The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1918-09-05
BRITISH DRIVE
THREE MILES INTO
H|NDENBURG LINE
Large Part of Famous Position
Won by Haig'S Forces.
SIx-MILE GAP TORN IN LINE
Terrific Attack Made by Canadians
and English Troops With Tanks
Caused Heavy Casualties for
Huas--Roads damned
With Prisoners.

London, Sept 3.-The northern
part of the famed Hindenburg system
of defense fell before a furious on
slaught by Canadian and English
troops, Field Marshal Haig announces,
How wide a breach was made is not
disclosed, but the report says the po-
sition was carried ON wide front"
According to a battle line dispatch,
the gap torn at one point in this line,
known as the DrocOurt-Queant switch
line, is over six miles long. From the
map the British blow seems to have
overrun the position perhaps to the
extent of ten-mile front. Beyond,
TO the east, lies fresh, open country.
Supported by Tanks.
The attack, delivered with tank sup
port caused terrific casualties for the
enemy. 1t is reported the roads are
damned with German prisoners.
Over a front of nearly thirty miles,
from the Scarpe river to Peronne, the
allies are pressing eastward.
Drive in Three Miles.
With the British Army in France,
Sept. 3.-'rhe British have pierced the
Drocourr-Queant line. In fierce bat
tie which has been raging since dawn
and which will probably prove TO be
one of the most important of the war,
Canadian and English troops, at last
reports, had at one point driven in
about five kilometers, or a little more
than three miles, and were still going.
The fighting was as furious as any
since the war began and increased in
intensity as the British battled their
way forward, meeting the ever grow
ing resistance of the enemy, who had
put in every available man and was
rushing up reserves ut the rear.
Thousands of Prisoners.
Thousands of prisoners have been
captured the roads to the British rear
are literally damned with them.
There has been fierce fighting in
Dury, which was taken by the British,
and Mount Dury, which the Germans
held in great strength, was stormed.
The British went on after killing enor-
nous numbers of the enemy. The
Germans died fighting here, as else
where.
[Dury is only eight miles west of
Cambria, one of the most vital enemy
bases in the north.]
Cagnicourt wood and Cagnicourt
have been captured, and Bots de Bou-
che. to the southeast, is reported also
to have been occupied.
Five Miles of Beydnel.
With the British Army in France,
Sept. 3-The troops of General Horne
and General Byng began the offensive
southeast of Arras and by I 80 o'clock
in the morning they had completely
reached the Drocourt-Queant switch
line.
Two hours later is was rumored that
groups of British motor machine gun
ners had been seen on the bank of the
Canal du Nord, nearly five miles east
of the nearest point on the Drocourt
line. These were only highly mobile
patrols pushing ON to try to seize the
bridgheadS.
BY the days success the British
struck the Germans one of the most
smashing and strategically serious
blows they ever had received in sin
gle days fighting The Germans are
reported to have had eight divisions
standing to meet the blow.
French Continue to Advance.
Paris, Sept. 3.-French troops are
continuing their advance east of Crecy
au Mont and Juvigny and have occu-
pied Neuilly and TernySorny, north
east of scissors, according to the war
office announcement.
128,302 Huns Taken by Allies.
The allied forces on the western
front have taken total of 12S,302
prisoners, including 2,674 officers, from
July IS to August 81, it was an
nounced in an official statement. In
the same period 2,0G9 guns, 1,734 mine
throwers and 1878 machine guns
were captured.
On the French front 10000 prisoners
and 700 guns had been captured by the
French since July Is, it is announced.