The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-08-15
NEWS NUBS FOR HASTY READING
The European War.

The European War.
Last Friday 1900 German prisoners
were captured on the Somme-Ancre
front. also about 300 guns. The dis
patch says that American troops have
captured. the village of Fismette, on
the north bank Of the Vesle River, Il
short distance northwest Of Fismes.
With the village they took 100 pris-
OnerS.
Over a curving front of more than
twenty miles the British and French
troops are continuing to sweep hack
the Germans eastward across the
plains Of picardy. from the region
north of the Somme, east of Morlan-
court, to the east bank of the Avre,
northwest of MOntdidier
A dispatch dated the 9th says the
French have driven the Germans be-
fore them for an important gain east
of Montdidier. in Picardy. That city.
which was the apex of German sali-
Cuo VIdJ llOS HAS bSCll NlltCu Oul. lCll
to the French fourth army at midday
Saturday. Before nightfall, according
to the French War Office statement,
the victorious French forces had car
ried the hattle-line onward to an aver
age depth of six miles, on a front Of
approximately twenty miles.
In the three days of engagements
that eliminated in the taking of Mont
didier. the French took 5000 prisoners.
Their captures also included 200 guns
and an enormous amount of material.
Crushed by the impact of the Brit
iSh. French and American offensive
atcks Oh the battle-line from Albert.
northeast of Amiens. to the Ofse River.
north of compiegne. the German forces
are streaming hack toward the Somme
River and the Nesle-Noyon Canal. So
far as can be determined, the enemy is
in full retreat all along the front
against which the Allies flung them
selves Thursday morning.
\ dispatch of the 18th says: Chaul-
nes. the important railway town in the
heart of the SOmme battle front, and
the key to the southern line of the Ger
man salient. has been captured by the
Allies, The capture was effected by
Australian and Canadian troops.
Continued progress was made last
night by the French ON the right flank
Of the Allied front along the entire line
between the River Avre and Disc, the
war office announced to-day. French
troops captured the entire town OF
Boulegne-la- -i;rarse, and penetrated ate
the east of Bus, six and a half miles
east of Montdidier.
Further south on the line the French
have penetrated the wooded area be
tween the rivers Matz and Disc, reach
ing in this region the environs Of Ia
Rerliere and Curry. MOreul-Lamottt
has been captured, and the French linz
has been pushed two miles to the nortl
| Of Chevencourt.
The Allied forces continued thei
| victorious advance along the line las
night and to-day, pushing in the gen
eral direction of the upper reaches O
tile Solnme. They We're smashing th'
stiff resistance interposed by the rea
guards of the retreating Germans, th'
bulk Of whom, according to report
considered reliable. are fleeing in dis
order British cavalry are reportet
this afternoon operating close to tn
town of Nesle, which town is six mile
| southeast of Chaulnes.
Monday French troops captured tn
/ town of Curry. nine miles south o
Roye The counter-attacks against pc
sitions held by the French and Ameri
cans. on the Vesle River. near Fismes
were also repulsed on the same day
During these engagements about 20O
German prisoners were taken, tOgethe
with thirty guns. The Germans rushe
up reserves to try to check the retreat
Eut it continued.
Despite the unfavorable weathe
Monday. British airplaneS successful
attacked an airplane and chemica
works at Frankfort. Other squadron
attacked the railway at Metz and Il
airdrome ut Hagenau, Alsace.
1t was reported Tuesday that til
French artillery had reached poil
where it absolutely dominates the raj
road lines leading from NoyOn to til
east and from Roye In the same dire
| vI,l,, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i..r of ,,fu,n.
Importance, for it means the enen'
will find it extremely difficult to e,
tricate his troops and supplies frOl
these base cities. The occupation {
Roye, Noyon, Lassigny and Ribecour
all points Of great strategic value
the enemy. is believed to be hut a ma
ter of hours. though the Germans ha,
stiffened their resistance by hurlil
fresh reserves into the action all alol
the line in Picardy. To meet this de
perate game of the enemy, Gen. Foo
ordered Il renewal of the offensiv
upon even a larger scale, upon Il
twenty-mile battlefront. French. Bri
ish and American forces delivered
SeTleS Oi eeIilHc piuWs dSdiHSe eic -.
; lines and steadily advanced.
4 dispatch dated the 14th say;
, Ncrth and south of the Somme Il
Germans have lost further importa
ground. In the former region th'
have evacuated their positions over
tive-mile front to the British north
Albert. while In the latter they ha'