Middletown transcript., 1918-09-14
GERMANS BACK At
H|NDENbURG LINE
indications Of Purpose to Make
Stand There.
BATTLE ENTERS new PHASE
Germans Doubling Their Rear Guards
And Seeking BY Counter-Attacks
To Slow Up The Allied
Drive.

Drive.
Paris.-The Germans have markedly
stiffened their resistance against the
Allied armies from the region of Arras
to Rheims, but their efforts to ward
off further encroachments into the
territory they are holding have failed.
All along the front the German big
the Allies are endeavoring to gain.
chine guns in vast numbers are being
used in front Of strategic points which
the Allies aer endeavoring to gain.
Nevertheless the British have dug
more deeply into the sector southwest
Of Cambria, capturing important po-
sitions on the four-mile front between
the Havrincourt Wood and Pieziere,
regaining their old trench positions
dominating Gouzeaucourt and captur-
ing GouzeaucOurt.
To the south the French are only a
short distance west of st. Quentin,
and are at the gates of La Fere. On
this last-named sector the French
daily are charging their turning
movement against the st. Gobain
forest, the conquest of which would
remove the greater barrier to an Al
lied advance in force eastward toward
Laon in an outflanking movement
against both the Aisne and Chemin des
Danes positions Of the enemy.
The Germans here and northeast of
scissors are also offering most deter
mined resistance against the French.
realizing that should General Mangin's
strategy prove successful the entire
German line eastward to Rheims nee
essarily would be compelled to under
20 marked readjustment. Thousands
of machine guns and guns of larger
| caliber are roaring away against the
French, both from the St. Gobain for
est and the plateau above the Ailette
River, northeast of Scissors.
Along the Aisne the Germans are
still endeavoring to retard the advance
of the French in further crossings OF
the stream probably in order to give
their main army a chance to make its
way unimpeded northward in case of
q quick rush by the French toward
Laon, a maneuver which seems in the
making by Marshal Foch's forces.
Large numbers of achievements have
been rushed up by the Germans here
and also along the Aisne front. where
the Americans are fighting alongside
the French.
Particular attention is being given by
the Germans to the three hinges Of
their line-in Flanders, northeast of
Scissors and around Rheims. A
break through at either point by the
Allies would spell disaster to the
enemy. Therefore, the German high
command is buttressing them for
eventualities. In Flanders the Ger
man strategy seems to be the oblitera-
ton of points vulnerable to sharp as
saults. Particularly il this noticeable
along the Lys River, south of Ypres,
where the Germans are reported to
have removed all their artillery to the
east side of the river, and a little to
the north, around Wytchate. where the
British have advanced their line near
" mile, and apparently with slight
opposition.
The concentration of artillery of all
calibers, including machine guns and
large bodies of men in the region of
scissors, where every nook and cram
ny of the rolling country contains
hordes of defenders, proves the i'm
portance the enemy places in holding
this territory, while nothing is being
left undone in the region around
Rheims to strengthen in gun and man.
power the German line against the
assaults the Germans apparently real
lie are soon to come.
After virtually two months of hard
fighting in which, from Arras to the
Marine, the Germans everywhere have
been worsted, General Foch has given
no outward indication that he is to
permit the Germans breathing spell.
The greater portion of the German de-
fensive system in the battle zone al
ready has been demolished, or is in
the process of demolition or of being
made untenable Less than thirty
miles of the old Hindenburg line re-
main intact. This is from the south
west of Cambria to La Fere, and the
British and French are virtually upon
It at distances ranging from a half
mile to six miles at the farthest.
where the British and French are
standing west of st. Quentin. When
the drive began, St. Quentin was
thirty eight miles distant from tho AL
lied front.