Show I HUNS S ON THE RUN I ON FRONT MONTDIDIER FALLS TO ALLIES AND GERMANS ARE RETREATING RETREATING RETREAT- RETREAT ING TO THE SOMME Americans Aid in Rolling Back Line Enemy Being Unable to Stop the Victorious Allies in Latest Drive Toward Berlin Paris Time The French have driven the Germans before them for an Important gain east of Montdidier In That cIt city which was the apex of a 0 aGerman aGerman German salient that now has been wiped out fell to the French rench fourth army at midday Saturday Before nightfall the victorious French forces had carried the battle line onward to toan toan toan an average depth of six miles mUes on a front of approximately twenty miles In the thc three du days s 's of engagements that culminated in the time taking of Montdidier Mont Mont- didier the French took prisoners Their capture also included guns and und an enormous amount of material Crushed b by tire the Impact of the Brit Brit- Ish IRh French and American offensive on the battle line from Albert northeast of Amiens to Olse Oise river north of Com Com- German forces are arc streaming back toward the Somme SOlime river and ond the No Nesle-No Noyon Nesle-Noyon on canal So far as us can be determined the enemy Is in full retreat retreat retreat re re- re- re treat all along the front against which the allies ailles flung themselves the latter part of the week The drive of oC the past week In Pic Pic- ardy was a complete success The real offensive was launched from the direction direction tion of Amiens within three da days s 's after the French and Americans had been definitely halted united at time tIle Vesle river Before the crown prince could send back any divisions to the British and French swept irresistibly irresistibly ir lr- ir- ir resistibly with tanks big and little as the time piece de resistance of their drive With Vipers Villers as a center the time British struck to tie C north and south Their Theil northern Hank flank of attack reached almost to Albert their southern southern southern south south- ern to Hangard South of that the French were ready for attack near Morisel and Moreuil where heavy resistance resistance re le re- re was to be expected The British British British Brit Brit- ish attacked without artillery prepa prepa- ration The French rench bombarded the time enem enemy for about 45 41 minutes before moving forward to the assault Then the they took Morisel l and l in hi severe severe se see vere yere fighting Meanwhile the time British Aust Australians and Canadians had been p pushing forward south of the Somme with the apex of their Heir wedge directed toward The Time first day they did not take that town which is about seven or eight miles east of Vipers Villers but the they gained positions be beyond ond It to the north On their left Hank flank the British did not make much progress north of the Somme and on the second day of the fighting they lost On that da day however the German resistance to the south was broken b by the British and French who began to get Montdidier dier into a pocket To ro the north in hm the center r the thc Brit Brit- ish with Canadians and Australians continued to gain toward Chaulnes after occupying ing At Chipilly Americans were thrown Into the time fight Friday afternoon and with the time aid of the time British recaptured It On Saturday Saturday Satur Satur- day they pushed some distance beyond and Morlancourt in the same region B By this time the enem enemy's s lines had been so seriously shattered that a general general gen gen- eral retirement to a wholly new line was imperative Indeed the high com command command corn corn- mand mind probably bl had gI given gIn n the order for this retirement on oar the first or second du day of the fight but even this timely provision failed to prevent the allies from capturing hundreds of cannon and thousands of prisoners The American drive e In the Marne salient was the turning point of the war but It is doubtful whether It obtained ob ob- the fruits that would seem to tobe tobe tobe be the Inevitable sequence of the Fr Franco British victory in which the Americans are successfully ing Both battles have been entente successes In a special sense On the Soissons front the time French and Americans have ha been nibbling nibbling nibbling nib nib- bling at the time enem enemy but in the process the they have established some stron strong bridgeheads across the time Vesle river from which to continue their opera opera- If the Germans retreat to the Hindenburg line there will be bc no chance of holding the thc line of the time Vesle and the crown prince will withdraw I without attempting to try conclusions I with the French and Americans south of ot the Aisne By means of ot their air supremacy the theames allies ames can watch every movement of the retreating en enemy m as If the entire battle were being thrown upon a moIn moving moving mo In ing picture screen The enemy meantime meantime meantime mean mean- time Is almost blind His machines have been downed In such numbers that he cannot tell what the opposing forces are doing doln- or 01 planning |