The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-11-23
EATER Lost German Line.

British Army Headquarters in
France, Nov. 23.-The British are bat
Ting their way forward '~sr hon
thren mi'es west of Cambria after
breakng into the enemy's last de-
tense line at Anneux and Cantaing.
They were drawing in on Bourbon
wood. which dominates the entire sec
ton, including Cambria.
British rayal-y, tanks and infantry
were operating along line running
from west OF Cambria to the south o.
that town.
The present battle more than any
other in the western theatre has tax
en- on the SAVIOR of fightirr IN other
wars when men struggled in the open
and cavalry made thrilling charges
against enemy guns. Many military
critics have long contend2d that cav
airy was a thing Of the past. but the
mounted men have refuted this claim.
The Hindenburg lines on the Cam
brai front Were the strongest the Ger
mans had laid out in the west. The
enemy considered them impregnab]e.
but they were protected by very
deep belt of barbed wire, which It
was thought that only a protracted
Commandment by great concentration
of guns would but sufficiently to allow
the infantry to go through.
British tanks had never before been
called upon for such extensive work,
but they did in few hours what the
artillery would have required days to
accomplish. The Hindenburg line was
pierced absolutely on wide front and
to a greater depth than ever before.
The correspondent inspected the
main Hindenburg line near Havrin-
court and saw the amazing work done
BY the iron monsters. In most places
they had no trouble either in tearing
through the wire or in crossing the
trenches. There were gaps In the
wire entanglements rod in width,
where not one vestige of wire was left
standing, and by following the tracks
of the tanks one could see where they
had trundled across the trenches as
though they were merely scratches in
the ground instead Of wide. deep
bitches.
The fighting about Flesquieres be-
gan Wednesday night, but 1t was not
until about eight o'clock Thursday
that the British made an organized
assault on the town. The tanks went
ahead and were engaged Immediately
by seven heavy German guns, which
began to fire at them point blank at
short range. 1t was a critical moment
for while the tanks will withstand
heavy fire they cannot be expected TO
stand up long under big shells hurled
from guns only short distance away.
The British infantry, which swarm
ed through behind the tanks, saw the
predicament of their friends and de-
liberately charged upon the artillery
with rifles and hand grenades. All
the guns were captured and their
crews were killed
A similar incident occurred at Pre-
my Chappelle. northwest OF Marcoing,
where three guns were stormed and
their crews annihilated. Some of the
most spectacular work OF this nature
fell to the cavalry. The mounted
troops got into Marcoing and Mas.
nieres and in the latter town engaged
in sanguinary battle with German in
fantry. An enemy battery there was
giving trouble and squad of horse
men charged the position, shooting or
ssbering the entire gun crew. Another
battery at Rumilly was taken in SINH
lar fashion.
Graincourt was carried by storm,
cavalry tanks and infantry working to-
gether.