New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-04

these Is gradually melting away
British Are "Cleaning Up
Strong British forces are now fight
ing their way down the Hindenburs
line itself and are cleaning it up as
they go.
While the British were fighting their
way further forward we'll inside the
Drocourt- Queant line to-day, an attack
was launched just to the south, where
strong British force is driving ahead
on the northern reaches of the Hinden-
burg line proper. Again there has been
furious fighting, thousands Of prisoners
have been taken and the enemy has
suffered terrific losses.
The Hun has tasted disaster in the
Drocourt line battle, and now his dis
organized and badly depleted forces
are working fast to prevent an even
greater catastrophe overtaking them,
Are Near Canal du Nord
The British are rapidly approaching
and are close to the Canal du Nord,
the territory behind which is even now
under heavy fire from many British
=. cannon.
~ The foe knows we'll that this move
:, ment contains grave menace to some
'"'of his forces and orders apparently
have been given to get them out with
all haste. The Canal du Nord, where
the Germans are retiring, is simply a
canal under construction and contains
no water. 1t is like railroad tunnel
with the top off. 1t is so feet across
and 60 feet deen. with its sides for the
most part granite walled sloping
slightly inward toward the bottom
There may be as hard fighting here as
there was last year.
Lowlands Are Flooded
1t was early in the morning, after a
night in which battle of the most
stubborn nature was fought. that the
Germans began to show real signs OF
generally being beaten. The village of
Etaing was reported cleared up. Ham
blain- Les-Pres. on the extreme flank
was taken, and the troops moved east
ward. But they did not so far, as the
Germans, in desperation, had damned
the river Scarpe at Vitryen-Artois and
flooded the lowlands in this locality
Patrols entered Biache-St. Vast
which soon was reported entirely capt
ured From this general locality on
the north the British pushed sharply
forward. Early in the forenoon air
planes reported no Germans in any
number west of Ecourt St. Quentin
which is east of Recount and Saude-
mont, where the British were pushing
on and overcoming the diminishing re
sistancc.
Germans Admit Defeat
The first substantial indication that
the Germans admitted defeat was when
the British troops entered Recount
after having reached the outskirts last
night. They had not been in the town
for more than few minutes when the
enemy artillery began Smelling it heav-
lily from a distance.
The British drove down the Arras-
Cambria road with ease to-day. One
force, according to word received at
headquarters, captured Inchy-en -Artos ;
another occupied and cleaned up the
entire Buissy Switch.
While this was going on a squadron
Of airplanes, discovering a large group
of the enemy some distance to the east
managed to break through the protect
ing German planes and rained bombs
down upon the masses, and this prob
ably upset any idea the Germans had
81 making a determined stand west Of
the canal.
Enemy Planes Absent
Since that time airplanes report only
y few Germans visible for any distance
on the western side of the canal. and
these observers flew over the whole re-
gion at an altitude of only two or three
hundred feet.
fantry moved forward so rapidly at
many places that they completely out
ran their own artillery and pressed or
with only machine guns preceding them
Since then, however, the guns have
been brought up and are pumping
shells at the far side of the canal
especially at the point where it is
crossed by the Arras- Cam rai road, fol-
here is bridge, and the concentra-
ton of fire is undoubtedly seriously
hindering the enemy efforts to get his
transports and his guns on the east
side.
The men, of course, can cross by
probably by few crossings that have
been thrown hurriedly over, although
at the moment the existence Of such
crossings is not known.
1t was after lnchy was taken that
British forces. among them Royal Ma
rines and naval battalions, began a
drive to the south past Moeuvre,
Cambria road before the Germans fee
ing along it, Pronville having been
taken during the night the British
from here worked in q southcasterls
direction and closed the valley OF the
Hirondelle River to Germans desiring
10 retreat that way, with the result
that the enemy forces had to swing
southwark. then eastward, probably
along the direction of the Bspaume
Cambria road also.
Without Food Four Days
Some idea of the German dsorgani-
zation may be had from the fact tina,
a number of crews of German howit1
ers captured were standing around
their guns. which they had blown up
Others complained that they had hac
nothing to eat for four days because OF
the great disorganization at their rear
The lack OF German she'll fire was
explained in many instances when gun
ners captured said they had no ammu.
milton whatever Many times, they de.
clared, they could have fired with open
sights into the advancing British. but
they had no shells, and could not get
any.
The f,,htpo +h;s oftorroOo coar,,