The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1918-08-16
HUNS ON THE RUN
ON P|CAROY FRONT
MONTDlDlER FALLS TO ALLIES
AND GERMANS ARE RETREAT
ING TO THE SOMME.
Americans Aid in Rolling Back Teutoa
Line, Enemy Being Unable to Stop
the Victorious Allies in Latest
Drive Toward Berlin.

paris.-The French have driven the
Germans before them for an important
gain east of Montdidier in Picardy.
That city, which was the apex of
German salient that now has been
wiped out, fell to the French fourth
army at midday Saturday. Before
nightfall the victorious French forces
had carried the battle line onward to
an average depth Of six miles on
front of approximately twenty miles.
In the three days of engagements
that eliminated in the taking of Mont
didier, the French took 5000 prisoners.
Their capture also included 200 guns
and an enormous amount of material.
Crushed by the impact Of the Brit
ish, French and American offensive on
the battle line from Albert, northeast
of Amiens, to Disc river north of Com
piegne, German forces are streaming
back toward the Somme river and the
Nesle-Noyon canal. SO far as can be
determined, the enemy Is in full re-
treat all along the front against which
iiit tiiitS nuns tItllNtiNCS lIC ldttNi
part of the week.
The drive of the past week in Pic
ardy was a complete success The real
offensive was launched from the direc-
ton of Amiens within three days after
the French and Americans had been
definitely halted at the Nesle river.
Before the crown prince could send
"a Iixrix tn a,.IN l..
British and French swept forwaru lr-
reslstibly with tanks, big and little, as
the piece de resistance of their drive.
With Nillers Bretonneux as a center,
the British struck to the north and
south. Their northern flank of attack
reached almost to Albert, their south
err to Hangard. South of that the
M0rise and Moreuil where heavy re-
sistance was to be expected. The Brit
ish attacked without artillery prepa-'
ration. The French bombarded the
J enemy for about 45 minutes before
moving forward to the assault Then
they took Morisel and Morueil in Sc
we're lighting. Meanwhile the British,
Australians and Canadians had been
pushing forward south of the Somme
with the apex of their wedge directed
i toward Rozieres. The first day they
f did not take that town, which is about
, seven or eight miles east of Nillers, but
: they gained positions beyond it to the
[ north. On their left flank the British
l did not make much progress north of
6 The Somme, and on the second day of
the fighting they lost Chipilly. On that
day, however, the German resistance
! TO the south was broken by the British
! and French, who began to get Montdi-
dier into pocket.
To the north, in the center the Brit
ish, with do9ns and Australians,
continued to gain toward Chaulnes
after occupying ROzieres. AT Chipilly
Americans were thrown into the fight
Friday afternoon, and, with the aid of
the British, recaptured it. On Satur-
day they pushed some distance beyond
Chipilly and Morlancourt, in the same
region.
BY this time the enemy's lines had
been so seriously shattered that q gem
eral retirement to Il wholly new line
, was imperative. Indeed, the high com
, this retirement ON the first or second
day of The fight, but even this timely
provision failed to prevent the allies
from capturing hundreds of cannon
, and thousands of prisoners.
The American drive in the Marine
salient was the turning point of the
F., war, but it is doubtful whether it OBJ
{ tanned the fruits that would seem to
: be the inevitable sequence of the
Franco-Brtish victory, in which the
: Americans are successfully participate
e ing. Both battles have been entente
successes in special sense.
On the Soissons- Rheims front the
French and Americans have been nib
/ bling at the enemy, but in the process
e they have established some strong
bridgeheads across the Vesle river
from which to continue their opera.
! tions. If the Germans retreat to the
: Hindenburg line, there will be nc
chance Of holding the line of the Nese
and the crown prince will withdraw
= without attempting TO try conclusions
with the French and Americans soutf
!, Of the Aisne.
/. BY means of their air supremacy the
allies can watch every movement oi
u the retreating enemy as If the entire
c battle We're being thrown upon NOV
ing picture screen. The enemy, mean
time. is almost blind. His machines
have been downed IN such numbers
that he cannot tell what the opposing
forces are deiAg or planning.