Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-09
ENEMY RUNS FAST
AS TANKS CRUSH.
DOWN front Line
Surprise Attack by Infan-
try and Cavalry Gains - -
Vast Territory.
THOUSANDS OF GERMANS
NOW IN PRISON CAMPS
Great Quantities of Materials and
Scores of Villages Are
Captured.
TEUTON FRONT is MENaCED
Advance Places French and British
Forces in Control Of Impor-
tant Railway.
TEUToN FRONT is MENAcED

tBy Associated Press H-
Inc historic battle ground between
Amicns and Montdidter again is.the
scene Of a mighty contest This trne
the British and French are the aEEres-
sors. and under their fierce onslaughts
in the first days battle they have pen:
etrated deeply into the German POSI-
tions over n front Of more than twenty
miles, reaching from the region OF
Breaches to the neighborhood OF NOR
lancourt.
Following short. but intensive artill
lcry preparation. and aided by misty
weather. the allied attack took the
Germans completely by surprise. and
they fled almost everywhere pellmell
before the tanks. motor machine-sun
batteries. cavalry and infantry sent
against them. All the detectives set
for the Australians. Canadians Eng
lishmen and Frenchmen were attained
in remarkably quick time, and at last
accounts Thursday night. the allied
| forces were: -st!ll making progress.
Wherever the enemy turned to give
battle he was decisively defeated
Thousands OF Germans were made
prisoner. Large numbers Of guns we ,
captured. great quantities OF war ma
terials were taken and a score or moro
or villages and hamlets were reoccu-
pied In addition. heavy casualties
were inflicted upon the enemy
At its deepest point. the penetration
OF the German line was about seven
and half n lies eastward from Villers-
BretonneuX to Framervlle. while from,
two to five miles were gained all along
the front from northwest of Montdidier
to the region around Moriancourt The
fighting extended north of Morla ncourt
to the Albert sector. but no official de-
tails concerning 1t have been received.
ALLIES NOW ASTRIDE
AN IMPORTANT RAILWAY
The advance of the allies in the CEN
ter places them we'll astride the rail-
road leading from Villers- Bretonneux
to the important junction at Chaulnss,
where lines radate northeastward,,to to
ward Peronne and southwark through
Roye TO Compiegie.
The railway running northward to
Brayc was crossed when the allies took
l'ra,ncI willie.
Wei out on the plains and pressing
forward, seemingl, with great rapidity,
the present offensive of the French
and British gives promise of seriously
menacing the entire German front from
near the sea to Rheims. l., the drive
should proceed eastward to any great
aepth 1t cannot but affect the armies
OF the German Crown Prince now fight
Ing between the Aisne and the VesIs.s
and possible make impracticable a
stand by them even north OF the Aisne
along the Chemin des- Danes I@t
Under the pressure of the offensive.
the menace to the channel ports also
seems Tor the moment at least to van
ish. Already there have been signs to
the northward from the positions where
Crown Prince Rupprecht haG formed
ms men for drive toward the chan
nell that retroGrade movement by
the Germans was not improbable. With
The armies of his imperial cousin on
the Scissors Rheims salient badly
shattered and unable to lend him aid
when his own forces north OF Mont
did!er are In a rather Drecarious r,.s;-
ticn as result OF the new Offensive,
1t is apparent that Rupprccht will, have
10 defer his campaign = cut OF the
cross channel service. u.ss.
ENIsMY RAINING SHELLS
on AMERICAN FORCES
On the Ves)c front, little frb .in.
occurred Thursday. except in the pro
cess Ct line-s.rai -hteninG operations,
on the north bark. where. untcr an
almost incessant .ain of enemy cheils
both the American and the F-cpch
troops improved their stands TIE
German guns no, alone are piayirg
upon the allied forces, but also ere
hammcrinG away at bridges across :hs
stream over which men constantly arc
making their way to the norther, bsnx
OF the stream to -e-enforce their conf
raoes already there. What cfrec. tEs
present battle southeast of Amiens Is
10 have on the Vesie- -Aisne froat r,-
mains to be seen.
This new attack. launched Just th.eo
weeks after Field Marshal Foch's mas
terly counterofrensive against the west
ern side OF the Soissons- Rheims ga.
l!ent. has been expected since the Ger
mans were driven back to the Aisna
and the Vcsle. 1t was not believed
that the allied commanders would per.
nit the initiative to pass to tho enemy
after the stunning defeat administered
to him along the Marne. Foch -
known to be an offensive fighter. and