The Knoxville independent. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1894-current, 1918-10-12
GERMANS START
Retreat FROM
BELGIAN COAST
Enemy Moving Artillery as Brit
ish and BeIgians Renew
Advance.
FRENCH GO PAST ST.QUENTIN
Capture of Stronghold Shakes Whole
Teuton system--Haig's Forces
Break Enemy's Line on Fon-
somn1es- Beaurevolr Front


Paris. Oct. 3.--The Germans are
moving their heavy artillery away
from the Belgian coast, according to
reports here.
The Belgian army, cooperating with
the British army Of General Plumer
and the French army of General de
Goutte, successfully renewed their
heavy attacks on the Flanders front.
1.-THE advance Of the allies in Bel
gium has created such a menace to
the German submarine bases that the
removing Of the foes big artillery
may Indicate an abandonment Of inn
portant coast positions.l
Big German Retreat Starts.
Along the roads running east and
northeast from the st. Quentin Cam
brai line In northeastern France long
trains of transports are moving back
toward the Belgian frontier. Aviators
Of the allies have reported this first
indication that the defeated enemy
has begun to retreat before the
thrusts Of the British, French and
Americans along this line.
While the battle still RACES fiercely
along the front where for the last five
days a titanic struggle has been going
on, the enemy evidently realizes that
the inroads made by the allies on the
: HInGienhVr1 line hpxe shat} }hsz'd that
famous position and made 1t unten.
able.
Military observers expect, now that
a. retirement Is actually In progress,
that the whole German line will crum-
BILE as the Teutonic armies make their
way back to their next defensive po-
siti0ns.
French Are Beyond ST. Quentin.
French troops now have passed be-
yond ST. Quentin. Northeast, east
and southeast Of the town they hold
a line running along the Somme from
TronQuoy to Rouvroy and then along
the st. Quentin-La Fere road to the
River Oise at Vendeuil.
West and north Of Reims the
French have made further important
gains. The entire massif of st. Thier-
ry now is in French hands. North
west Of Reims the French have taken
Pouillon and Thil and have reached
the southern outskirts of villers-
Franqueux. North Of Reimsi they
have pushed forward their line to the
outskirts Of Bethany. There was no
change in Champagne.
ST.. Quentin In Flames.
Heavy fighting took place in st.
Quentin Tuesday night. Resisting
stubbornly. the Germans were driven
back to the east bank of the canal.
st. Quentin Is burning at several
points, according to Premier Clemen-
ceau, who Informed Marcel Hutin of
the Echo de Paris that French avia-
tors have, great difficulty in flying over
the city because Of the smoke rising
from it.
Whole German System Shaken.
st. Quentin has been taken and the
cornerstone of the Hindenburg system
has fallen.
Thanks to the prodigious and unre-
lenting efforts of the, armies Of Gen
eral Debeney and General Rawlinson,
under the general direction Of Gen.
eral Fayolle-that fine soldier who
commands the group. of armies in that
sector--it is a most resounding tri-
umph.
st. Quentin's fall shakes the whole
German system. Its effect will be
widespread. This will be accentuateo
by the strong push that is being made
in the upper Oise valley. The allies
here are across the multiple water.
ways upon which the enemy so large
ly based his defenses Before them
lies the open country, which is ideal
for tanks.
British Break German Line.
London. Oct. 3.-Wide gaps have
been torn in the German line between
st. Quentin and LIE Catelet by Field
Marshal Haig's forces. The British
commander reported the breaking of
the German line on the Fonsommes-
Beaurevoir front. (Beaurevoir is 2h
miles east Of lie Catelet and Fon-
sommes is nearly Ave miles northeast
of st. Quentin.)
South of Cambria British and Scot
tish troops, with New Zealanders,
have occupied Crevecoeur and Ru-
milly.
Sequehart, Az miles southeast of
Bellicourt, has been captured, as has
the hamlet of Preselles, just north.
The Australians had finished the