The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1917-11-29
General Byng Smashes Through
Hindenburg Line Toward
City Of Cambrai.
BOOBIES TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Tanks Play q Big Part in the Sensa-
tionsi Victory--ltalians Bravely Re-
sisting Powerful Attacks Of Austro-
Germans-Enemy Aliens in Amer
ics urdr- Surveillance.
By EDWARD ~. PICkARD.


Lieut.. Gen. Sir Julian Byng smashed
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
TeutOn attacks on most of the Piave
river line. General Allenby and the
British army in Palestine moved
steadily on to the development of Je-
rusalern. The French struck the
crown princes forces hard blow in
the AiSne sector. President Wilson
placed the severest rest. .ctiOnS on en-
envy aliens in the United States.
Altogether it was not Il pleasant
week for Kaiser Wilhelm.
General Byng's sensational advance,
which was begun Tuesday and con
tnued through the week, was hailed
as the greatest British victory since
the Somme. Its success was due large
ly to the element of surprise, for the
British had been delivering their pre-
parat0ry 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 1t out. first sent out a great
number of tanks, and as these cleared
away the barbed-wire entanglementS
and broke through two of the strong
est lines I'm the German defense SyS-
TEN In the west, the infantry and cav
airy followed with rush that car
ried all before It, The Germans were
demoralized and for many hours Of
fered little resistance, Surrendering
by the thousand and the British
moved rapidly forward taking village
after village, and quickly c0nsolidat-
ing 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 10
no avail, for the British pushed on I'M
iii they had put behind them the towns
of MosniereS Marcoing, Ribecourt,
Havrincourt, Graincourt and Flies
quiereS. The tanks still were leading
the way and cooperating with them
were the mounted forces, which have
had so little opportunity for real ac-
tIon BY Thursday noon Byng's troops
were but 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
ton up TO their new lines and also be-
gan 10 widen out their salient. which
AT frst was dangerously sharp. Crown
Prince Rupprecht rushed up masses
Of troops and took up strong position
in Bourbon wood Just north of the
British salient, dominating the imme.
date region. He also pushed the ad-
vance posts of the British out of Fon-
taine Notre 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
NhN hCA'hlNllk ul'l NilNuhN Nhlulll'N
for the skill of the British command
ers and the efficiency of the aviation
corps which prevented the enemy air
scouts from discovering the massng
Of troops and tanks. The Cambrai
sector had been quiet for n long time
and the Germans considered that part
of their defense lines impregnnhle
They also thought an attack In force
on such dcfenses could not be made
successfully without artillery prepu-
ration. AT tremendous cost they have
learned they were mistaken in both in
stances.
Attack Has Several Objects.
Aside from the capture of Camhrai
and the possible forcing Of general
retreat of the Germans on the west
front, the Immediate object OF this
British offensive probably was TO re.
lieve the pressure on the Italians and