New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-09-06
SMASH
I QUEANT SWITCH
YANKEES SCORE FIRST SUCCESS
ON BELGIAN SOIL sv TAKING
vOoRMEZEELE.
WIN PiRoNNE
FLAMlNcoURT AND ST. DENIS
WON BY AUsTRALIANe-
FRENCH MAKE GAIN.
Western Newspaper Union News Service.


London, Sept. 3.-Over a front of
thirty miles from the region of Arras
to Peronne. Field Marshal Haig's
forces have literally smashed the Ger
man front. The southern portion Of
the famous Drocourt- Queant switch
line, which had been heralded as the
impregnable bulwark of the German
defense in the north, has given way
under the violence of the British on
slaught over it's entire front from the
Scarpe river to Queant, a distance Of
about ten miles. Monday night the
Canadian and English troops were
pursuing the enemy some three miles
to the east. Thousands of prisoners
have been taken. At several points
the German defenses are seriously
menaced, especially neal Lille and in
the vicinity of st. Quentin, DOuai and
Cambria on the British front, while
the Franco-American forces to the
south continue to advance in the face
Of bitter resistance Few d~efenses re-
main to the Germans between Per-
onne, which was captured by the Aus
t~ralians, and the strongholds along
the famous Hindenburg line around
st. Quentin.
The Australians now hold Flami-
court and st. Denis, in addition to
Peronne, and are reported to be max
Mont st. Quentin. To the left of the
Australians. English troops are ad-
vancing southeast of Combles. In
these operations the Germans have
lost more than 1000 men and many
guns. Several hundred prisoners
also were taken in the different opera
tions that resulted in the capture Of
Bu%llecourt, Hendecourt and LIE Trans
10y.
On the Lys front, where Americans
for the first time have taken a place
in the battle line, the allied troops
have advanced to Steenwerck and are
engaging the enemy real guards in
the vicinity of Neuve Eglise. In their
first operation in Belgium the Ameri-
cans captured Voormezeele and ev-
eral' strong positions between that
town and Ypres. The allied line has
been extended to the La Bassee-Es-
taires road and it is evident that the
Germans are preparing to retreat to
a line from Wytschaete to Messines.
On the French front where Ameri-
can forces also are engaged under the
of General Mangin, the en-
M y To chnU,{nn ct~orv rosc~a-
Here the Americans have taken up
new positions near Nerny-Sorny, fol-
lowing their capture of J~uvigny, and
the further retirement of the Germans
making progress in the vicinity Of
B~ucy-le-Long.
In answer to the claims made by
the allies Of important advances the
reply that their retirements
and the relinquishments of territory
were to shorten the line.
The British captured in the month
of August 57,31S German prisoners, 657
guns, more than $3.50 machine guns
and 1000 trench mortars. 1t has been
in London that the Germans
now have only 1876 divisions on the
battle front as compared with
204 which they had recently, as they
had to break up eight divisions for
The allied forces on the western
have taken a total Of 128,302
prisoners since July Is, it was an
bounced in an official statement. In
he anne period 1909 guns. 1,734 mine
hrowers and 1873 machine guns
we're captured. On the French front
$500 prisoners and 700 guns had
,een captured by the French since
'uly IS, 1t is announced in Paris.
OF greater Significance than any of
he other victories achieved in Fri
lays fighting is the gain Of the
with whom Americans are
In this general sector north
I scissors. The latest French Off
ial communication records the cap
ure Of Chavigny, three miles north
vest. and Cuffies, a mile and a half
orth of Scissors, and the entry into
he outskirts Of Crouy, to the north.
asst.
All the territory on the north and
rest banks Of the Somme where the
have been operating against
Germans now has been cleared of
ne enemy, and south of Peronne, on
le east bank of the stream, notwith-
the destruction of the
ridges NV the Germans.