The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-08-12
ALLIES CAPTURE
CHAU[NES. VERY
IMPORTANT TOWN
Huns Stlffen Their Resist
anCe to No Avail
$4,000 HUN PRISONERS
Germans Burn Supplies Behind
Lines-lntensive Air Fighting Is
Proceeding over Battle Line.

London, Aug. 11.-Chaunes, the
important railway town nthe hear
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.
The Germans have materially stiff
tened their defense against the Brit
ish, American and French troops on
the Picardy battle front, but they
have been unable to stem the tide OF
advance against them
Although the forward push of the
allies has been slowed down some
what nevertheless they have made i'm
portant progress from the north OF
the Somme, where the Americans and
British are fighting together. to the
northern bank of the Disc river
where the French troops are engaging
the enemy.
The Americans and their British
brothers in arms at last accounts
were pressing closely upon Bray-Sur
Somme, aided by tanks and armored
cars, which inflicted heavy casualties
on the enemy as he endeayored to re
tard their progress.
Across the Germans engaged Brit
ish troops at Lihons and at one po.nt
pierced the British line and dented
i on the outskirts of Lihons. A
counter attack. however, entirely re
stored the British line and he enemy
retired to a position north and last
OF Volga.
by far he greater progress has been
made by the French in the region
southwest and south of Roye to the
Disc river. Here they have driven
their line well across the Roye and
Champaign road and at Cambrene
have reached the road leading from
lComDeigne TO Noyon. Since the cap
ture of Montdidier. the French have
penetrated eastward to Tilloloy. an
/ advance OF about seven miles. and. tc
Canny-Sur- Matz. more than eight and
half miles, and through the hiIy
region southwark to the Disc river
nave averaged gains of about ST,
miles over front of twelve miles.
The stiffening of the German de
fense does not, in the minds of obser
yers on the battle front, Indicate thai
the retreat OF the enemy has ended
Rather it is assumed that those ma
neuvers are similar to those carried
out over the Marne front wher
strong rear guards covered the retire
ment of the crown princes armie.
northward
The smoke OF large fires continue,
to be seen far behind the enemy,
lines and the movement of long trans
port columns eastward Is considered
evident that it IS the intention of tn,
enemy ultimately TO retreat to new
lines of defense. Aviators have de
stroyed all the bridges across IN,
Somme from the region of Peronn,
southwark and with the enemy's com
munication lines either in the hand
OF the allies or dominated by thei
guns the movement necessarily mus
be slow. Strong guard actions ar
required to save large numbers o
men and guns and enormous auantit
les OF stores from capture. The a
lied troops are gradually encirclin
Roye and its capture, which seem
imminent, will greatly hasten the dil
nculties of the Germans in fallin
back.
Intensive air fighting is proceedln
over the battle line. In Fridays bal
les thirty-nine German machine
were destroyed and twenty-five dri,
en- down out of control. The Britis
war Office announces that twent,
three machines are missing. Unofl
cial estimates bring the number c
prisoners taken by the allies up [
$4,000 and the number of guns cal
tured to more than 500.
On the Vesle front the Germans o
the northern side of the stream are r
ported to be entrenching and strin,
ing barbed wires over the territor
where they are fighting.
Paris, July SO-(Correspondence
The Associated Press)-Acres an
acres of gardens located near IN
American base hospitals are no
bringing forth their harvests Of We
etables. All were cultivated by Amer
can wounded convalescents, who q
tended to the growing OF the produc
Not alone has the venture been OF
OF great economy for the hospital
The work of cultivation has be,
done upon the prescriptions of Il
medical surgeons so that douh
purpose Is accomplished The gard,
work provides relaxation for the m,
after their strenuous times on 4
battlefront and their painful ankle
IN the hospital wards. The divers
acts as a recreatiye agency in brir
ing back the men to normal menl
and physical state.
The gardens are worked entirely
convalescents Not single dol
has been spent for hired labor. T
army has undertaken a compreh,
slve plan OF army provisioning alo
|. these lines The American Red Gre
= also is cooperating by the establl
n ment of smaller plots IN the cent,