The sun., 1918-10-05
BRITISH FIGHT HARD
TO ENLARGE BREACH
Enemy Launches Sir Powerful
Counter Attacks.

WITH THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE,
Oct. 4.-There has been fighting OF the
most furious nature along the British
front to-day. This has been true es-
pecially along the Beaurevoir line In
the region east OF lie Catelet
The last strong line Of the linden
burg system having been smashed. with
the British in possession of 1t and hav-
ing recommending far In advance. the
Germans, feeling that they were night
ing with their backs to the wall, have
launched six powerful counter attacks
during the last twenty-four hours AS
n result Of one Of them the British with
drew for 4 moment from Beaurevoir
itself and from Montbrehain to the
western outskirts of the village.
For these attacks the Germans used
two divisions which had been released
from the line through the capture by
the French OF St Quentin, All the
other counter ofYens,ves failed utterly
and at the end Of them the bodies of
German dead were piled high as re-
suit Of the rife, machine gun and shell
fire and the British were In possession
Of vital lines Of the German defence.
Breach stubbornly Defended.
The breach that has been made in the
system OF defence here Is narrow one
as yet, and for that reason the armored
cars which went out to II last night
reconnoitred deeply around the new po-
sitions and then returned
The Germans now seem to be most
active on either side of tho breach.
Apparently they fear that efforts will be
made to widen 1t Meanwhile the roads
and railways everywhere in the rear are
crowded with eastbound traffic, The
civilians are being evacuated from many
towns.
Before the counter attack on Mont
brehain 100 French civilians who had
been in German hands since 1914 and
who hid in cellars during the British
bombardment were rescued and brought
back to freedom. On many other parts
of the front being advanced over more
civilians have been released.
In Flanders the advance OF the allied
troops to-day seemed slow because the
bad roads and soggy ground made II
almost impossible for them to negotiate
the terrain at many places. The SOL
der fighting here are caked with mud.
Many Of them have had to wade hip deep
through the ooze while fighting their
way forward.
Again there has been hght'ng in the
streets Of Cambria. especially in the
southern portion of the town. around
steadily being drawn. II is expeoted
that the town may fall at any time. :,
In Full Retreat From Lille.
In the Lille sector tho Germans are
falling back eastward. leaving only rear
guards behind to protect their retreat
Apparently they are headed for the
Canal de Haute Deule. which has almost
been reached. especially In the southern
portion Of the sector.
From civilians freed from the Ger.
mans In Flanders IL was learned to-day
that the Kings OF wurttemburg and
Saxony both were at Dadizeele, north
west OF Menin. few days ago when the
British guns suddenly opened upon II
with q whirlwind bombardment They
fed In a hurry.
Some enlishtening information wal
gained from these liberated F1emings
Some of them from Ledeghem said tina,
ever since the Germans first came &c
their town In 1914 they had forced al
civilians to sleep on the floors Will,
husky Germans occupied their beds
Twenty-eight of the villagers were killed
by the Germans. One of these wa.
taken out, stood against a wall and shot
The villagers were fed by the American
Commission for Relief In Belgium. they
said. but the Germans always took this
food away from them and gave then
their own German rations. which In
variably were bad and unfit to eat.
According 10 the villag gers many Ger
man horses have died in Flanders be-
cause there was no food OF any kline
for them, and the German automobile.
all are running on their rims because
the Germans have no tires.