OCR Text |
Show Preparing to Give Battle on Valenciennes Line. WITH THE ANGLO-AMERICAN FORCES ON THE VALENCIENNES FRONT, Oct. 12. There was every evidence today that the Germans were preparing to mako a strong stand on the Valenciennes lino which now has been reached, at least cast of the river riv-er Selle, by the Anglo-American forces. Tho evacuation of tho city of Valenciennes Valen-ciennes itself was started three weeks ago. Prisoners captured today said they had orders to hold on to tho last and to kill as many Britons and as many Americans as possible. It is expected the German resistance resist-ance will continue and will grow more determined until the first phase of the withdrawal in the Douai sector is completed. There are Indications that the enemy also is contemplating withdrawals with-drawals on a large scale elsewhere. BRITISH NEAR DOUAI. BRITISH HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, Oct. 12. British advanco posts now have been pushed to within little more than a'mile of tho outskirts of Douai. The advance from here has to be very cautious, however, as many ground mines have been encountered and there is good reason to believe tho town itself is honeycombed with death traps. Considerable gains of ground were" made by the British last night north-oast north-oast of Cambrai. Near SL Vaast between be-tween Cambral and Solesmes the adi vanclng troops encountered considerable consider-able opposition. The enemy has dug in and wired his positions and his artillery ar-tillery was disposed to dispute the British progress. At one or two points the British infantry in-fantry has fallen back a trifle to give Its batteries a clear field to deal 'with the stiffened enemy resistance. GERMANS RETIRE WEST OF DOUAI BERLIN, Oct. 12, via London. German Ger-man forces west of Douai yesterday retired from their positions to lines in the roar, sayB the statement issued to day by the German general staff. The enemy followed slowly and in the evening eve-ning occupied the line of Vendin-le-Vieil, Henin-Leitard and to the east of the Beaumont Brebieres railway. South of Laon the German troops have evacuated the Chemin des Dames, the general staff announces. An attempt made by British divisions divi-sions northeast of Cambral to break through the German positions to Valenciennes, Va-lenciennes, the statement adds, was frustrated. ITALIANS FIGHTING HARD. ROME, Oct. 12 Italian infantry parties par-ties at the confluence of the river Asa with tho Ghelpcc yesterday broke into the Austro-HungarJan trenohes on Cima Tepezzi, says the official statement state-ment issued today by the war office. The Italians inflicted heavy losses on the enemy and took several prisoners. On the slopes of the Allshismo enemy patrols wero repulsed. WITH THE ANGLO-AMERICAN FORCES ON THE VALENCIENNES FRONT, Oct. 12. Two additional batteries bat-teries have been captured by the Americans operating on this front south of St. Souplet. The German gunners gun-ners werebayonetted. The British barrage late yesterday completely smashed the hostile artll-Iry artll-Iry which fired heavily on tho Americans Ameri-cans at St. Souplet. GERMANS GROWING ANXIOUS. WITH THE BRITISH ARMY ON THE FLANDERS FRONT, Oct. 12. The Germans apparently are growing extremely anxious regarding the intentions in-tentions of the British in Flanders. This is indicated by the numbers of low flying airplanes which they have out in reconnoitering work and by constant raids all along the line. Great Victory Claimed. BERLIN, OcL 12. Concerning operations op-erations in the Champagne the Berlin war statement says: "In the Champagne the enemy followed fol-lowed us. Tho victorious issue of the great battle of the Champagne which the army of General von EInem with relatively weak forces obtained over the Immensely superior strength of the French and American armies in tho fortnight's struggle and tho exhaustion of the enemy, owing to his exceptionally exception-ally heavy losses, rendered possible the smooth execution of difficult movements." |