Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-14
PRESSING
ON; DETERMINED
TO CAPTURE ROYE
Germans Combating Advance
With Floods of Gas and Hail
From Machine Guns.
ALLIES GAIN CONTINUES
By Associated Press to Every Evening

By Associaoed Press 20 Every Evening
Paris, Aug. 1f-In comparison With
the quick advance Of the first four days
the battle in Picardy now may seem % be
stagnanf, but nevertheless, the French
have pushed nearer 70 the Chaulncs-ISoye-
Lassigny- Noyon line 10 which the Ger
mans are cIInging desperately.
The wooded hills between the Avrc
and the Disc are difficult IN traverse.
Tuesdays fighting put the French more
than mile north of Cambronne close ~
Attichc and Carmoy farms which are two
big machine gun nests.
The French left, advancing on Lassigny,
met with vigorous resistance north Of s..
Claude farm and north - Nareuil-Isni-
ottc However, they succeeded in fight
ing their way through the woods and
moved their line 300 Yards northeast ~
GIry. North of Curry they reached the
southern edge Of Loges wood and also
penetrated the park belonging 70 the
Chateau Of Plessicr dc Rnye They allen
reached Belval, between Plessier Dc Roye
and Thicscourt
The enemy still holds the greater part
of ThlcscOuTt wood and the formidable
plateau Of Plemont
The French now have advanced their
line to within lesS than a mile and 2 half ~
Lassigny II will, however gndoubtedlv
require q tremendous effort n capture
either Lassigny or Roye The fall of Rove
automatically would cause the evacua-
ton Of Lassigny.
On the French Front in France Tues
dav. Aug l3-The Germans are com
batting the French n the Lassignv area
generally with machine guns which are
numerous AZ soldiers The valleys and
woods which the French must traverse
are being flooded with mustard gas The
French. however. are advancing through
the valleys hv inhlteratlon. The German
tactics indicate the main enemy force is
retiring upon defensive line not far
distant
The French success t0dav in gaming
important local positions southeast n
Lassigny gives prospect Of complete sue
cess IN overcoming the Masslf Of LassIgny.
With the British Army IN France, Aug.
l4.-lO30 a. m-There was no change
in the situation on the new Somrne battle
front this morning, except for the fact
that considerably increased artillery ire
indicates the enemy finally mas decided 20
bring UP more OF his guns
Various small artillery concentrations
have sprung up during the past few hours,
and now are active i n firing on some
points within the British lines such as
Eauvllers. FramervIile Eroyarr, LIhons,
Dernancourt, and the forward areas south
I Of the Villers-Bretonneux-C Chaulnes Rail
way.
The Germans also have subjected the
va lev north OF Morlancourt 10 heavy
gas shelling and have similarly treated
Harbonnieres and the GressaIre Tood
region.
No new counter attacks by the enemy
are reported.
In the region of Bray, north of the SOM
me, as we'll SIS Immediately south Of the
river, the British have been actively
Strengthening and pushing forward their
4 line. Northwest Of BRAY, the British
raided the enem lines and found them
unOccupied.
Except for a little increase IN the rand
1 ing activity BY both sides, the remainder
Of the British front Is IN a normal state.
General Humberts : army, operating
on the southern end OF the Plcaruy battle
line, Is reported today TO be progressing
steadily towards Noyon. The desperate
German defense Of the Chaulnes-Roye
road has caused delay IN the storming
! of the Noyon position, which Is now SAID
70 be impending
The army Of Gen. Rawhnson winch
is holding the line Just 10 the north ot the
French positions, Is meeting most deS-
pcrate resistance along It's whole front.
The Germans seem determined 10 retain
the Chaulnes heights at al costs.