Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-18
FAMOUS HINoENsURe LINE.
Comprehensive Description Of Suppos
ed Impregnable Positions.
.eWs.srn Nsxspapse U!

/
Comprehensive Description Of Suppos
ed Impregnable Positions.
The celebrated Hindcnburg line o
Sicgfricd line. barring the Allies roaC
To Berlin. has been compared by th'
German leaders to the great wall o
| China. Until the British broke 1t II
the spring Of 1917 they believed II i'm
prcgnablc TO assault as was once th'
Chinese wall and regarded II as thu
eighth wonder of the world,
| The Hindcnburg line ~ general,
defined Is about 60 miles long running
in Il general north south direction u
cross the Picardy Plains in France
Its northern extremity was guarded
by the heavily fortified bastion Of Vim!
Ridge and by the mining city OF Len:
whose underground corridors anC
chambers have long barred the Brit.
| ish. The southern end Of the Hindcn.
burg line. proper Is In the vicinity o
la Fcre or Laon. That end Is pro.
| tcctcd in part by the forest Of ST. Cob.
, ain and the Notifications around
Laon.
Between Vimy Ridge on the NORTH
and La Fcrc on the south the line pass
cs west Of Cambrai and ST. Qucntir
so as TO protect those two important
industrial railway ccntcrs which arC
routes for bringing up supplies fol
the German army.
Some war correspondents describe
the German line rs continuing south.
eastward from La Fcrc to the Aisnt
river and Rheims following the line o.
the Chcmin dcs Danes. They cal
that part of the line southeast of Il
Fcrc the Alberich line. This would
add about As miles. making a tota
length of more than 100 miles. Gencr.
ally. however. the Hindcnburg lin,
has been described as running onl!
from Vimy Ridge to La Ferc.
Fearing that the northern end of tho
line might be turned the Germans cs'
tablished switch" line connecting
with the Hindenburg line at Quean
and running north about % miles tC
Drocourt. They called this switch the
Wotan line.
| The northern end of tho Hindcn.
burg line and the Wotan line botf
have been broken more than once b.
! the British armies and both are now
I in possession OF the British armies
Long ago the Germans lost Vimy Ridge
and have failed to rctake it.
The Hindenburg line is not trcnci
but system of field Notifications
In places it is said to he ten mile:
deep. consisting not only Of the trencl
system but Of multiple lines Of barbct
wire cntanglcmcnts. concrete positions
for artillery deep dugouts capa
numerous pill boxes for machine gum
and. In fact. every device tho German
have been able to assemble to block tn
way to Germany.
Near Bellicourt was n formidabl
underground fortification known as tn
Tunnel Trench" which the German
believed to be imprgenable. This tunnc
connecting the trenches was over
mile long and was mined for its Who'll
length. lighted with electricity and ha
entrances at short intervals. II wa
reinforced by concrete pill boxes an
support trenches. The British cap
tured it in November. 1917.
Below Graincourt the British troop
found their catacombs along the Hin
denburg line. They were elaborated
fitted up as battalion headquarter.
electrically lighted and protected wit
concrete trenches. In front Of Cam
brai, the villages. behind the lin
had beneath them great cham
bers which it would be q slander to ca
dugouts. They are more like hotels
fitted with electricity. water, sewer
drying rooms and kitchens. They wer
shell proof and bomb proof. Th
trenches there were built along III
banks of the Canal Du Nord whic
runs north and south near Havrin
court.
= Important German strongholds pre-
tcct the southern section Of the lir
near La Fere. The forest OF st. &C
balm presents an almost insuperab
obstacle in attacking this end of tn
line.
Laon. lying within the big Corner
where the line turns eastward alon
the ChemIn des Danes. Is regarde
as the keystone OF the whole Germa
system. Hundreds Of German batter
les were installed in the screened ray
4 ines around that city and in the fol
! est Of st. Gobain.
Southwest Of Laon the town W;
protected by Massif of Menampteu
behind whose crest are hung und,
ground ravines and shelters some b
enough to hold a whole regimen
The forest OF Laon was crammed wit
a vast store of munitions and mateI
ials. Divisions Of troops could col
centrate in II unseen.
Recently the Germans discovery
that the big dugouts along the Hill
denburg line were nothing but deal
traps. An order by the Germa
divisional commander forbade Il
German troops to occupy dugou
which descend more than eight stel
underground.
Behind the Hindenburg line Il
Germans are credited with three 9th
lines OF defenses.