The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-09-14
Four-Mile Advance by British on
2O-Mile Line Smashes
the Foe.
.HAIG's men TAKE TOWNS
Germans Fall to React Heavily as
English Take Villages In Wotan De-
fense-Artillery Actions Re-
ported on Somme River.

LONDON, sept. 4.-On 'front.' VI
virtually so miles, from Just below
Ypres to point near Peronne on the
Somme, the German armies are In re-
treat. The determined German re-
sistance at the cross roads north Of
viIIers-Iez-caanlcourt was overcome
by the British and Haig's meh are
now showing forward In the direction
Of Cambria. A strong British force
10 driving forward on the northern
reaches of the Hindenburg line. The
British are well Inside the Drocourt-
Queant line.
London Sept. 4.-The British have
captured the city of Lens. The town
Of Queant also has been taken. Lens
was evacuated by the Germans, the
British moving In.
More than 10000 prisoners were
taken by the British Monday. Addi-
tional prisoners were taken Tuesday.
The British also hold Doignies, velu
and Bertincourt and Rocquigny, rep
resenting an advance to maximum
depth of four miles ON twenty-mile
front. h
Situation Interesting.
Contrary to expectations, the enemy
has not reacted heavily with view
to the recapture of the Queant-Dro-
court line, but has left the British in
undisturbed possession Of 1t.
The British found Diognies and Velu
unoccupied.
The situation In the southern part.
of the battlefield is said to be extreme
ly interesting, but nothing more can be
said for the moment.
Other Towns Taken.
With the British Army in France,
Sept. An heavy fighting beyond the
Drocourt-Queant line the British are
reported to have made further progress
on front of 1900 yards.
The villages of Saudemont and Re-
court, one and one-half miles from
Dury, captured Monday, are reported
taken.
The village of Etaing, two miles
north of Dury, fell late Monday at
about the same time the British farth-
er southwest were capturing Villers-
les-Cagnicourt. These captures were
effected after most bitter fighting.
Disaster to German Plans.
The sensational breaking of the fa-
nous Drocourt-Queant switch line
after a series of important allied ad-
vances with great captures of men
and material has made an immense i'm
preston here. While too great con-
fidence that the success can be main
tanned Is deprecated and while the ex-
pectation is general that the enemy
will make the most desperate efforts
to recover the position, the blow is re-
garded as one Of the worst disasters
inflicted upon the Germans during the
whole war and one which must cause
their high command the deepest anx-
iety.
The belief Is general that the switch
line Is the main system of German de-
fense, and that there is nothing equal
ly strong behind it. Consequently its
loss, if 1t becomes final. opens the
widest possibilities.
Threaten Hun Pivot.
Paris, Sept. ARTILLERY actions on
the Somme front and farther south be-
tween the Disc and the Aisne are re-
ported in the official statement issued
at the war office.
Monday was another day of notable
successes for the allies, results of the
first Importance being attained in the
face of stiff resistance to both the Brit
ish on the left of the line and to Gen.
eral Mangins French troops on the
right.
Constant movements toward the rear
of the German lines on the Somme
front in the regions of Ham and Guis-
card are reported by the correspondent
Of LIE Journal at British headquarters.
Hospitals and dressing stations are
being hastily cleared, while, conveys
are moving northeastward. harassed
by entente airplanes.
The French military commentators
write enthusiastically over the breach
in the Hindenburg line made by the
British between Droucourt and Queant.
astonishing as 1t may seem," says
Henri Bidou in the Journal Des De-
bats, "the enemy was once more taken
by surprise. Only by accepting this
as n fact can one account for the great
number of prisoners which indicate
the Importance of the forces engaged
and the lack of the prolonged resis-
tansa which. should have. .heen- the. con-