The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-09-09
BRITISH TAKE
TOWNS ON ST.
QUENTIN FRONT
General Haig Enters His Old
Lines.
FRENCH MAKE ADVANCES
Germans in Strong Positions offer
Increased Observation-Disclosures
Wood. Clearer.

London, Sept. 8.-The British and
French armies today continued their
pressure upon the retreating Germans
on the linked-up allied fronts, and
made gains toward ST. Quentin and
LaOn.
Haigs advanced troops on his
southern battle line have entered the
defense system which they held be-
fore the beginning of the German
offensive last March. Sharp iight-
ing has resulted from todays ad-
vance, the enemy offering increased
resistance in these strong positions.
Having captured yilleveque (siX
miles west Of ST. Quentin and Ste.
Emile { six miles west Of lie CatolcD
last evening, the British today still
pressed eastward, gaining ground in
that area.
The greater part Of IIayrincouri
Wood ton the northern part Of the
Hindenburg line southeast of Cam
brai) is now in British hands.
The French today made progress
along the banks of the S. Quentin
Canal north Of the Somme, captur
ing the village of Hamel and three
others to the west Of it.
South OF the S0mme their ad
vance met bitter resistance TIE
village of Avesne, captured yester
day, was retaken by the Germans
but again changed hands and re
mains French Nemesis (Which,
like Avesne, is on the southern
branch of the ST. Quentin CanaD was
occupied BY the French last night
Progress was also made on hotf
sides of the Disc. the French ad
vancing east of Fargnier (about twc
miles west of La Fere) and west OF
Servais, on the northern edge Of the
Forest of st. Gobain, which form;
the western defense of the Laor
region.
With the British Army in France
Sept So tAssociated ess)-F'urthel
slight advances by the British wer,
reported in the area in front of tht
Hindenburg line this afternoon. bu
elsewhere it seems that the British
again have paused, as Is necessar.
when great movements are tal1inl
place
Havrincourt Wood has been cleare,
almost entirely of the enemy rear
guards, who offered strong resistance
with machine guns at several places
Heavy storms have been sweepin
the entire battle area and have tend
ed to slow up the operations.
A small local counterattack in tn
Nieppe sector caused the British G
withdraw slightly
Aside from considerable artillery a
ton, the front generally was qdiele
today than for many weeks.
With the American Army in Franco
Sept Pressing northward in th
vicinity of Well Arcy, Vl'ers-en.Praj
erers, and Reyillon, Americans hay
established themselves along tn
canal which, running east and wes
plays tag with the southern bank {
the Aisne To the east from Revi
lon the line slopes a bit southwark /
the direction Of Rheims, and again:
this the French-American troops ar
maintaining pressure.
It is not part Of our plan to attac
the retreating Boche heavily but "
are maintaining contact all a'on
There is no evidence that the Ge
mans have stronger forces on tn
north bank Of the Aisue than the Gu
t0mary rearguard detachments
The general belief Is that the en-
my will surely so back soon to Il
Chcmin des Danes line. aud nothr
is more certain than that II the 81
rious progress of the French nor
Of scissors continues the German
will have to get well back of Il
Hindenburg line.