The Sentinel=record., 1918-09-19

w llu tut DiiNISu Al ny III FlduNt, Sept lS-The British troops made a powerful attack against the German line to the west and northwest of St. Quentin today and most important re suits were achieved A deep ad- vance into the enemy territory strengthened the already powerful grip the British have on St Quentin, one of the most strongly fortified parts of the Hindenburg line
 To the south the French o-operat- ed in what is likely to prove an oper- ation of vast portent with respect to the Hindenburg defensive position.
 The zone involved in the British movement lay. roughly. between Hol- non on the south and Gouzeaucourt Within a few hours Peiziere, Tem- pleux, LeGe2rd, Epehy, Ronossy and Nilleret were behind the advanced British forces and bitter fighting was in progress at many other points in the forward zone.
 More than G,G0O prisoners have al. ready been sent to the cages
 The advance thus recorded--in some places more than two niles means that the British have at nu- merous points gained the crest of tbe ridge along which their old front line prior to the German offen- sive in March, and from their posi- tions were looking down on the lIin- denburg line in the valley to the east
 That hard fighting would be en- countered in this section was a foro- gone conclusion. The main enemy op- position came from machine guns and the Germans sent over in reply to the British bomtardment was much more severe than the enemy had been able to provide in the recent fight ing, and, as an additional new fel- ture, the Germans maintained a heavy barrage over the back areas with high velocity guns, which he had con centrated for the purpose
 The shelling of the back areas during an attack is expected but a barrage has seldom before been at tempted and then without great sue cess. The German infantry surrend - cred quite frequently in places, In fact in the center, where the Aus tralians were working, consider ,F da1 t.a ly charged through the British bar rage to give themselves up
 Todays operation cannot le con sidered major operation as compar- ed with recent battles. The objec- tlves sought, however, were import ant both from the offensive and de- fensive standpoints.
 The assault began at dawn. Un- fortunately rain began to fall about two o'clock and when the British went over the top the ground was all ready slimy and hard to negotiate especially when the ridges were reached and the men had to charge up them. Tanks accompanied tho troops and rendered invaluable ser vice in the early stages of the con flict which waXed warm from tho start
 The British preliminary lombard ment was brief and was followed b! the customary barrage for the pro tection of the advancing infantry The Germans immediately replied with a vicious fire from large mum bers of guns concentrated behind tn St. Quentin canal.
 Aeroplane observation was virtu ally impossible during the first hour of the fighting from either side, s that the gunners were shooting D map and were therefore greatly hand icapped,
 On the north Peiziere and strongl fortified sugar factory to the north east were taken by storm, after har fighting Epehy proved tough nu to crack. Here the famols Alpin