The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-24
Thousands Of Prisoners, Dozens
of Villages Taken in Advance;
Crown Prince May Have Lost Job
Ludendorff Fears Extension Of Battle
Line East of Soissons---Apparently
Getting Ready for Another Retrea:
---Noyon, Roye and Chau'nes Slatel
for Early Capture.

London August 23-Au the between ArT2s and LOIS
sons on fifty miles terrific aday battle resulted
in new progress by French the former
smashing ahead least miles and carrying their lin
within miles of Bapaume while the French
crossed the between Lasgny and Noyon and
threw the Germans back many important points between tn,
Disc and the Asne.
villages of importance, all of them soaked
with the blood previous battle taken by the
armies Rawlinson and Byng The atters army par
cuary successful Thousands of prisoners were taken thu
still being uncounted The French too bagged
large lot Of additional prisoners
Word late tonight from correspondent with tho
AisneVesle front that the Germans to
preparing the Aisne The front Of allied
attack expected spread eastward from SCISSORS within the
next twelve hours
Noyon Roye and Chaulnes still in German hands but
will longer Each of these towns virtually sur
rounded suicidal for Ludendor to hold
them worrying about bigger things at this moment and
his revolves around what Yankees are
up to- Vese frontal attack against the crown
princes armyough longer under his personal COM
accommodating reports trues looked for as logical
development Of the big battle.
HUNS ON vEsLE IN HIGH STATE OF EXPECTANCY"
With the Americans the AisneVesle Front, Aug "a
The Germans preparing retire behind the Asne
owing Mangns north Of Scissors they fear al
American frontal attack against the Vese line.
The enemy batteries manifesting violent activity
sprinkng ground I'll around with hot metal except the
Machine gun bursts alse frequent in the Ger
front All ana all nlgnt IeTdnS uuHR
reconnaissance work Enemy planes dot the sky
throughout the day while during the night myriads OF star
skywards testng the enemys high state OF
expectancy American observers report fires betwen
the Asne and the Vesle.
The spreading of the French attacks eastward from the
south Disc becoming increasingly menacng to
the German positions south of the Chemn de Danes and the
forest country be penetrated while the enemy dsoran
ed even Laon may be menaced.
The Germans held the Coucy forest with desperate enacy
when they retired the Hindenburg line early in 1917 They
also flooded La Fere at that time thus preventing the
French from occupying it. They not falling back &C
cordng plan They being driven back and they
unable make stand within few miles from where they
the whole Vesle front must collapse.
The French are nearing St. Goban forest where the
original that bombarded Paris empaced
Since Foch has smashed in wing of the enemys de
fense would be surprising frontal attacks would
be launched in the Vese region. I'LL
Ludendors retirement between the Maz and the Disc Is
applicable solely upon the theory that he is desperately anx
situation permitting the reang OF the inltia
However long Foch able to his armies
rapidly he has been doing striking here now there
without giving the enemy breathing spell it will be impossible
for the enemy the offensive n