The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-10-03
WHOLE GERMAN
Line IS SHAKING
REPORTS SHOW
Break in Line at St. Quentin
Greatest Feat English Have
Accomplished.
(By Associated Press.)

LONDON, Oct. 3-Field Marshal
Haigs announcement that a German
retreat had begun in the LaBasse sec
tor Is commented on as a development
of far reaching Importance. It is as
sumed and unofficially stated, that the
town of LaBasse has been evacuated.
1t is also believed that the enemy with
drawal involves Lens and there Is a re-
port too, that the Germans have or
dered that Lille be abandoned.
To the successful operations of the
Belgian army and General Plumer's
forces in the north, is attributed the
enemy's movement to the rear The
Anglo-Belgian drive has brought their
forces near to Menin
Unconfirmed reports come from
Holland that the Germans are pre-
pairing to evacuate the Flanders coast
and the town behind it.
The breach in the Hindenburg sys.
tenn between LeCatelet and ST. Quen-
tin by the British, Australian and Am
erican forces is also commented upon
as an incident of great Importance.
Although it has not yet compelled the
enemy to withdraw and while he has
temporarily regained Sequehart. it is
admitted by Berlin that there have
been retirements in the neighborhood
Of st. Quentin, Rheims and in Cham
payne. Taken in connection with the
retreat further north, it is believed
that the whole German line is shaking.
Fierce Fighting Continues.
Nevertheless, the enemy is putting
up tremendous resistance and extra
ordinarily fierce fighting continues.
The battle is fluctuating without any
great change in the position OF the
contending armies. 1t is regarded as
an open question whether the des-
perate efforts OF the Germans indi-
Gates their determination to hold this
sector or merely an attempt to gain
time while evacuating their present
line.
The view is taken by the Mail that
the breach in the line north of st.
Quentin imperils the whole German
position. 1t SAYS that the break in the
line was a tremendous feat which has
eclipsed everything the British have
done in the pas Special dispatches
from the Britis front give vivid de-
scriptions of tn terrific attacks in the
neighborhood o Cambrai on Tuesday
and of the stubborn German resistance
in this sector. No more furious fight
ing has occurred during the whole
war
Referring particularly to the strug-
gle in the sector north of Cambria the
Nails correspondent tells how in one
sunken road captured by the Canad-
ians and British there was an enemy
machine gun every four yards but
most of them had been knocked out
by artillery fire. Along the road bod
les of men were mingled with the
wreckage of machine guns. The fight
ing never ceased and as the day ad-
vanced German reinfOrcements
streamed forward in Successive
groups.
EIoodiest Fight of History.
The light was very good and the
British gunners fired round after
round with open siehts. Germans fell
by the hundreds, but the gaps in the
ranks were filled and the enemy still
came on in great numbers. They
reached the points where their lines
were being fiercely attacked and even
dented the British advanced lines
and stopped for the time being, fur
ther progress there.
BY evening a deadlock was reach
ed and one of the bloodiest combats
in recent history developed 1t ended
in considerable, but not ambitious,
advance by the British. The enemy
Tontinued ~ P,~e Ten1
\