Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-21
NOWHERE IS ENEMY
ABLE TO WITHSTAND
TERRIFIC SMASHES
Foe Compelled to Fall Back
All Along Fifteen
Mile Front.
MORE THAN 5000 GERMANS
HERDED BEHIND THE LINE
British Forces Also Crush Prus-
sian Army Eastward Along
Scarpe River.
MANY VILLAGES ARE CAPTURED
New Victories in Arras and Lys Re-
gions Arc Considered Highly I'm
portant to Allied Success.
MORE THAN 5000 GERMANS
HERDED BEHIND THE LINE
MANY VILLAGES ARE CAPTURED
LPy Associated Prcss.l

tBy Associated Press 10.
From scissors TO tho Belgian border
the German armies in various impor-
tant sectors are being put to the test
by the French and British. And it Is
test that seemingly bodies Ill for the
Teutnnic arms for nowhere have they
been able to sustain the shocks.
Northwest Of scissors. from the
Aisne TO the Disc. north OF the Disc
to the region around Roye: In the Ar
ras sector and northward on the fa-
nous Lys salient the Germans every
where nave been compelled to fal! back
Under the pressure OF the French and
british troops. In n new offensive
launched by the French general Man
gin. over n front Of approximately fif-
teen and half miles, from Bailly on
the Disc to the Aisne near Sossons.
the French. in bitter fighting, have car
ried forward their line to an average
depth of two and a half miles, and in
the first phases of the battle had turn-
ed TO French possession numerous ems
emy-held villages and farms. In addi-s
t.on, more than 5000 Germans had been
herded behind the line as prisoners.
Al last reports Mangn's men were
still hard after the enemy. and unoifi-
cial accounts placed the French on va
rious sectors we'll In advance OF the
positions outlined In the French OIL
cial communication.
Along the Scarpe River. east Of Ar
ras. Field Marshal Haig's forces also
have kept up their harassing tactics
against the enemy. who has been COM
PEELED to fall back eastward along the
ScaEpe River. The Germans resisted
vigorously. but all to no purpose. and
hn nriti ti..t,o
east OF the village OF Fampoux. AL
though HaiS claimed only slight for
ward movement here, particular sig
nificance attaches to 1t by reason of
the fact that the Germans have been
driven back until they are virtually
back on the battle line as il stood In
December, 1917.
Northwnrd the Iys salient has been
again narrowed down by the opera
tons of the British, who. north OF
MerVi'ie. have taken the villages OF
Nierhock and La Couronne and also
reached the hamlet OF I.'Epinet;e This
gam represents forward movement
Of about a mile and half and places
the British astride the road running
Southeastward to Estaires.
GEHHANS STILL HETI1E
i;EFo:::1 HAI-'S ARMr
Field Marshal Haig's forces continued
TO advance throughout tuesday in the
Merville sector OF the I.ys salient. They
are closely following the retiring Ger
mans. who. Tuesday afternoon, seem
to have gone back to an extreme depth
OF between three and four miles and
are still showing no inclination to
come TO halt Especially to the
south OF this sector the Germans have
ieft behind them numerous lines OF re-
tardinS wire entanglemen,s.
by Withdrawing their forces in the
MerFille sector of the Lys salient the
Germans definitely have given up one
Of the points from which drive for
Calais logically would be launched.
This is taken to Indicate that the Ger
man hign command has, at least for tho
time being. abandoned hope OF reach-
ing the coast and now. perhaps. is
chiefly concerned with getting the Ger
man lines back to a place of greater
security.
The withdrawal here hac been ex-
peeteu ior some time. and it continued
!ast night AND to-day even on slightly
broader front than that OF yesterday
The retirement mar ed the conclusion
and failure OF the eror, which Ger
many launched early in tha spring TO
'finish off" the British army oy driving
through to the sea-
ALLIED VICTORIES ARE
REGARDED MOST IMpoRrAS
Taken all in all, the new victories
OF the allied troops are highly i'm
portant ones. The advance of the
French northwest OF SCISSORS, taken IN
conjunction with the successful ma
neuVers on the Lassigny sector and
south OF Roye. where Beuvraignes has
been captured. seemingly means that
the enemy forces from the Somme 20
the otse soon must give up their posi-
tons and retreat eastward. Indeed. 1t
seems. not improbable, now that Eoyon
Is well ou.hanked on the south and
southeast and the German line is none
too secure north OF Soissons that tho
enemy will be under the necessity OF
moving his troops northward from the
Nesle toward IL not across. the Aisnc.
The Germans still are stubborniy
contestins with the British points of
vantage on the line south OF the Somn1e