Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-24
Today's War
Summary
CBy The Associated Press)

kSIlS AVA .WeSAl
smashing blows the Allied forces&f boz
tween Arras and soissons are moyins
steadily forward. The menace to the
German positions on the fifty mile
front increases hourly as the, Allies
take thousands OF prisoners and In
'flict heavy losses.
On the north, having hurled the
Germans from more or less important
positions on a 30Smile front the Brit
ish are nearing Bapaume and threat
ening the outlying .defences Of per
onne. The fall Of Bapaunne, It is said,
would be a disaster to the enemy.
Field Marshal Hatg's men now are
but a little more than two miles away
on the northwest, having taken
Achiet-le-Grand and Bihucourt in de-
termined fighting.
West Of Noyon the French have
forced a crossing Of the Divette at
Evricourt, three miles from Noyon,
and. they maintain their strong pres
sure from the south and east. Be-
tween the Aisne and the Alette. north
of Scissors, General Mangin's troops
are pressing close to the heights domz
mating the Chemin DIES Danes from
the German positions along the Vesfe.
The British third and fourth armies
are fighting over the old battlefield
of the Somme and are making marked
progress in fighting which resembles
in intensity the first days Of the drive
of July, 1915. They have crossed the
Albert-Arras" road over most Of its
length. They have seized the high
ground north, west and southwest of
Bapaume and have surrounded the
important position of Thiepval on
three Sides,
North and south Of the somme the
British-are closing in on Bray. They.
hold the heights to the northwest.
South Of the river they have taken
two villages east Of Bray, which lies
on the north bank in the area of
Lifons, the British are east of Herle-
Vile. =
From Chaulnes to south Of Roye
the battle line remains unchanged.
French and British guns are pouring
a heavy fire into and behind the front
here, the stability Of which is serious
ly shaken by the Allied progress to the
north and south. Noyon is still in the
hands of the enemy but it's usefulness
wanes as the French artillery bonn
bards it and the armies of Generals
Humbert n Mangin move toward it.
On the front north Of Scissors
General Mangin apparently is giving
most attention to sharpening Of the
salient which has its apex Immediate
ly north of scissors. He has gained
further ground east of Bagneux and
west of Crecy au Mont toward the
scissors Chauny road. Any advance
here adds to h vulnerability of the
German line eastward from scissors.
Fires are reported burning behind
the German position north Of the
Vesle and it is believed the enemy may
be preparing to retire. Infantry and
transports have been observed moving
northward from the Vesle in h last
few days. American and French
pressure continues along the river and
the Americans have gained some more
ground in the area about Fismes in a
local action.
Everything is going we'll. We have
begun u action and we shall con-
tinue." These are the words of Mar
shall Foch whose strategy has placed
the Germans in~their present unen-.
viable position. While the fighting
has been raging on the front from
Ypres to Rheims, the stretch Of front
from Rheims to Switzerland, where
American troops hold many sectors,
has been quiet. A blow by the Amer
leans IN the line Feast and south of
Rheims would not surprise some OBJ
servers in Washington.
For five weeks now Marshal Foch
has held the initiative and the Ger
mans have suffered probably the most
sever SetbackS and have lost more
ground in hat time than in any like
period since 1916 on the western
front. The sixth week has begun au-
spiciouslyw with the German line from
Arras to Scissors wavering under AL
lied blows and unable to, retire with
out inviting disaster. In the last week
more than 10000 prisoners, not count
ing Fridays Captures, have been TAX
en-, more than fifty towns and villages
regained and the Allies have pressed
on unchecked.
Minor fighting is going on in north
ern Italy, North Of iBassano the Itaf-
ians have taken some ground in the
Brenta valley. In central Albania the
Austrians have been repulsed in an
attack against the Italian line.