his big guns had
begun to shell that most important
German base and railway center.
The British swiftly built roads and
light railways across the captured sec
tlon up to their new lines and also he.
gan to widen out their salient. which
ut first was dangerously sharp Crown
Prince Rupprccht rushed up masses
Of troops and took up a strong position
In Bourbon wood Just north of the
British salient, dominating the immc-
date region. He also pushed the adj
vance posts of the British out of Fon-
tain. Notrc Dame, but they held and
consolidated all the rest of the terri
tory they had gained.
The secrecy which enveloped the
preparations for this great movement
was astounding and speaks volumes
for the Skill of the British command
ers aud the efficiency of the aviation
corps which prevented the enemy air
scouts from discovering the massing
Of troops and tanks. The Cambria
sector had been quiet for long time.
and the Germans considered that part
of their defense lines impregnnble.
They also thought an attack in force
on such defenses could not be made
successfully without artillery prepa-
ration. At tremendous cost they have
learned they We're mistaken in both in
stances.
Attack Has Several Objects.
Aside from the capture of Cambria
and the possible forcing of a general
retreat of the Germans on the west
front, the immediate object Of this
British offensive probably was to re-
usvs the pressure on the Italians and