New-York tribune., 1918-09-21
Huns Ousfed From
Quarries by Gas
And Smoke Attack
(Bu The .Associated Press)

WITH THE BRITISH ARMIES N
FRANCE, Sept. 20.-Beyond local fight
ing, the British Third and Fourth
armies. northwest of st. Quentin, hav,
not been engaged to- day. In the loca
operations their new front has beer
further improved at several places.
The Germans are holding strong ma
chine gun detachments in the large
number of small farms, copses an(
sunken roads in this vicinity, but {
number Of these already have beer
cleared.
In front of St Quentin there were
clashes between the opposing infantry
and the British gained some grount
east of Holnon village. Smoke bombs
played an important part in the storm
ing of fortified quarries in front OF
The Hindenburg outpost system north
west of st. Quentin The quarres
covering an area more than mile deer
and two miles in width, have been util-
ized by divisions of the German Sec
ond Army for the construction of an
underground Gibraltar"
Prussian officers. including regi
mental adjutant, have been captured d
One of the officers said bets had beer
freely made that the British woule
never be able to capture the quarrics
While the quarries remained in tn,
hands Of the Germans, the enemy ex
pocted, with supplies of ammunition anC
machine guns, to be able to preven
The loss of the ridges which hid thu
llndenburg main line from observation
The British treated all the quarries t,
systematic attack with smoke anC
shell. with a mixture of gas added
At the moment of the attack tn,
smoke was let loose amid the pits
Many of the occupants of the quarrie
ran blindly against the wind hoping t,
get free. In doing so they ran init
the arms of the English and Australian
infantry.
battalion commander who wa
found with tears streaming down hi
face was asked if he had bee
wounded. NO" he replied, with a
added oath. My eyes are full O
smoke"
The Prussians who bet on the i'm
pregnablity of the quarries forgot t
take into account the morale of tn
troops holding them. Some of the me-
fought we'll. even when the Devons an,
SuiTolks Of the 74th Division droppe,
INTO the pits after exploding smok
bombs. But many others hid until tn,
Nrst British wave passed them an,
emerged quietly, looking for an escor
TO the prisoners cages.
In one dugout in quarry east O
IcmpleuX- Guerard. there were NOR.
than 100 Germans. The Devons go
400 prisoners in refugees of this kline
and the Suffolks 400.
Although fighting of this charactel
invites casualties, the losses of the
18th Division were less than half o
the total number of prisoners taken.
The nth Division has been engaged
IN equally difficult work south Of Gou
zcaucourt and also has taken many
prisoners, some of tlHm in hand-to
hand struggles in the Gauche Wood
Its casualties were also far fewer thar
the number of prisoners taken.
Many Cayalrymen Taken
The troops engaged in the wood hac
TO take redoubts fortified with sheet
iron and behind which there were
many machine guns. Cavalrymen OF
the 9th German Division were engaged
N the fighting near the wood They
we're unaccustomed to this form of
warfare. and prisoners of four differ
eut cavalry regiments were taken by
the 18th Division.
\ British brigadier general left hi.
groom near a quarry which he sup
posed had been cleared of the Ger
mans and went forward to watch the
advance of his men. When he returned
he found the perplexed groom sul-
rounded by forty armed Germans, de
handing that the groom accept THEN
surrender
Australian troops continued thei,
penetration of the Hindenburg system
and are now two thirds of a mile from
Beliinglise, four miles northwest of St
Quentin.
The British troops swept the ceme-
tory at Fresnoy free of machine guns
Crcourt, a village one mlie east of
tresnoy. which had been strongly de-
tended by reason of the network of old
british trenches. was kept under de
structive fire during the night
The Australians lying north of
resnoy continue their exploration of
INC Hindenburg outpost system which
Ihey mad stormed along the front of
their first and fourth divisions.
The recapture of Moeuvres last
night completely restores ;he British
tine IN that section of the Canal du
Nord. The Germans fought very hard