New-York tribune., 1918-09-20
British Repel Foes
Frenzied Assaults
At Hindenburg Line
lBu The Associated Pressl


burg line by their capture of ridges
northwest of St. Quentin the Germans
this morning continued to nurse their
grievances without renewing on q large
scale their costly counter attacks Of
last evening.
Fighting still proceeded, particular
ly on the extreme fanks of the battle
front, where the British were cleaning
cut strong points and Strengthening
their line, but the initiative remained
entirely with them.
That the situation created by the
british seizure of the long linden
burg outpost line and the dominating
heights in front Of 4 could not re-
main stationary for long seemed a
fcregcne conclusion. Whether the
enemy would essay further heavy
counter attacks depended entirely on
the badly drained resources at his
command, for the next move undoubt
edIy belcnger to the Germans. since
they must push the British back or
continue to live with the naked sword
hanging over them in this vital sector.
Dead Strew Battle Zone
The enemy losses yesterday were ex-
tremely heavy, both in the early fight
ing and in the numerous counter at
tacks which were thrown in toward
night in a desperate attempt to regain
part of the lost ground. The whole
zone of the long battle front to-day
forms, and more than 5000 prisoners
wore in tho British copeS
The entire British operation has
grown into q brilliant and important
success, which was not forecast IN the
original limited plans. Not the least
important feature OF the victory was
the slaughter inflicted on the enemy
forces, particularly during their fren
zied counter attacks, when they were
moved down like wheat with the ma
chine guns or swallowed up in mael-
strom of crashing shells from the Brit
ish barraee.
On the right flank there was espe-
cially bitter fighting about Holnon viii
lage The British had captured part
of this place the day before, but the
Germans still held section of it, with
machine guns trained from every house.
These had TO be cleared out, and this
had to be done Systematically by small
parties who dared the hostile fire and
bombed the Huns out Of their hiding
places.
Fight at Close Quarters
A far more serious engagement was
waged east of the village, where the
Germans lad constructed a quadilat
eral trench system which was heavily
armed Here the contendlng forces
struggled throughout tho day at close
quarters. TIE British toward evening
gained footing in the trenches and
continued to press the attack during
ihe night. Part Of the system was still
unsubdued this morning. and 1T was
being stcrmed
Throughout this sector there were
pockets of German manned machine
guns, and each of these garrisons was
legion unto itself. Between Holnon
and Fresnoy-le- Petit were three little
patches of woods These fairly bristled
with machine guns They were finally
cleared out, but it was a desperate ad-
. venture for those doughty English
\ troops, who went charging through
! them under hail of bullets and
bombed the occupants into silence.
The eastern part Of Fresnoy was still
in the hands of the enemy this morn
ing, with the British holding the west
ern section and pressing the defenders
hard.
Australians Drive Ahead
To the north, in the centre of the
battleline. the Australians pushed
through to their final objectives, and
even beyond in some places, with their
accustomed thoroughness and disregard
for their personal fate. The overseas
men worked around those villages
which were strongly held and employed
kp
cess.
Prisoners declare that because of this
smoke screen they never knew where
the Australians were going to strike
next, and as & result there was more
or less confusion among the Germans
opposite them
lie Verguer and Villeret were taken
without much trouble. About Hargi-
court and Templeux-le -Guerard, how
ever, there was hard fighting. There
are numerous quarries in this region,
and these were filled with German ma
chine gunners, who had to be disposed
of before the advance could proceed.
The delay was not great. The rangy
Australians were about and among the
enemy like whirlwind, and he was a
lucky Hun who lived to take the long
trail back to the prison camp.
The Australians had to negotiate
three ridges here, and on the last OF
these, which overlooked the Hinden-
burg line, the Germans made deter
mined last ditch" stand.
Germans Forced Back
Savage work characterized the fight
ing here, but the Germans were nc
match for the hard hitting Fasteners
and were forced to fall back little by
little until they reached the outpost
system to the Hlndenburg line. This
defence was heavily wired and strongly
held Back OF it. on the eastern side
of the canal lay the main Hindenbure
line of fortiications,
Against this outpost line the Aus
tralians advanced from their ridge
without pause and charged into the
barbed wire. How they got through
this ENHANCEMENT nobody knows, but
they did, and then followed hand to
hand fighting which could have only
one outcome The Germans were
killed, captured or driven back in
flight. The overseasmen took twice as
many prisoners as they had casualties
Not only was the outpost line taken
over, but in some places the British
went further into hunland than they
had been before at this point since the
war began.
Machine Guns Busy
On the left flank Peiziere was over
run BY English troops ir the irst rush.
rive strong German poitts were over
looked, however, and these caused no