The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-10-12
1881 SUMTER c., SATURDAY, OCTOBER IL, 1918
GERMANS PUT TO FLIGHT.

CAPTURE OF CAMBRAI LINE DE-
STROYS DEFENSIVE
SYSTEM.
Hun Armies in Disordely Flight Be-
tween Cambria ard st. Quentin
Allied Cavalry Pushing the Retreat
ing Enemy.
The German armies are in fu!.
fight before the British, American
and French forces on the front be-
tween Cambria and st. Quentin. Cam
brai, the strong point Of the ener1y, IL
this region has been taken by the
Canadians IN its entirety and north
of Cambria the Canadians have
deeply penetrated the German line.
Out in the open in what was once
the old Hindenburg line, cavalry is
hustling the retreating foe in what
virtually amounts to a roGt. SO fast
is the retreat that columns Of the al
lied troops in parade formation have
passed through numerous villages,
completely out Of contact with the
German More than 10000 prison
ers and between 100 and 200 guns
were captured in Tuesdays fighting.
and the continuation of the battle
Wednesday resulted in further large
captures.
In the fighting % German divisions
more than quarter of a million
men-have been severely manhandled.
The maximum depth of the ad'
vance is between eight and ten miles.
The Germans are declared to be flee
ing to the east of lie Cateau. enc Of
: the most important railroad centers
in this region.
Eehind them the Germans are
leaving the country devastated, burn
ing towns and villages as they flee.
The formidable German defense
system between Cambria and St
Quentin has been utterly demolished
and British, American and French
troops are out in the open country
eastward in pursuit Of the rerreatins
enemy
Cambria, the pivot point in the
former line and over which there has
has been so much bitter fighting, is
in British hands; numerous villages
and halnlets to the south have been
overrun by the allies, and thousands
Of Germans have been made prison
er and hundreds OF their guns cap
tured.
Tre victory seemingly is complete
ore. and with General Foch's strategy
working smoothly in bending back
the German line in one great con
verging movement the Germans ap-
parently are in a serious predicament
From the region northwest Of Rheims
to the Meuse River, north OF Verdun
the French and Americans are slow
ly bat surely pushing the Germans
backward toward the Belgian border.
In Macedonia and Asiatic Turkey
the troops Of the entente still have
the enemy on the run. Nowhere is
the enemy able to more than fight
retarGing battles. giving ground when
the pressure becomes too strong.
Under the avalanche of steel huri-
ed against them on the Cambrai-St.
Quentin sector the Germans could not
live and were forced to flee eastward.
Heavy casualties. were inflicted on
those of the enemy who had the
temerity to endeavor to, make a stand.
On the other hand the casualties of
the allies are declared 10 have been
relatively small, those Of the Ameri
cans being. less than half of the num-
Der Of prisoners taken by them.
Where the enemy intends to make
his next stand can not be foretold.
but probably an effort for turnabou,
Will be attempted along the Valen-
ciennes-Sedan front After this line
the only known German defensive
position west of the Rhine is tbs
Meuse River. The Americans already
are threatening to make this line un-
tenable, having started an advance UP
the valley on the eastern side of the
stream toward Sedan.
The maneuvers Of the french
northwest Of Rheims are cutting
more deeply into the German line,
despite the strong resistance offered
oy the enemy to postpone the fall OF
the great ST. Gooain massif and tn.
highly important strategic positions
are likely to be pinched out of the
battle front by the successful opera
tons around st. Quentin and Berry
au Bac.
Strong resistance also is being i'm
posed by the Germans against fur
ther advances by the French and
Americans in Champagne and cas-:
OF the Argonre forest. Particularly
heavy counterattachs have been
launched by the enemy on various po-
sitions but without results other than
increasing his casualties. Along the
Suippe River the lighting is furious,
but the French have been able to
make additional crossings of ths
stream. st. Etienne has changed
hands several times in bitter COM
bats.
West of the Argonne forest ehe
l.. L. e.