The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1918-10-31
Germans Driven Back on Whole
Front Between Sambre
and Scheldt.
MAKE HEAVY RESISTANCE
Furious Fighting Rs9es All Day From
Journal Southwark 10 lie Cateau.
Ralsmes Forest Is Cleared
OF Enemy.


American irops renewed their offensive
on The front between the Scarpe and
Disc rivers and made fast progress.
To the north OF yalencIennes the In
teryenlng territory before the Seheldt
river Is being rapidly cleared up. while
TO the south the allies are on the out
skirts OF the large forest Of Normal,
where desperate resistance is expected.
yalenciennes is reported by iiiers TO
be evacuated. except for small German
outposts. The allies are farther east
than the city on both the south and
north, leaving II In salient.
The British have crossed the Ecail-
Ion river at Beaudignies, north of the
Normal Forest.
South OF the forest the outlying
Bishops Wood has been entirely clear
ed OF the foe and the Sambre-Oise ca
nal reached to the east
Many villages have been liberated
More than 6,0o0 prisoners were taken
In the first day of the drive.
The French to the south crossed the
Sambre- Disc canal at Verly-le-Grand
and progressed beyond
North of Nizy-le-Comte, between Sis
some and Chateau-Porcein, the French
carried part Of the Hundlng position.
PershIng reported that the Ameri.
cans east of the Mouse had taken Bots
BelIeu and penetrated Bots d'Etraves
and Bots de Wavrille.
Military observers continue to spec
ulate on probable blow by the Ameri-
cans toward the German fortress of
Metz.
The possibility OF renewed Italian
| operations on a large scale was also
introduced by the capture Of Mount
| Sisemol. three miles east of Asiago, Of
fieially reported in Rome. Here and In
| two other successes the allied troops
on the Italian front took more than a
| thousand prisoners.
The enemy shows no signs of ceas-
| Ing his orgies of looting Every town
| the British have captured has been
| pilaged. Usually the Huns break up
and destroy whatever they are unable
TO carry off.
There are further signs that the
! Germans either are now carrying out
| or are on the verge of beginning a re-
treat from the Scheldt line, rs the
/ British north Of Valenciennes push out
! in the direction of Mons and Maui
| beuge. They are less than IS miles
from Mons and about Is from Maui
! beuge.
There was sharp fighting at Bousies
before II was captured AS the enemy
| retreated he exploded mines under
roads and railways.
Many Alsatlans have been captured
A large number of these expressed
a desire to join the French army, say
ing they had been dragged into the
German army against their will.
In brilliant moonlight, assisted by
roaring flocks of night bombing air
planes. the British fought throughout
the night and made steady gains They
are using seesaw tactics. Guns arr
moved up in relays, so there is con
stantly a heavy fire on the German
front and rear Infantry assaults are
launched at different times.
These tactics bewildered the Ger
mans. No enemy unit knows where
an assault Is coming and all are forced
to stand In readiness under torrents Of
steel, high explosives, shrapnel ant
gas. A concentration Il Preux for
counter attack vas observed from tn,
air
The Germans have broken down thu
banks aud opened the sluIcegate'
northeast and southwest OF NaIen
cIennes and have flooded vast stretches
of the country in an effort TO delay thu
British advance.