The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-21
| THREE THOUSAND
PRISONERS HELD.
Result Of Fighting North Of lie
Cateau on Wide Front by
Allied Troops.
SELLE RIVER CROSSE D
English, Scots, Welsh Partioi-
pate-Rain Pours Contin-
ually, but Disregarded.

London. Oct. 21.-q2:45 p. MY
Three thousand prisoners were cap
tured In the fighting north Of lie
Cateau on Sunday. the British war
office announced today, when the Selle
river was crossed on wide front.
lie Cateau lies east Of Cambrai)
The German positions were OF great
natural strength ana were strongly
held and there was heavy fighting
throughout the day. The weather was
unfavorable and the river was in flood.
but the British forced a passage early
in the fighting. supported by tanks.
The attack was launched by English,
Scotch and Welsh divisions at o'clock
In the morning under most unfavorable
weather conditions, continuous ram
making the advance extremely DIM
cult. The fighting was heavy through
at the day, the enemy offering strong
resistance in the villages and along
the line of the railway. In overcom-
ing this resistance great assistance
was rendered at certain points by
tanks, which, despite the flooded state
of the river, succeeded in passing TO
the east bank at an early hour.
Support at Close Range.
As soon as the line of the river was
secured number of bridges were
rapidIy constructed under heavy nre
from the hostile artillery and machine
guns, enabling our guns to push ior-
ward close behind the advancing m
fantry and to afford them enectiVe
support at short range. vi.
In the Valenciennes region the Brit
'ish are approaching st. Amand. SIX
miles northwest OF Vaienciennes.
North of Tournal they are pushing
forward to the line of the Scheldt river.
No Infantry Fighting.
Paris, Oct. 21.-Therc was no imam
try fighting of moment on the french
front last night. The official state
ment from the war office To-Day oniy
reports artillery activity between the
Serre and the Aisne. In raids In Lor,
raine and Alsace. the French captured
prisoners. :,
AirpIanes Of Little Use.
The allied forces. while pushing rur-
ther into central Belgium on the hor.h'
are fighting their way forward on the
south toward the Relgian border south
Of yalenciennes. Sunday the allied
trsors i,r0 10. fight. the saSmsnka ,.as
well as the Germans. Rain fell contin-
ually and the soldiers were soaked and
partly blinded while airplanes were OF
little use. With spirits undampened..
however. the allied troops continued
their efforts, and in Flanders they
worked a little nearer to the important
city of Client and are approaching
very close to the west bank or the
Scheldt.
Tournai Captured.
On the right of the front in Belgium
the British Fifth army has, to all In
tents and purposes, taken Tournal, an
important railroad junction Further
south the British Third army mas
crossed the Selle and Is headed toward
Mons by way of Quesnoy and north OF
the Normal forest, while Gen. Rawlin-
sons Fourth army has reached the
Sambre- Disc canal and Is advancing
around the southern end of the Normal
forest up the valley of the Sambre to-
ward Maubeuge. The net result OF the
efforts of the Fourth and Fifth British
armies was that the pivot on which
the German retreat across Belgium
swings was badly shaken. The British
also captured dozen or so of villages.
OutHank;.S Guise.
On the British right Gen. Debeney Is
outfianking Guise and Is marching to-
ward Hirson for the purpose of taking
the Hunding line in the rear. At the
same time Gems. Mangin and Guillau-
mat, between the Serre and the Aisne
and north Of Sissonne, are attacking
the front of the Hunding line.
Finally, Gen. Gouraud and the Amer
leans are fighting in most difficult
country against determined and strong
resistance. They are making slow but
solid progress in the task of pushing
the enemy toward the southern Ar
dennes and up both banks Of the
Mpuep