Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1918-10-21
TEUT0NS PUT
1NDANGERBY
new THRUST
British Army Smashes Way
Eastward to South of Val.
enCiennes, Threatening
to Turn Line.

and Belgium, Oct. 20.-The British
army continued its attack today in
conjunction with the Belgians to
the north. The combined forces
fought their way to the east Of
Staceghem and reached Vichte, lying
norteast of Coutrai, and are still
pushing on rapidly. The Anglo
Belgians are also northeast Of
Deerlyck, Spruete and Stratte.
The third army in it's attack had
captured by early afternoon nearly
1000 prisoners.
While the Belgians, French and
British were driving the Germans
rapidly to the east in the direction
of Ghent, which is being approached
both from the east and the south
west, the British third army, at
tacking at 2 o'clock this morning,
smashed its way eastward to the
south of Valenciennes. The success
of this operation, which this even
ing seems assured, means the turn
ing of the Veleneiennes line and en-
dangers all the German forces
northward to Flanders and south
ward to the Disc canal, behind
which theA Germans have begun to
retreat from other British forces
and the Americans. This thrust
will serve to upset the known Ger
man plan of trying to hold the line
east of the Scheidt, to which the
enenylis retiring hastily from what
once was the Lille salient.
Retirement Hastened by Pressure.
Reports from the battle front in
Flanders indicate that Client will
soon be recovered. Already the al
lied-guns are hammering the Ger
mans on all sides. Cyclist and CIV
airy patrols are sweeping ahead in
front of the infantry drawing closer
and closer.
The Germans were driven out Of
the northwest coast in Flanders
much sooner than they expected,
for captured orders show that they
intended to hold the line of Zee
brugge, Bruges, Thielt, but were
unable to resist the terrific allied
pressure.
Thousands of civilians have been
liberated by the Belgians and
French and masses of booty which
the Germans had no time to carry
away fell into their hands.
1t is considered quite possible that
the Germans will try to make sew
eral successive stands in Belgium,
and one line of resistance undoubt-
edly will comprise Antwerp, Brus-
sells and Namur, on which much
work is being done. At the same
time it is worth noting that the
Germans are laboring frantically in
the preparation of defensive line
on their own frontiers, especially in
the f1eighborhood Of AiY-La-Chap-
ellie and Liege.
e Rush Upon Machine Guns.
The operation of the Third army
was characterized by most severe
fighting, for the Germans realized
the importance of trying to delay the
British here. Regardless of the enc
my resistance. however, the British
gained the high ground to the east
of the line, from which they were
advancing against perfect storm
of machine gun bullets, fired from
advantageous positions. The ma
chine guns were cleared out with
greatrapidity and great numbers of
Germans were killed. The fighting
was especially fierce in the neigh
borhood of St. Python, where barri-
cades had been hastily erected.
South of lie Cateau the British
and Americans are continuing their
successes of the past two days.
American patrols, pushing out from
the Mazinghien area have reached
the banks of the Disc canal. She
German artillery in this region has
been quite active and many towns,
Bazuel, have been heavily
shelled. There were civilians in
some of these towns, so that their
speedy removal was necessary, the
Germans disregarding their presence
North of Courtrai the British sec
ond army is across the Lys river at
several places and making good
progress, while the first army has
crossed the fSelle river, near Has
pres and Saulzoir and continued
driving.
From in front of Denain this army |
is pushing frontallyfor Valencien-
mes, a movement which is in coop
Grafton with the third army's at
tack southwark.