Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-15
HUNS RETREAT|hG
ON SMILE FRONT,
IN ALBERT SECTOR
Blasted Out Of Their Position by
Hot Fire Of Haig's
Artillery.
WHOLE GERMAN LINE
MAY Be AFFECTED
French Have Driven For From
Ribecourt, Who Hold Strong
Defensive System
300 SQUARE MILES TAKEN
Asse~ia'od press summary rssuod At = r.


Associated press summary Tssuod a. 3 n
tlliod =ucccescv IN Picardy apparently
hos compelled he Germans 70 rnalIgn
thrlr positions between ilbcrt and t-ras
Enemy frpopS have begun q retirement
on hve-Inilo front brit complete details
~ the movement are locking
Between +hr Ancrr md hr fn-c he
fighting stll confined r. lprs srfl0ng
~ various points Tbo British m Frrpch
havc improved thcir t,ceitlors sligh'lr
north ~ tho ~pmmp porfhwegf ~ Ro~f
soufh ~ nsslgry and elonR The CTse
Fnernv irpops havr shown np disposifip-
% countcr-1ftaclr oleewhrre md hare
confined their rr'7haiorv Efforts n
nr'i.lerJ bombardmcnfs
HrTD PAST RY BRITISH
The extcut IF ne German withdrawal
north ~ Alhrrt r. not n clearl. defined
end lt- cffoc' upon fhe situation ~
whole Is problrnaficaI Field Narshal
Haig announces the enemy has lefi 1,s
forward positions ~ Beaumont Hsnei
~crrc Puislc1lv-au-Mp and Bur0uov
These are n the Hebufcrne aector rhere
the Germans were stopped n their ~
fensive IF March y Many vaIn efforts
wcrr made Nv the Germans 10 rrach the
heights around Hebuterne 90 their posl-
fions N this sector were dominated nv
the British guns
should the German lines be moved
back anv great depth tho line solIth ~
Albert and thence - the ~ornTpe would
he affected Iikeu7sn the line norihwsrd
TO the Scarpe might have N 10 readIust-
cd r. IS not unlikely The movement herr
Is similar in purpose ~ the recent with
drawais IN he I.vs salient and is part of
German plan n get into as strong posi-
tions as possible on the entIre front from
Ypres to Rheims.
FRENCH SEsRITC LAssrGNY.
North Of the Somme. Australian troops
have improved their positions between
Bray and Etinehern, reaching the western
outskirts of Bray, one Of the main bastians
of he line south from Albert East II
ParvIllers northwest Of Rove. he British
have made progress toward the Chauiues-
Rove railroad LassIgnv stall holds out.
The rench. however. continue their
pressure and now a re little more nan =
mile south ~ the town rernan resist
ance IS strong, he enemy counter attack
ing repeatedly on the bills ana IN the
WOODS Of the plateau region there.
HUNS DRIVEN FROM RIBECoURr.
on the western bank Of the Disc,
slightly more than six miles south Of
Noyon, the French have occupied Ribe-
court. The town itself IL on the low
land. but the French also hold the heights
TO he vest and northwest, which we're
part 0t the defensive system tor OurscamD
forest. east OF the Olse, and Thlescourt
wood south 0f I.assigny. While he
French nave not broker the Roye-Las-
slgny Eovon line. lt IS stIii Tar from
being saved 70 The Germans, and french
advance of even less han q mile would
throw it out OF balance.
F0ca aEGAINs 800 SQUARE sILEs.
-Four weeks ago today Marshal Foch
took the initiative on the western side
Of the Narne salient and week ago the
French and British hat the German lines
east and southeast 1f AuGens. In me
four weeks the Allies nave reclaimed near
~ 500 square miles OF territory IN
proved their positions 10 the detnment of
the enemy, freed the important railways
running east and north from Pans and
unotficiallv have captured . 900 prisoners
and 100 guns. These are the physical
gains. he future holds the others.
Many army officers ~ Washington
expect that new drive shortly gll Be
made against ne enemy. laDoers Or
the area between The Olse and SCISSORS
are believed 70 be b. most likely felds
OF action
Along he Nesle ihe French ana Amen
cans are being subjected 70 lombard
mentS from German alrmen well A.
from the enemy guns There has been
no infantry action In Lorraine American
patrols have brought back prisoners from
The enemy trenches.
a. FoE PLANES DORSED.
Allied airmen Tuesday put OCT 81
action t3 German machines, p Of when
were DESTROYED Attacks on railway
stations. airdromts, ammmAon dumps
and other military argets continue with
ont letup. American ayiators also
have bombed railway stations in the area
between Verdun and Metz
Il is reported that he SOVIET troops
/ are retiring from Moscow The reason
\ Tor the movement IS not disclosed Pre-
7 mier Lenine and Foreign Minister TOtzky
/ were reported several days ago 20 have
gone 10 Kronstadt because Of unsettled
/ conditions in Moscow.
4 A feeling of ecurity goes with Clover