Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-20
FRENCH PENETRA
TOWN Of LASS|GNY
ON P|CARDy FRONT
Menace to Noyon Greatly
Increased by Successes
of Allied Troops.
FORCES OF ALLIES ADVANCE
AT THREE IMPORTANT POINTS
About 5000 Prisoners Taken by
Haig's Men and
Poilus. "
FLANDERS ARMY HITS HARD
Pimprcz Village, on Disc Sector, Cap
tured by .Foch's Fighting
Countrymcn.
FORCES OF ALLIES ADVANCE
AT THREE IMPORTANT POINTS
FLANDEPs ARMY HITS HARD

BY Associated Prcs<.I
The Germans on three important sec
tors OF the western battle front hay.
heen compelled to give up positions OF
great strategic value under the on
slauEhts OF the British and French
troops.
In tne Lys sector. west OF Armenticres.
the enemy has retreatcd over a from.
of nearly six miles. leaving the town
Of Mcrville in British hands. BetHsen
the Matz and Disc Rivers tho French
nave fought their way to the western
outskirts of the dominating position Of
LassiGny. and farther south in this hill
and wooded region have dcbouchcd
from the Thlcscourt wood and also
captured the town OF Pimprez, situated
in the oise Valley. on the Noyon Com.
piegene road.
Around the curve in the battle line.
northwest lot Soissons, tho Ererfch from
near .Carlepont to Foptenoy, on the
Alsne. distance OF Approximately nine
miles. have driven back the enemy to
an average depth of more than a mile
and captured several villages and . 200
prisoners.
Unofhcial reports record he capture
by the British Of the railway station
on the western outskirts Of the in,-
porthnt town OF Royc. one Of the
pivotal points on the batsle front be-
tween the Somme and the Disc, but
there is no official confirmation OF this
RECENT GAINS Or GREAT
IMPORTANCE FOR ALLIES
Viewed on the war maps. the gains
I'm the new operations are most inn
portant ones for the allies, for, aside
from wide areas over which the enemy
has been compelled 10 acknowledge de-
feat. the Weakening in the German de-
tense is becoming daily moro notice
able and apparently within a short
time they probably will be forced ID
commence rctroSrade movement
on scale that will mean the en-
tire blottinS out o: old ines and the
taking up OF new ones TO the east and
southeast possibly from the region OF
Rheims TO Yprcs.
The i.ys salient is fast fading away
under the attacks OF the British. ana
the voluntary retirement OF the Ger.
mans TO new defense positions cast
ward, and seemingly tho big westerly
bulge into the allied line between Ypres
and La Bassee soon must disappear
GERMAN POSITIONS ARE
DOMINATED ny ALLIED Guns
Under the new gains of the British
around Royc. and particularly thosA
made by the Frcnca, from LassiEny TO
the Disc Valley and northwest of Sois-
sons. the Germans now are in bad
predicamcnt Here their positions are
dominated by the allied .;u,s from m.
west, southwest and south for many
mics. and. apparently. a retreat cast
ward across the plains Of Picardy and
over the Somme. and even from tn,
western Aisnc. will he necessitated
The latest German official communi-
cation asserts that French attacks be-
tween the Disc ana Aisne delivered
over a wide front. failed but the
French War Office statement Is snec,6e
In announcing the penetration OF the
enVirons OF Lassigny. the cutting of a
passa Seway through the Thiescourt
wood and the capture of pimprez. THAT
there has been hard fighting. however
is indicated by the British official state
ment which says that northwest of
chaulnes the Germans succeeded IN
penetrating the Rritish lines at sew
eral points, but were later driven OUT
on the other battle fronts there &c
Nttle activity, except in the nature or
"fuliery duels and patrol encounters
sdditioral American troops arrived
last week in Nladivostok to aid the
other International troops in their op-
erations against the Boishevik and
German forces in Siberia