The Dermott news., 1917-11-29

of the captured towns under the guid- ance of their delivercrs from German bondage.
 This has been battle of strange sights, but no more striking spectacle has been witnessed than that of these people marching toward homes and comfort back of the British iron. l Through the very gaps which the tanks had torn in the famous linden burg line mothers were pushing baby carriages containing infants or tramp ing happily along with their babies clutched to their breasts. Beside them todded other youngsters, many ot them carrying their treasured dolls and pot a few clinging determlncdiy to squirlaing pupies which they dared not tiust to nm on the ground. Old men and women bringing away all l the household effects they could pack on pushcarts or carry on their backs.
 Tanks and CaValary Join.
 For three years they had been In captivity. and some of them in siav- i cry They had beer subsistng on the bounty of the American relief commit tee. which furnished them virtually the only tcod they obtained.
 1 Hard fighting has taken place et l Crevecoeur. southeast of Masnierps. l The British were holding high ridge in front of this place and some troops had forced an entrance into the west ern part of the town. The Germans were still holding the eastern portion, German battery here which had l been giving trouble was charged and captured bv di5mounted ,aN alrymen l The battery was surrounded bv heavy l barted wire-entanclements preClud- ing the use of horses. so the soldiers stormed the position on foot and an nihilated the gun crews.
 In the region of Rumilly heavy ma chine gun and rifle fighting was pro ceeding last night and this morning l West of Cambrai. tanks. cavalry and infantry were pressing the attack viz orously about Fontaine Nore Damt and the strong position in Kurlon Wood Fonta.ne Notre Dame has not been officially reported captured. but the story goes that tank crews were served with hot coffee hy the civilians in this place this morning. tField Marshal Haig.s official report Thurs day night said the Germans had re taken Fontaine Notre Damel.
 Further north near Bullccourt the British were in possession of the en- tire underground fortihcation known as the tunnel trench which had becn famed for it's supposed impregnability. Al least five determined counter al tacks have been smashed in this re zion Southeast of Bullccourt hard fighting occurred al Moeuvres last night and q strong counter attack was lrepulsed
 German Resistance Weak.
 The last line of trench defcnSes in the region oi Cautaing have been broken and the British were firmly es- tabfished at many points in the Mas nieres Bearurois line south of Cam brat
 l. is now possible to give more de tails of Tuesday, battle. In the ad. vance south Of Cambrai the first hard 1 fighting occurred at Lateau Wood. which lies on the Camhrai highway south ot Masnierc9 This wood hnal i y was cleared of Germans and the advance continued toward Masuieres Some opposition was encountered in suburb but by l o'clock this had been overcome and the British had crossed the 1. Escaut Canal The small German garrison fought bitterly to retain Masnieres The whole place was undermined with duCouts in which the enemy was hidden with machine guns. but the Germans were forced to give up this place after sanguinars struggle, although some of them were still holding out in tho cellars.
 Marcoing Was taken with small re- sistance on the part Of the enemy and this gave the British second cross ing Of the canal TAe advancing troops forced q passage here at the same hour as NSsnieres was entered The Masnteres Beaurois trench line north Of MasniereS apparently had been reinforced by Germans from Cambrai and this front held up the advance temporarily, but the British alternately forced the Germans from the trenches in hand-to-hand fighting.
 German resistance on the first day was comparatively weak as whole and they surrendered freely in many places, Yesterday their lines stiftened and hard fighting followed German reinforcement from Lens ant the two companies of invalids already men toned were thrown into the line
 Hand to Hand Fighting.
 The first counterattack came over the ridge from the northeast of Mas neres. The British had concentrated a large number of machine guns at this point and were hoping for coun- terattack. They permitted the enemy to advance to within 1 900 yards of