Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-08-09
MIGHTY ASSAULT AGAINST
FOES LINES SWEEPING ON;
POCKET AGAIN PERILS HUN
Foch Forces Near Main Railway of German Army
Fall of Montdidier Grows Certain-Guns and
War Material Taken Without Limit.

London, Aug. 9, (By the Associated Press).
More than 1000 prisoners had been captured
by the allies in the Somme drive up to noon to-
day. according to advices this afternoon. More
than 200 guns also have been taken.
The Canadians, the advices state, have taken
the town of Beaufort, two and a half miles
southwest of Roseres. Small parties of Ger
mans are reported to be still in Rosieres, three
and half miles west of Chaulnes, but the Brit
ish are all around them and their life as fighting
men probably will be short. The figure of IT,
600 prisoners taken embraces the number that
had been counted. Of these the French report
ed that they had taken more than 900 while
the British total at noon was more than $4,000.
The French have been doing good work today
on the south of the new drive and probably have
taken many additional prisoners there.
The allied progress is continuing. The French
have taken Fresnoy-en-Chaussee while the British
have reached a point east of lie Quesnel and Caix
The Germans put up a vigorous resistance north
of the Somme the statement shows, and there
heavy fighting between Chipily and MorlancOurt.
The Franco-British advance the battlefront
south of the Somme has reached maximum depth
of IL miles, according to news received here shortly
after today. Along the whole front the aver
age advance of the infantry is from five to six
miles.
Somme today report British cavalry, armored cars
and tanks, in advance of the infantry, to have
reached within a mile of the Chaunes railway juno
| ton.
The cavalry, tanks and armored cars, it is indi-
Gated, have gone ahead to the line running from
Framerville to Lihons. From Lihons the line
southwark to Meharcourt, southeast of Rosters.
This represents total maximum advance of IL
miles.
1t will be impossible for the Germans to hold
their Montdder positions, it is believed here. 1t
is also believed that the advance the Picardy
front makes Amiens against enemy at
! tack and has removed the threat against Paris.
With the British Army in France, Aug. 9-(By
The Associated Press british cavalry and some
infantry were signalled in the neighborhood of
Chaulnes this morning When last heard from di-
Grating back of Framerville, and have pro-
gressed many kilometers beyond continuing the
cleaning up of the country and capturing villages.
Allied airmen have blown up many of the bridg
es across the Somme river and the enemy's retreat
is seriously embarrassed. 1t is reported that Ger
man divisional general has been taken in the drive.
ians.
An enormous quantity of stores and ammunitions
has been abandoned by the Germans in their hasty
retreat
BLOW UP MUNITION DUMPS.
With the British Army in France, Aug s.
! (Reuters) rs)-The Germans blowing up their
munition dumps in the battle area. There is a
siderable indication that they preparing to
treat The British casualties since the beginning of
the present drive but three-fifths of the
Der of prisoners counted to o'clock this afternoon.
Cavalry patrols, acco lpanied by swift ''whip-
pet tanks reported by airmen far out ahead of
the infantry advance. The infantry at many plac-
apparently checked only by sheer physical
inability to push any farther.
AIRMEN BLOCK HUN RETREAT
This afternoon the enemy's transport Iorries
have been rolling along the few good roads left in
the Somme valley They afforded excellent tar
gets for armen, who played havoc with the escap-
ing conveys and speedily Uttered the roads that
they were impossible.
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