The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-09-03
DRIVESWIFTLY
TOWARDSCANAL
Retreating Boches Have Time
to Dig Only Shallow bitches
for Trenches.
ENE MY IN RCE
Expected Hun Will Offer Stiff
Resistance and Then Retire
Behind Waterway.

London. via Montreal, Sept. S.--The
town of Bertincourt, about midway
between Bapaume and Marcoing has
been taken by the British. according
to reports today. Doignies, about
three and n half miles northeast oi
Bertincourt, also is reported taken.
with the British Army in France
Sept. 3-I2:31 pm.) heavy fight
ing last night beyond the Drocourt-
Queant line the British are reported TO
have made further progress on a front
of $4,000 yards.
The villages of Saudemont and Re-
court. more than a mile and a half be-
yond Dury, the capture of which was
announced last night, are reported to
have been taken today.
The village of Etaing, two miles
north of Dury. fell late yesterday at
about tho Same time the British far
ther south were capturing Villers-leZ-
.Cagnicourt. These captures were ef-
fected after most bitter fghtng.
The enemy was in force at the last
reports to the southwest and to the
north OF Queant. From the ridges he
was pouring q heavy machine gun fire
at the British, who were returning the
fire and gaining ground at the same
time.
On the Somme battlefield the Brit
ish are driving at pace generally fast
in the direction of the Canal du Nord,
where the Germans have erected wire.
Their trenches here, however. have
only been half dug. it Is rumored.
The Germans. 1t seems to be ex-
pected will offer determined resist
ance along this line, as they now are
doing in front of 1t, and then retire
back of the canal II necessary. With
their lines at the canal in such an
embryonic state. however, little pro-
lection will be afforded the enemy
should he be forced to take refuge be-
hind them.
On the northern half Of the Dro-
court -Queant battle front there were
some 5000 prisoners in the cages last
night. Thousands more had been
taken to the hospitals wounded, while
probably more than 1000 additional
captures have been effected on the
southern half of the front.
In one place along the line of battle
eight German divisons--or rather four
con1pa ratively fre9h divisions and the
remnants OF four other divisions--were
fighting against three British divisions.
An officer from one of these enemy
divisions, which was the Second guards
reserve. said. however. that his divi-
sion had been in the fighting for more
than n week ana That ltS SlIcCtINcH
would number less than thousand
men. In his battalion only himself and
twenty -four of his men had survived,
he declared. He added that the Ger
man losses had been heavier than any
they had previously suffered.
Capture Town After Town.
In. their push northeastward along
the Bapaumc- Camhrai road the Brit
ish have reached Beugny. Unof'icial
ndyiccs from London this morning re-
portcd the British in today's advance
to have pushed some three and half
miles beyond this point. The town OF
Villers- -an-Flos. south Of Bapaume'
was in British hands early last eve
ming after severe fighting. After TAX
ing Sally -Saillisel the British pushed
on across the Bapnume-Pcronne road
and In the fighting Just to~thc north !
were well on their way toward Roc
uuiCnv The Germans were in heavy
force in the region OF Noreuil and hard
fighting was in progress there.
There is cvery sign TINT the enemy |
Is hrrrying his retirement on this mart
of the British front to get behind |
what is left NJ his defensive line. This
now line Of defense he expected to take
up behind the Canal du Nord is not
worry strorg nnd is too neor
Douai and Cambria to he comfortable !,
to the enemy.