The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-13
Both British and French Score
Victories Today.
AERO BATTLES SPECTACULAR
TeutOns Swept From Sky in
Fantastic Fighting.
Prisoners Say 4 Divisions Ger
man ReinfOrcements Coming.
CBy the Associated Prcss.)


Great holes are being driven in the
famous Hindenburg line by the British
in their powerful offensive thrust
from Lens to ST. Quentin.
Having cleared Vimy ridge, the
northern pivot of the line and taken
Monchy LIE Preux a key point south
east of Arras, compelling the Germans
to look backward for another line on
which to make a stand the British
are also giving attention to the sector
between st. Quentin and Cambria. To-
, days official report from London tells
of another notable victory won in an
assault in this sector along a mile
front. Position after position was
taken by General Haigs forces be-
tween Hargicourt, eight miles north
west of st. Quentin, to Metz En-
Couture, ten miles southwest of Cam
brai.
While the British were halting mo-
mentarily on the northern end of the
lines to consolidate their gains and
move up their artillery meanwhile at
tacking in the center, the French chose
the opportunity to make a sharp
thrust south of st. Quentin. Their
attack was delivered this morning and
its success is recorded in the Paris
official statement which recounts the
capture of several lines of trenches
between the Somme and the ST.
Quentin railway in spite of desperate
German resistance.
General Nivelle's troops also have
kept up their offensive movement
south of Oise. making further pro-
gress east of Coucy La Vile.
Capture Mile of Famous Line.
With the British Armies Afield.
April 13.-Anotfer mile. of the Hin
denburg line was captured by British
tod Ir.r !,
east of the CojeuI river Their possess
sion by General Haigs troops more
and more threatens the pivotal point
of the German line around Arras.
Scores of captured trench defenders
today were transport drivers and as
sistants, chauffeurs, bandsmen and
other auxiliary service men. They had
been pressed into service around Fam
pouX and Hyderabad redoubt. where
the British then smashed hardest in
the hurried call for every available
man to Withstand the British blows
One other bit of desperation was in
the repeated-and fruitless-attempts
by German airmen to fly over the
British lines and learn where Haig's
mighty blows might next be expected
A swarm of British airmen patrolled
the air. Fantastic battles occurred al
most hourly today as the German fly
ers were literally swept out of the
sky.
Make Bavarians "Goats."
Among prisoners taken today were
many Bavarians. They were bitterly
denunciatory of the German leaders.
The Bavarians claimed they had been
hurried to the ArraS sector to relieve
the Saxons-and had not been told
of what they would have to face. The
Bavarians insisted it always fell to
! their lot to do the disagreeable tasks
of fighting.
The way in which German army
chiefs are scraping all possible men
together to fight against the British
onslaught was grar rhically detailed by
Russian prisoners who escaped to al
lied lines today. They had been forced
to dig trenches at the point of the
German bayonets.
Orders have gone out all along the
line of Haig's smash to German COM
manders TO "hold at all costs because
four army division are coming to rein
force.
From various sources today it was
learned the Germans were preparing
to complete the destruction of Arras
with the great forty-two centimeter
howitzers when the British push" in
terrupted.