Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-02-25

n As q result Of their defeat on the
Marne, and the battle Of Amiens, ir
which 20 German divisions were heav-
lily defeated by Is British divisions
three cavalry divisions and an Amer
lican regiment, the reaction on the Ger
imam morale was decisive and imme-
diate. Buoyed up with the promise
that they were fighting their last fight
for peace and that victory would come
before the autumn, believing, as they
were repeatedly told, that the Allies
RESERVES were exhausted; scouting the
possibility of American Intervention
lin time to be Of any definite result,
the downfall Of all their hopes and de-
sires had the long -prophesied and ex-
lpected effect-the German armies
were defeated from the moment they
turned back from Paris and Amiens.
They lost belief In their invicibility
and they ceased to be invicible.
1 Allies Hour Arrives.
On the other hand, the Allies. fight
ing from vastely different motives, felt
that at last their hour had come; they
moved forward from one success to
another, suffering. danger. losses alike
forgotten in their desire to beat the
enemy and their confidence that they
could do So" and they rose to the oc-
casion with magnificent spirit. Some
times slowly, sometimes with drama
tic swiftness the enemy was forced
back.
The battle Of Bapaume from the 21st
Of August to the 1st Of September ex-
tended the line of advance northward.
Delivered by the third and fourth
armies, aided later by the first army,
it ended with q general advance Of the
French and British forces between the
rivers Disc and Somme and the capture
of Peronne by the Australians on the
1st of September. During this offen-
sive % British divisions drove IS Ger
man divisions from the field In 10 days,
retcok the whole line Of the old Somme
battlefield with $4,000 prisoners and
270 guns. The German troops had be-
come disorganized and constantly sur
rendered. This defeat in the south OF
the Lys salient compelled the enemy's
withdrawal from that salient and the
abandonment Of immense quantities
Of ammunition.
Sir Douglas Haig describes the third
phase Of the advance from Aug. 26 10
Sept. as the battle Of the Scarpe.
1t resulted in the defeat Of 13 German
divisions by 10 British divisions. the
capture Of 10000 prisoners. 200 guns
and great quantities Of material. Dur
ing this battle the celebrated Dro-
cour, -Queant switch was broken. an
elaborate system Of trenches, wire and
strong points. connected with the
famous Hindenburg line. This gallant
feat Of arms was carried out by a
Canadian corps assisted by several
English divisions.
The fourth stage of the advance
from Sept. IL to Is was the battle OF
Havrmcourt and Epehy. The battle
was preparatory to an attack on the
Hindenburg line and succeeded In
breaking down the old British and
German lines to a depth of three
miles. It resulted in the defeat OF ~
German divisions by Is British. the
capture of all the British objectives,
$4,000 prisoners and 100 guns.
The british were now confronted by
the famous Hindenhurg line, for
midcble position Of great strength In
the building Of which the Germans
had employed all their powers OF or
ganization and resource. The Scheldt
Canal running in Places 60 feet be-
low the surface Of the ground, formed
an integral part of this great system
and c.fforded cover for the troops from
the severest bombardment. A tunnel
5000 yards in length was taken advan-
tagc Of and converted into concrete
shelters and dugouts. The enemy had
concealed along the top Of the canal
emplacements. Trench lines, barbed
wire, switch trenches, etc., covered a
belt of country varying from 1000 to
10000 yards in depth and organized
into a most powerful system CT de-
fense we'll meriting the great reputation
attached to it.
Attack on Hindenburg Line.
The attack on this position was
opened by the crossing Of the Scheldt
canal of Moeuvres on the 9th of Sep
tember. This most difficult maneu-
yer on a very narrow front was carried
out with complete success. After two
days heavy and continuous lombard
ment the forty-sixth division stormed
the western arm of the Scheldt canal at
Bellenglise. The canal was crossed on
mats and RATS by foot bridges. by
swimming or wading, and so gallantly
and rapidly was the attack carried out
that the troops Of this division cap
tured German batteries in action, over
4, 900 prisoners and 70 guns on this one
day. The second American corps took
port in the action on the Hindenourg
line and though heavily engaged press
ed on with great gallantry. The bat
tie ragged for nine days. The enemy
frequently counter-attacked In great
strength. 1t resulted in the whole
of the Hindenburg defenses passing
into the hands Of the British. A wide
gap was driven through the enemys
rear trench system which constituted
a direct and instant threat to his line
Of communications. for nothing but
well-wooded and open country now
lay between the Allies and the Ger
man great railway center at Maubeuge.
In this battle for the Hindenburg line
$4,000 German prisoners and $50 guns
were captured, and the enemy's morale