The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-18
Special Gable Despatch to The Sun.

marines To return TO their bases.
| Special Gable Despatch to THE Sun.
Copyright. 1915: all rights reserred.
LONDON, Oct. II. - The northern
bulwark of the German western front
is now completely smashed. The Bel.
gian coast, including the submarine
bases at Ostend and Zeebrugge. has
] been evacuated. British naval forces
landed at both Ostend and Zeebrugge
to-day after naval aviators had re-
ported the German retreat. This
means an end to the submarine nests
, that long have been within such short
and easy striking distance Of allied
shipping In the Channel and in the
open Atlantic just beyond.
1t was the group of allied armies
commanded by King Albert of the
Belgians which forced the German
retreat from Flanders. Up to this
! afternoon the allied advance averaged
| fifteen miles. On the right Of this
army group is the Second British
Army. This army has crossed the
Lys River and its patrols are now in
the.suburbs of Turcoing. The British
alone took 1,S0O prisoners from six
enemy divisions.
| The British occupied Lille, largest
of the invaded French cities, and also
entered Douai. The forced German
retreat from COurtrai and the neigh
borhood of Valenciennes threatens all
the enemys lines of communications
west of Brussels.
Two Mile Gain on Disc.
Further south, on the Bohain-Le
Cateau front the Allies advanced be-
| yond the Disc. extending their gains
ar average of two miles on n fifteen
mile front, thus narrowing still more
the dangerous salient out of which
| the Germans are retreating from La
Fere, between the Disc and Serre riv-
ers, to the Hirson- -MeAeres line. This
retirement is forcing the enemy per-
ilously close to the difficult Ardenncs
country, where all military commenta-
tors agree he may be forced to the
| IItN'SSlNg vi SIilIklIIlH Is ItlItdI III TWO
directions, giving the Allies further
opportunities to cut OF; lines of COM
munications and to infiict further
crushing defeats.
Petit Verify and Marchavenne were
captured and on the left bank of the
Disc. Origny. The French counted 1900
prisoners up to noon.
The retirement in western Belgium ex.
tends over n front OF forty miles, with
| British, French and Belgian cavalry and
| infantry units pressing close on the en-
emy's heels. Belgian cavalry is already
in Bruges.
Isegsem, southwest OF Roulers,
changed hands four times before the
Germans finally were expelled. The
! British hold about n third of the newer
part of Courtrai, embracing about 5000
inhabitants. The older and larger part
is still In the hands Of the Germans. and
It is believed some 10000 persons. mostly
women and children are I'm the place.
Courtrai was only slightly damaged by
shell fire. The British are all around It,
so that the enemy hold is precarious.
Enemy May Stand at Client.
From the Roulers neighborhood allied
! forces are driving swiftly in the direc-
tlon of Ghcnt. behind the fortresses OF
which II Is probable the enemy will make
! a stand Allied elements are striving
! with might and main to reach Client be-
fore the retreating Germans, however.
and these may succeed In cutting of
the retirement. forcing the Kaiser's men
to submit to capture or to enter Hol-
land. where they would be interned.
Allied military commanders see an
effort on the part OF the enemy TO
carry out general tactical movement
having for its object the attainment OF
the line OF Antwerp, Ahmur and Meta
and on to the Swiss frontier If this
could be accomplished the Germans
would still be lighting on foreign soil.
which has been their boast from tho
start OF the war. and would leave them
still seventy or eighty miles from tho
German border.
In the attack east of Le Cateau many