Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-08-16
FOE RETREATS ON
FIVE-NILE LINE;
GIVES UP TOWNS
Evacuates Positions in Region
North of Albert.
FRENCH TO OCCUPY NoYoN
Halg Says Germans Have Fled From
Beaumont, HameI, Serre, Puisieux-
Au-Mont and Bucquoy--Pe-
tain's Troops Capture Ribe-
court and Lassigny.

London, Aug. 1.-THE Germans
have evacuated their forward positions
at Beaumont Hamel, Serre, Puich5ux-
au-Mont and Buequoy, lying in the re
gion north of Albert, according to
Field Marshal Haig's communication
issued here.
This represents a retirement over a
front of about five miles.l
Win Ribecourt and Lassigny.
Ribecourt, about six miles south
west of Noyon, has been captured by
the French, and Lassigny also is be-
lleved to have been evacuated by the
Germans, after the most terrific fight
ing of the present battle of Picardy.
The taking of Ribecourt, which lies
at the southern and eastern edge of
the massif of Lassigny, is officially an
nounced from Paris, while persistent
reports say that Lassigny also has
been occupied.
Fall of Roye Near.
News now is momentarily expected
of the retirement of the Germans from
their remaining pivot positions on the
Lassigny heights. If this occurs, OBJ
servers here say, a complete change in
the present battle line-the old forti-
fled line of 1916-may occur, and the
enemy again may be forced into pre-
cipitate retreat.
In fact, it is believed the fate of
Roye is only a matter of hours, If the
Lassigny heights have been cleared.
All eyes are turned to the south end
of the battle front, around these wood
ed heights. For three days the army
of General Humhert has been driving
ahead against the massif, in the face
of the most desperate German resist
ance.
Huns Fall Back on Plemont
The announcement that the Germans
have occupied Plemont, as told in
French army dispatches, and passed
by the censor, indicated that the en-
envy has given up the village OF Las
signy.
Plemont is a high timbered butte,
about mile south and east of Las
sgny, and lends itself we'll to the sort
of defense the enemy is making with
machine gun units ordered to fight to
the death. 1t is an isolated point of
the so-called massif.
The fall of Ribecourt, however, ex-
poses the German flank and rear on
these parts of the heights to which
the enemy is clinglng. and 1t is consid-
cred only a matter of time until artil-
lery makes these positions untenable
What is more, a sudden dash up the
railroad from Ribecourt toward Noy-
oa to me northeast, might easily cut
off Une German troops fighting in the
Lassigny- Ribecourt-Noyon area.
Huns Retire to Plemont.
With the French Army in France,
Aug. 15.-The Germans now are in
Plemont, about mile southeast of
Lassigny. to which they retired follow
ing a new advance by the French.
General Humbert's army moved for
ward two miles and took the St Claude
farm, which makes the hold of the
French on the southern part of the
Thiescourt plateau secure.
At Plemont the Germans found posi-
tions all ready to receive them and
Were able to offer strong resistance.
The enemy took Plemont during the
fighting early in June and their old
trenches there still are organized with
wire entanglements.
Fall Back on Supplies.
The Germans have had one advan-
tage, here rs elsewhere, In that they
have been falling back upon their sup
plies, while the French have been
obliged to bring theirs up over a diff
cult country.
SO far General Humbert's troops
have had four days of constant tight
ing fully half of which has been spent
iu-gas infested sectors. During all this
fighting it was the machine gun against
the rifle, the Germans having compara-
lively few infantrymen in the front
line, but being plentifuny supplied with
machine guns-virtually one for each
man, and AL ambuShed.
French to Occupy Whole TRIANGLE.
Paris, Aug 15.-"Our methodical
pressure warrants the hope that the
whole triangle formed by Lassicny.
Rihecourt and Noyon soon viii be oc.
cupied, an official statement declared.