The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-08-28
FRENCH TROOPS
HAVE ADVANCED
ABOUT 5 MILES
Great Battle Extends From
Vimy Ridge to SOissOns.
Makes a Fighting Front of a
Hundred Miles.
FRENCH REPORTED At NESLE
Critics Are Sure Germans Seek
To Reach Old Lines.
Expect Retirement To Be Made
in Two Stages.
SMASH HINDENBURG LINE
British Have Gone Thru 8
Miles on Smile Front.
French Attack Again to the
North of Scissors.
SMASH HINDENBURG LII
British Have Gone Thru !
Miles on Smile Front.
French Attack Again to the
North of Scissors.

One of the great battles of
history was being fought today
over a front of nearly 100 miles,
extending from the vicinity of
the famous Vimy Ridge south
ward to the regions of scissors.
Three British and three French
armies were engaged there, their
lines joining south of the
SOmme.
In continuous fighting the
French since yesterday had
made one of the great advances
of the war and this morning
were within mile and half of
the Somme, at Licourt. They
progressed maximum of more
than seven miles on a front of 25
miles, between the Somme and
the Oise, taking thirty villages.
After capturing Chaulnes, which
had withstood the combined assault
of British and French troops FOR
weeks, French troops pressed on 11Ve
miles and reached the great railway
center of Nesle. This advance also
brought them within six miles of
The British yesterday took the
strongly defended town of Fouca-
court. south of the Somme, which
had held up the allied advance on a
wide front in that region. They also
cleared out Thrones wood, north of
the Somme.
Along the Scarpe. the British ad-
vanced to the outskirts of three vii
TTrcJ FNdr n
the old Hindenburg line In that
sector this defensive line has been
passed on a front of apparently nine
miles
In reaching Licourt, the French
have crossed more than half the
original Picardy salient at its deep
est point. between Castel on the
Avre, and St. Quentin. on the Somme.
The distance between these two
towns is about thirty-five miles. Ii
court is twenty miles east of Castel.
Mangin Attacks Again.
Paris. Aug. IS (4:4O p. m.)-Gen-
eral ManEin's troops began crossing
the Ailette river today, it was an
nounced here this afternoon.
French troops have reoccupied Mt
Renaud, two miles southwest of NoI-
on. according to the Temps weich
saws that the French are approaching
Noyon. which probably is in their pos
session.
The retreat of the Germans which
has been organized by General Von
Boehn during the last fortnight prop-
ably will be made in two stages, II is
said here. The first half is expected
to be behind the Somme and CrPZal
canal and the second will bring tht
enemy to the line of March p, from
which he launched his great offensive
OutfIanking Vcsle Line
American Headquarters on the
hn Git a.
+ion along the Vesle is altering, althc
in a most curious fashion. The Amer
ican pressure has not increased and
altho the American guns are never
silent for long, their obJectlVes rarelS
are the lines in front of them pu'
rather the bridges over the A1sne-
Notwithstanding stubborn enemy
resistance General Mangin is press
ing steadily eastward across the
Juvigny plateau toward the scissors
st. Quentin road and his guns alreaoS
are in position there to take In the
rear of the German artillery support
ing the line of the Vesle from the
great limestone buttress northeast tC
Soissons. This buttress is one Of grea
importance not only to the Nesle line
but also is the strongest of the flanl
defences by which the western end o
the Chemin-d -des-DameS is covered
That is why the Germans are MAKING
such determined efforts to retain 1t
Last year the apparently impreg
nable position of the Germans on tn
ridge line was turned from the west
ward. The prospect of recurrence o
this misfortune naturally is alarming
to them in view of what is happening
elsewhere.
CBy the Associated Press.l
German forces in southern Picard,
are retreating over wide front.
After the capture of Roye by tn
French yesterday. the German from
has crumbled- The lines which hav
held back the French and British TO