South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-17
The Last Battle of the War; Supreme Victory


abandoned the war. power for resistance broken
her armies forced from the last organized system Of
defenses. the allied armies in Belgian territory all the
way from Sedan 10 Client In all military history no
swift and complete overthrow OF a military
ton Is recorded save in the case OF Prussia after
Jena Waterloo overthrow Napoleon, but not France
But Germany fell even more promptly than her army
To complete the narrative Of military events in these
articles 70 Is necessary recount the crcum-
stances OF the final battle
When in the opening days OF September Ludendorfr
retiring his defeats a July
the Somme I'm August. arrived at the Hndenburg line
he his position the intricate and eIabor-
ate system OF defensive works ever fashioned by the
ingenuity oil nj He believed them be impregnable
but whatever doubt may have existed any German
mind as 10 the capacity Of the defence systems for
resistance nothing seemed less likely than
that IN the ten weeks Of campaigning weather which
remained Foch could force turn these works.
In the present article purpose in some detail TO
describe this German defence system the fruit of four
OF labor, manned by than 100000 veteran
troops provided with every known contrivance Of
fashioned on the experience Of the greatest con
history the line. series of lines which
shattered between September 26, when Foch
opened the battle by throwing Pershing's troops IN
north OF Nerdun and the first days OF November when
the British success at Naencennes penetrated the last
detail OF the final lie of defence in France
PROBLEM FACED BY
FOCH IN SEPTEMBER.
As Foch the problem in September il this:
From the Belgian Newport to the Swiss from
tier there existed continuous line Of defences which
correspondent i'm the main the lines which the
Germans had retired in 1917. and from which theN
started their colossal sortie in March Of the
present year OF this extent Of front only that portion
the brief preliminary operation at St N1hieI it was
NOT effected h tho San+e,ber and October onerations
o intrenchments which the allies faced
the first Of four separate lines constituting the
major circumstances of German defence But between
east number Of other lines running north and
south. dividing into compartments compar-
able in all respects 10 the water right compartments
Of steamer and having the same purpose. Ihus' II
line penetrated in
tor. the dsuCation would not communicate itself on
either side because II was localized oy the north and
south trench and by the rearward parallel line
The salient features Of these defence systems were
fortified about Lille and Metz. Those were
the anchorages which held the great cablelke trench
systems stretched from Flanders to German
All four Of the systems rested upon the Metz
circle forts their other extremity rested
upon Lille but there this difference, that while
the fall of Metz been fatal to all four lines,
the third lines their western end touch
ed Sche!dt river and were thus still tenabe after
Lille and fallen.
The frst of the four systems or lines which
come % call the Hndenburg line began just north of
Newport. the North followed the line facing
Passchendaele Ridge which the Germans had defend
ed last year circled about Lille, south before
la Baesee, throIeh Lens, before DouaL Cambria.
through ST quentin. followed the east bank of the
Oise 20 n Fere the St Gohain Forest which
acted as central bastion, turned east above
scissors followed the old Chemin des Danes works,
included the forts north Of Rheims crossed the plain
of Champagne and the Argonne Forest 10 reach the
just north of verdun and eiroling about the
familiar lines Of fort reached the Mosele south
of the outer lire of Metz forts
STRONGEST SYSTEM
OF THE FOUR
This system was by all odds the strongest Of the
four From Ia Bassee southwark it not line but
zone miles deep organized in the most elaborate
conceivable following number OF canals and
rivers thus gaining the nestimabe advantage of
water barrier limiting the peril from tanks This deep
zone extended to the Disc south Of ST. Quentin and
thence 10 the Asne Scissors the Aisne and the
ST Goban Forest supplying obstacles which We're i'm
rresnahle direct attack
Behind this first line the second ran at a
small I'm many instances make il indistinguishable
from the first. stretched from Lille behind la
uassee and Lens. before Douai and behind Cambria
and 81. quentin burrowed the Disc trace as far as
"a but then east north of laon, behind the
erre and the SisSone canal. reaching the Aisne at
chateau Porcen following it's north bank around
n Narfzers whence IL cut across the upper end Of the
Ar-onne 90 the Neuse above Dun; east OF the Meuse
10 reioined the Metz defences, passing by Etain and
contains
third line also rested upon Lille. followed the
Doua southwark through Douai and thence fol-
md Sambre rested upon the EcauIon river and
The Normal Forest From the Sambre near Iandreces
b. crossed Hirsou the Neuse az Mezeres follow
"a the east bank of that stream to Sedan, which
covered by defences the west bank and then ran
along the valley of the CHEERS through Montmedy,
Metz system Contains But this third line
a upon the Schedt river. south VaIenciennes and
thus serviceabe from the Scheldt Metz il
lille were taken
through MauheuEe 10 The Neuse az Givet thence be-
hind the NIeuse point Of juucture the third
line Nezieres. thence eastward il conceded
third line Like the third line 1t serviceable after
the Lille Thus in the OF both third
.IuI fourth lines two-thrds of their extent were
covered 10y the water barriers OF the Scheldt
lIeuse rivers
-FOUR LINES DIVIDED
INTO COMPARTMENTS.
SO much for the four lines They were divided into
Compartments by the following north and south sys-
TENS. From Lille line followed the east bank OF
the Tvs the Iys canal the Dutch frontier This
made il possible hold all east and west
lines from Lille eastward. The British and Bel
SLAMS should break through between Lys and the
Sea the Ypres area second line followed the east