Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-09-03
HGig Captures
Lens and Queant

Continued from Page One
beyond Dury, the capture of which
was announced last night, are report.
ed to have been taken today
Win More Towns
The village of Etaing, two miles
north of Dury, fell late yesterday at
about the same time the British fur.
ther south were capturing Villers.lez.
Cagnicourt. These captures were ef.
fected after most bitter fighting.
A strong British force is driving
forward on the northern reaches Of the
Hindenburg line. The British are well
inside the Drocourt- -Queant line.
So far as learned no organized
counter r-attacks have been developed
by the Germans, but on the extreme
British left determined opposition Is
developing.
The British today pushed forward
well to the east of Noreuil and the
Australians made steady progress to
the east of Pcronne.
The enemy was in force at the last
reports to the southwest and to the
north of Queant. From the ridges he
was pouring a heavy machine gun fire
at the British, who were returning the
fire and gaining ground at the same
time.
On the Somme battlefield the British
are driving at pace generally fast
in the direction of the Canal du Nord,
where the Germans have erected wire.
Their trenches here. however, have
only been half dug, it is rumored.
The Germans. it seems to be expect
ed, will offer determined resistance
along this line. as they now are doing
;,, nf nd l,,,n al
of the canal, If necessary. With their
lines at the canal in such an embryo
state. however, little protection will be
afforded the enemy should he be forced
to take refuge behind them.
Prisoners Pouring In
On the northern half of the Dro-
court.Queant battlefront there were
some 5000 prisoners in the cages last
night. Thousands more had been
taken to the hospitals wounded. while
probably more than 2000 additional
captures have been effected on the
southern half of the front.
In one place along the line of
battle eight German divisions-or
rather four comparatively fresh divi-
slons and the rmenants of four other
divisions--wsre fighting against three
British divisions. An officer from one
of these enemy divisions, which was
.he Second Guards reserve, said. how
ever, that this division had been in the
fighting for more than a week and
that it's effectives would number fewer
than a thousand men. In his bat
talon only himself and twenty-four
of his men had survived, he declared.
He added that the German losses had
been heavier than any they had previ-
ously suffered.
In their push northeastward along
the Bapaume- Cambria road the Brit
ish have reached Beugny. Unofficial
advices from London this morning re-
Lorted the British in today's advance
to have pushed some three and one
half miles beyond this point. The
town of Villersau-F Flos, south of Ba-
paume, was in British hands early last
evening after severe fighting.
Fighting Is Severe
After taking Sailly.Saillisel the Brit
ish pushed on across the Bapaume.
Peronne road and in the fighting Just
to the north were well on their way
toward Rocqulgny. Rocquigny has
since been reported captured) The
Germans were in heavy force in the
region of Noreuill and hard fighting
was in progress there.