Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-08-15
BOTH ARMIES ARE
MASS|NG READY
TO STRIKE AGAIN
French Nearing NoYon Go
Through Wood Soaked With
Poison Gases.
NEXT BATTLE BIGGER
ny Associated Press % Fvery Evening

By Associated Press ~ Every Evening
With The French Arrny h iranrc
Wednesday Aug IA ~ N"ng ~"
now battle front from Gurv 70 Ihicscour'
wood the struggle came tn -'ands' ~
today n addition % the II Claude and
Fco,fvilen farms. wc hold ground 70 the
north pf Bclval village and footing %
Plcaaier-de- Rove park The battle. there
fore has reached 8 natural conclusion and
tho danger of Il counter attack from Ih'ee-
court Nasgif has been removed.
II Is unknown whether the battle will
be renewed or not bnt # il Il u viii hr
new operation. with stronger material
and greater man power on both sldes
North of Curry. whore the Germans are
installed N the old French trenches Of
1914 they have gained no ground The
enemy here IN a lucky moment tumbIed
into reaoy-made fortified positions
As the enemy retreats he Is accumu-
lating an increasing number of guns and
quantities II munitions The French,
IN advancing. have tended 20 outstrip
their artillery. and there are no tanks to
assixt the infantry
The French are advancing against the
line which IS thinlv held. but which IS
bristling with machine guns, and are
lighting in the atmosphere 81 mustard
gas. Yet they have wrested dominant
positions on the battlefield from the
enemy.
Pans. Aug Is The violent artillery
due between he Avre and he O1se
continued during last night, according 70
the statement from the War Once
tiernan raid in Champagne failed.
Both sIdcs are gathering strength tor
q resumption oi heavy lighting mat
does not prevent the French from ham
nerlng away at the Iassigfy- Novon line
and doggedly struggling onward through
gas choked woods
General Humberts men have carried
Rlbecourt, SIX ami one-quaTter miles
southwest Of Noyon, winch barred the
road running toward \ovon between
Thiescourt ridge and the Oise and pro-
tected the Germans n Our.camp forest
east of the river H. is i success hat
seriously endangers both Thiescourt ridge
and the Ourscamp salient
The enemy in the ThlesCouTt position,
already severely shaken by the attacks
Of General Humberts left. As reported 70
be showing signs Of giving away
London, Aug Il The British line
has been advanced slightly east oI halne-
court, in the district northwest ot Chauines
on the Picardy battle front today war
office statement announces.
Since August ). when Z ne Allied attack
in Picardy began, the British and French
have taken prisoners 20 the number oi
30344
British patrols were active throughout
last night in the district between AlDert
and Ayette. where the Germans began
their retirement yesterday The patrols
have maintained close touch With the
enemy In this region
The British made further progress al
several points along this front
The Germans have evacuated their
forward positions al Beaumont Hamcl.
Scrre. PuisieuN-au-NI Mont and Bucquoy.
living in the region north o. Albert.
according IA Field Marshal Hang com
municatlon issued last night
With the British Army ln France,
Aug. IL DELAYED All hostile positions
between the western outskirts ot Braye
and Etinehem have fallen into the hands
Of the Australians. placing the river banks
southwest of Brave under the control Of
the British The Australians also, have
"a = =. a