Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-18
GERMANS MAY FLEE
ACROSS DUTCH LINE
TO ESCAPE CAPTURE
Bruges All But Taken, While
Allied Troops Ap-
proach Ghent.
OVER SCORE VILLAGES
LIBERATED BY ALLIES
British and Americans Deliver
Strong Attack Southeast
of Cambrai.
FRENCH TRY TO TAKE RETHEL
Capture OF Lille and Douai An
nounced by Field Mar
shall Iiais.
FRENCH TRY TO TAKE RETHEL
Capture OF Lille and Douai An
nounced by Field Mar
shall Iiaig.
.fBv Associated Press ,

" was reported that British out;
posts last night were cast of Lille.
The Germans have given way under
The belgian pressure the entire
front in Flanders, according 10 a
Bcisian official statcment given out in
London last night. Belgian forces have
entered Ostcnd and reached the line
oudcnhurg elghem- -Euddervoorde. l.
over front OF forty miles. from the
North Sea In Belgium TO Lille In
Northern France. the Germans are in
general retreat before the Belgian.
French and British armies. Likewise.
the enemy is being forced to concede
defeat by rctrosEadc movements be-
fore tho British and AMERICANS south
cast OF Cambria: under the attacks OF
lac French in the pocket between the
uisc and Scr-c Rivers north or l.aon,
ara by reason oil continued strong at
laciIs By the French ana Americans in
Champagne aud aion. tho Meusc River.
Nov here. however. Is the enemy in
dlsords In ic!gian Flanders his steps
arc b ng hastcnci D.: reason OF the
sait; drives into his linz by the British
- L.iie. jus, south OF ihe B.lgian
border. and by the Fre,.eh and Eslgians
further north. which threaten TO COM
pei him TO enter Dutoh territory and
face intcrnincnt unless he is fleet
enough 20 Withdraw out OF the entire
pocket between the Schcldt River and
The sea and rccons,itute his line with
us right wing resting on Antwerp.
Bruses is All but captured. while 10
llouicrs the allied forces arc fast iriv
ing toward Cheat IN an cndeavor TO
seal the Western Flanders sack anu
s,a2 In II larse roe e,enn,s annas,ion Gt '1s Is
prevent the allies from carrying out
their rnaneuver TO the full;L ,,
More than a score of additional vii
lagos have been liberated by the allied
troops. and numerous guns and qunnii-
ties OF stores have been capinredi
Flanders the Germans arc carrying out
a tactical movement which douotiess
viii eni In a. general falling back OF
NIT them materially TO strengthen their
resistance OF n new and shorter front.
This. probably ,.i' he from Antwerp
to SaDlur and Metz. and thence 20 the
swiss border. which would still leave
the Germans eighty miles from thei:
own border line both n, Antwerp. and
Namur ~ present the center or the
Flanders lighting Is near Thiclt. which
Is about l:0 miles from ..iX-la Cha pclle.
on the German border.
ten miles, between lie Cateau and Bo-
hahn, the British end Americans are
delivering violent attack against the
Germans. and at last reports they were
meeting with success. although the
Germans were savagely resisting with
machine suns and infantry and with
aTltlltTS AihS.
MORE GAINS MADE ny
FRENCH NORTH or LAON
North Of Laon, in the sack between
the Disc and Serre Rivers the French
are endeavoring TO drive out the Ger
-mens or capture them before they can
make their way eastward TO Hirson.
Here also the enemy is using his ma
chime gunners and artillery to impede
the progress of the French. but fur
ther gains have been recorded.
The greatest resistance Of all. how
ever is still being imposed against the
efforts of the French and americans
in Champagne and along the Meuse
River, where the holding Of the line
is essential to stave off "A general re-
treat by the Germans all the way from
Belgium to the Swiss frontier. The
French in Champagne are still lighting
hard to capture Rethel, but the Ger
mans thus far have been able to hold
this important position in their own
hands. North of Grand Pre- both the
French and the Americans have made
further progress over the difficult
ground. Especially severe have been
the hardships suffered by the Amari-
cans in cncornpassinS the natural for
tiGcat;ons and the attacks by hordes
Of enemy machine gunncrs. Before the
Americans the Germans are giving
ground only inch by. inch.