Grainger County news. (Rutledge, Tenn.) 1917-current, 1917-12-06
.Y|NDENBURG'S
CRUSHED.
Surprise Blow Dealt BY British
Ripped Famous Line On
Thirty-TWO Mile Front
FAMOUS TANKS DID WORK
Victory is Greatest Since Beginning of
War-Dozen Towns, Maze Of
Trenches and More Than 5000 Men
Are Seized.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
London.-With the biggest "bing!"
of surprise that this war has seen,
the British ripped 32-mile gap into
the Teuton spinal column in Northern
France.
Under the eyes of General Pershing,
they leaped "over the top" at dawn,
smashed steadily ahead until dusk,
rested up bit during the night, surg
ed forward again at dawn and were
still going strong when darkness fell.
A dozen towns, villages and hamlet5,
three formidably fortified woods, a
ridge fortress, and maze of trenches
and dugouts have been captured and
more than 5000 prisoners seized. The
Hindenburg liue, that had become a
taunt and challenge, is no more. With
in few days, when it has been con-
solidated and reconstructed by it's cap
tors, it will be known as the "Byng
line,' for the big smash was executed
by the Third Army under General the
Honorable Sir Julian Byng, English,
Scottish, Irish and Welsh troops com.
pose it.
The tanks won this two days bat
tie, the tanks tore the Hindenburg line
to tatters; the tanks led the way Of
the British to within three miles of
Cambria whose fall, now believed
near, will mean the ultimate fall OF
Lille and st. Quentin and the subse-
quent clearing of Northern France Of
the invaders. Not cannon shot was
fired preparatory to Byng's big push"
That was the biggest surprise factor
in the battle. In severe hand-to-hand
fighting at Flesquieres British troops,
preceded by tanks, stormed the town.
The Germans fired on the tanks with
seven big guns at short range. The
British infantry charged the guns,
captured them, and killed the crews.
Three other big guns were captured in
similar manner at Premy Chappelle.
Rumilly, sabering the crew.
Masniers, MARCHING, Ribecourt, Hav-
rincourt, Graincourt, Flesquieres, An
neux, La Vaquierie, Bananie, Neuf
Wood, Couilla Wood, Lateau Wood and
the formidable Welsh Ridge were cap
tured by the British The French
opened a strong attack on the Ger
mans on a six mile front north of the
Aisne, according to the official report
from German general headquarters.
The Paris report says: "The French
forces attacked in the region to the
north of Craome and Berry-au-Bac, on
front of about two-thirds of mile,
and penetrated the German positions
to an average depth of about 400 yards,
capturing strong defenses and taking
IT'S German prisoners"
The British were still using power
full forces against the Hindenburg line
in the Cambrai sector, the statement
added. The Berlin War Office was
forced to make some grave admission,
though 1t minimized the British sue
cess on the center, on the six mile
front between the high roads from
Jerome and Bapaume to Cambria.
But the news from the front shows
that there, as everywhere else on the
80 mile line of attack, the British are
forging ahead relentlessly and that
the fate of Cambria itself hangs in the
balance. Andrew Bonar Law an
nounced this evening in the House of
Commons that 5000 prisoners, includ-
ing $50 officers, have been taken by
the British in their present operations.