South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-11-17
By FRANK II. SIMONDS
News Times and Associated Newspapers
War Expert

q Next on nj
Germans still lingering between the vesle and tha
Asne in the familiar Americans as the scene
August
The result these attacks was to set the vhoIs
German line from the the Mouse rocking IA
either end the first line completely broken through
and the enemy were compelled retire second
Elsewhere the disastrous the mo-
but the enemy himself unable to coucen-
trate against so many wide attacks: the Hndenburg
line had fallen at both was seriously threat
ened by the growing OF British frontal
attack the center.
On Oct. s. which was the decisive day Foch threw
three British armies against linden
burg line between Cambria and St Quentin. In the
next three DAYS thew drove rigbt +rro.,sb +tts H.,
cut the second line behind It, Disc and the
Schedt, and advanced untn they third
line between the Scheldt and the sambre, Oe
Valenciennes
While this great drive was going forward Foch re-
doubled his activities both in Flanders I'm Cham
payne. In Flanders the British Begtans rein
forced by French army. broke through the
Of German defences between the and the Iys and
began to swing round north OF Lille and threaten
crossings OF the Lys which third Ger
line. In Champagne Berthelot and Gouraud
struck one reaching the Aisne, south OF Rethel
other clearing the hills north Rheims crossna
the Asne east OF Laon- This compelled the
retirement Of the German OF all OF his line
between the Disc and the Aisne, including Gobain
Forest and the city Of Laon.
GERMAN POSITION
IN MIDDLE OF OCTOBER
About the middle OF October, then, the German 20
ston this: His first and second lines were gone
between the Lys and the sea and his third line was
going rapidly, as the British astride Iys
Of Lille. This doomed OF the great anchorages
OF his defence system. He bound to retire
his last line, that Of the scheldt way from
the Dutch frontier near Client the point where
the EcailOn river falls into the Scheldt. south OF
Valencennes From this point he could still use hts
third line between the scheldt and thu sambre canal
sambre he could use his second line
all the way So far his switch lines had aided in loca-
ing the disaster.
We had then, in the third week or October the
rapid of behind ScheIdt with
Belgian seacoast OF the cities OF
Lille Roubaix Tourcoing Douai After this the line
TO itself with he Amer efFf1
fighting doggedly toward the line between tho
A1euse and the Argonne Gouraud held IN west 81 the
Americans and south or the Aisne Berthelots army.
now commanded by Guilemat, checked before the
Sissone drainage canal, Mangins army unable get
the Serre. and Debeneys army still halted on
the bank Of the Oise
To the north the British forces-the armies
Of Rawlnson, Horne and Byng-seadily fought their
way through the third between the
Schedt and the Sambre, getting through by
beginning Of the fourth week Of October They had
before them only the fourth line that starting
at the Schedt and crossing TO the Sambre by Vaen-
ciennes and Maubeuge. At this Debeney
forced the Disc and pushed eastward. driving the Ger
mans out OF the region between the Disc and the sere
But the effect OF this thrust Iimtd, again by
switch-line stretching from the second German posi-
SITUATION AT CLOSE
OF OCTOBER
Just before the end of October then we had this
situation: From the Dutch frontier right down 10 Val
enciennes the German in his last line Between
Scheldt and the Sambre he held elements
third line east Of the sambre he held his third line
a point OF Serre switch
line, which connected him with his line which
intact all the from the serre 20 Metz. Il
moreover essential him inc long
possible because covered the -Mezeres bfau
beuge railroad. only track lateral line
communication left to him and the vital line for
evacuating material and supplies that he
forced quit Belgium.
But on Nov. / the Canadians operating with the
British first army. Vaenciennes. breaking
through the fourth German line at the point where
It touched the Scheldt, while the Americans drove
through the second German line between the Meuse
Argonne. The consequences Of this double
aster were patent The whole line Of the schedt could
be held for only brief period time bv rnaking
OF natural obstacles Ike the Mons which
enters the Schedt between Journal Valenciennes
the whole second line between the Disc
would have 10 be evacuated and the Germans could
only stand temporarily behind their third line from the
Sambre the ATeuse and thence They
have TO quit all OF France belt along
the frontier. and they could longer use Metz
Mezieres- NIaubeuge railway.
To all practical purposes the deliverance of France
OF the Neuse. thus accomplished and the
freeing Of Belgium west OF the schedt achieved
Valenciennes, which fell on Saturday, Nov. 2 the
French city OF size remain their hands
They had in less than months rather more
than 5000 square miles % French territory
boun % lose another thousand square IN
next few days within their positions they would
hold than 1000 miles. against nearly
5000 occupied I'm July; they had. TOO lost all the
dustrial districts together with an the considerable
After the first days ~ November the story is one
swift and relentless pursuit pursuit Dry The British
down the valley the Sambre through Naubeuge and
across the BELGIAN frontier they stood on the
ground where Field Marshal Sir John French opened
the British phase n the pursuit 20 The Belgium
frontier the French armies returning
b the roads along which Lanzerac had reiterated aft
or the defeat Charlero pursuit 20 and beyond
Neuse by Perehngs young army whose achievement
rush the Old unhappy memories attaching 20 that
BROKEN GERMAN
~ sunday Nov ~ whose oficaI statements N