The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1918-10-24
BRITISH Cross
RIVER ECAILLON
NeuviIIe, SaIesches end Beau.
dignies Fall into Hands
of Winning Troops.
5000 PRISONERS I AXE N
Night Bombing Plapes Use See
Saw Tactics VIII Effect
tive Results.

|
yalenciennes, where the British at
tackled yesterday morning. says today''
official announcement.
The British have crossed the Ecail'
Ion river and have captured the VII
lagos of Melville. Salesches and Beau
dignies. A German counter-attaci
late yesterday was repulsed. This
morning the attack was resumed al
along the front between the Sambre'
Et-Ois canal and the Scneidt.
In Brilliant Moonlight.
With the Allied Armies IN France
and Belgium, Oct. 24.--(4 AMI
The British have taken more thaii o.
600 prisoners and many guns In theil
new attack, begun yesterday morning
on the front below Vaienciennes.
In brilliant moonlight, assisted b,
flocks of night bombing airpianes tht
British fought Throughout the nigh'
and made steady gains. They are using
e-saw tactics, and not at any timt
since the new battle began has thu
whole line attacked all the series oi
objectives at the same time. Guns are
moved up in relays 80 that there II
constantly a heavy fire on the German
front and rear.
Infantry assaults are launched az
different times First one end OF the
line and then another section some uls
tance away Is sent suhashing into the
enemy.
The tactics bewildered the Germans
No enemy unit knows where an assault
is coming and all are forced to stand
in readiness under torrents OF steel
high explosives, shrapnel and gas.
Observed Concentration.
A concentration at Preux for a
counter attack was observed from the
air. Transports, ammunition trains
and masses of men became mixed UT
on the roads in that vicinity. When
the concentration was sufficiently large
and the enemy traffic appeared to be
in the greatest state OF confusion, the
British gunners opened up theii
weapons and pumped In steel as rap
idly as possible. Within a few minutes
the ground was strewn with dead men
and horses. equipment. wagons, tories
and limbers.
Reports tust received from one Sec
ton of the front tell of fierce fighting
at several places. They particularly
mention Pomereuil, where the British
were held up for time by murder
Gus fire from heavy concentration of
German machine guns. The place was
filled with the spluttering weapons.
Swept Around Town.
The British waited for a.time until
the advance had progressed north and
the town on both sides. At the rear
they found q triangti91tr clear space, ir
which the German machine gunners
retired to prepared positions. The
British went around them and cap
tured Pomereuil wood at the back ol
the triangle, thus surrounding the en-
emy.
French Strongly Opposed.
Paris, Oct. 24.-Southwest of La Ca
teau French troops have crossed the
Sambre canal east of Grand Verify,
says the war Office statement today.
The French maintained their guns
east of the canal In spite of the strong
German counter alta cis.
South Of Montcornet, further to the
east. the French have increased their
gains north of Nizy-Le-C -Comte. Along
the Serre there was lively fighting
north of Mesbrecourt.
Raismes Occupied.
The Raismes forest, north Of Valen-
ciennes, has been occupied by the Brit
ish. North of the forest the British
have captured the villages of Theirs,
Haute Rive and Thun.
Knew Their Failure.
For hours these Germans. knowing
they had failed to stop the advance
and realizing they were doomed, held
out. firing continuously. At length
persons nearby observed they had
ceased firing. The British had stormed
the position. At Escarmain also there
was desperate fighting. British ma
chine gunners, from behind cover,
sprinkled hail of bullets over the
town. They then advanced and found
the town shambles. Over all the
place there We're dead Germans.
The enemy continued to shell all the
larger towns within range, notwith-
standing the fact that there are thou
sands of civilians in them. In addition
to Denain, where there are several
thousand persons, mostly women and
children, the Germans have been con-
tinuously shelling lie Cateau. in which
there are many more civilians.
Hun Not Ceasing Looting.
The enemy shows no sign of ceasing
his orgies of looting. Every town the
British have captured has been pill
laged. Usually the Germans break up
and destroy whatever they are unable
to carry off.
There are further signs that the
Germans either are carrying out or are
on the verge Of beginning a retreat
from the Scheldt line, as the British
north of Valenciennes push out in the
direction Of Mons and Maubeuge. They
are less than eighteen miles from
Mons and about fifteen miles from
Maubeuge.
There was sharp fighting at Bousies
before 1t was captured. and after that
a good deal of work had been done be-
fore all the Germans remaining in the
town were subdued. AS the enemy re-
treated he exploded mines under roads
and railways, but no great damage was
done.
Many Alsatians have been captured.
A large number of these expressed a
desire to join the French army. saying
they had been dragged into the Ger
man army against their will and de-
sired more than anything else to fight
the emperor's forces.
Stubborn Resistance.
With the Allied Armies in France
and Belgium, Oct. 24.-G1 a m)-
Hard fighting is IN progress all along
the front of the British attack. The
Germans everywhere are Offering stub
born resistance.
On the battle front south Of valen-