The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-09-28
CAMBRIA IN SIGHT
OF BRITISH ARMY
Gain of 1000 to 5000 Yards
Includes Strong Points on
Hindenburg Line.
CITY APPARENTLY INTACT
Spires and Chimneys Indicate
Town Has Escaped Serious
Damage.
Nv PERRY ROBINSON.

DdIldSt.
ny PERRY ROBINSON.
Special Cable Despatch to THE Sun from the
London Times Service.
Copyright. 1918: oil rights reserved.
WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE,
Sept. Give attacked again to-day on
fourteen miles running north from
Gouzeaucourt, the greater part OF the
area Of the attack ooinciding with that
Of the battle of Cambria last November.
Our success promises to be great Be
fore noon we had pushed forward in
some places 1000 or 5000 yards, the
villages Of Graincourt. Flesduieres,
Rfbecourt and Beaucamp apparently
were in our hands and we had broken
through and captured nearly ten miles
Of the Hlndenburg system, including
the main support lines.
On most OF the front troops from the
British Isles were engaged, but on the
north the Canadians were cooperating !:
they penetrated close to Bourbon Wood
and where we shall be at the end of the
day 1t would be rash to conjecture. The
success OF tho whole attack Ia beyond
question: b0uiucS putting peHHIu eho
Canal du Nord and its difficulties. 1t
gives us possession Of this large stretch
of the Hindenburg system. the Flies
auieres ridge and other important
ground.
Success Everywhere Complete.
1t Is unnecessary TO emphasize the
importance of this area or the serious
| ness OF the threat Involved for the Ger
mans by any considerable advance at
this point. We expected the enemy TO
fight hard in an effort to stop our In
itial progress, either preventing US from
crossing the dry bed Of the canal or in
desperate defence OF his main positions
II was evident that We were attacking
positions OF great strength under con-
dtions OF much difficulty. where a stout
defence might make our task formid
able. The defence, however. was stout
only in places. The front part of the
position was held lightly, and in tn,
others there seemed to be little fight II
the enemy. Our success everywhere wa.
instantaneous and complete.
The attack was delivered very earl,
in the morning. just as daylight wa
breaking. Rain had made the groun,
slippery. but 1t was not so serious a
to hamper US. Some tanks were used
but not great number, and one of tn
astonishing achievements OF the oper
ton Is that We succeeded in makin
secretly the necessary arrangements t.
get the tanks across the deep chasn
Of the canal.
Enemy Not Wholly sarprised.
1t is uncertain whether the German
were surprised entirely. Some of tn
i Ill
half an hour earlier than It came an,
had given up expecting it. Others sal,
they had no warning. Still others asser
that local attacks were to have bee
made against us a few hours later, an
yet others assert that part OF the garri
sons had been withdrawn from certai
sectors to avoid capture, which was sur
| 10 follow IL an attack were delivered.
The attack was made with PRACTICAL
no preliminary bombardment beyond til
barrage. which sounded tremendous
German officers who are prisoners speal
OF II as murderous. The German in
fantry.- except in a few cases, did no
fight we'll. The German guns were sloy
and feeble when they got to work. GU
men had scaling ladders and othe
things to help them over the canal. bu
for the most part they seem to hav
tumbled down the wall on one side an
to have clambered uD on each other
shoulders, and they were up SO quickl
they were fairly clear before the Ger
, man barrage came. Our casualtie:
therefore, were extremely light.
Canadians Lightly Resisted.
On the extreme left the Canadian.
attacking north OF Moeuvres, appear I
have had little difficulty in xon
through TO the edges OF Bourbon Woo
and to have encountered small resist
, ance, Scottish and English troops ha
, some trouble on the south side of III
Bapaume-Cambrai road. along So,
trench. the especially strong point c
! Hog post and other places west G
Graincourt. where there were grea
numbers OF machine guns.
, On the north side OF the Cambria
road we seem to have rushed both tn
Hindenburg main support lines wit
/ little resistance and before noon ha
, occupied factory on the Cambria roa
3 we'll 10 the east of the Hindenburs sur
, port line north Of Graincourt Belo,
, here we seem TO have carried the whol
! OF the Hindenbprg system as far q
: F1esquieres.
In the bright sunshine the towers ,
!, Cambria rose clear; to all appearance
the city - unhurt. Besides the cath,
Z dral five other spires rise cleanc,
S ! against the sky here and there. an
Y all the chimneys lift above the soil
n area OF roofs, which show no damag
4 Cambria to-day looks like a pleasar
! town.
ri Enemy Artillery Light.
Our guns seemed TO be everywher
while the German Smelling was extraord