OCR Text |
Show i ALLIES DESTROY AUSTRIAN NAVAL BASE AT DURAZZO American, British 'and Italian Warships Perform Sensational H Exploit Which Reduces Austrians on Large Naval Center H in the Adriatic and Places Them in Dire Straits Situation Holds Large Possibilities. (By Associated Press.) ( American. British and Italian warships war-ships have -destroyed the Austrian naval nav-al base at Durazzo, Albania, This sensational sen-sational exploit, Avhich was carried out Wednesday seems to have reduced tho Austrians to one large naval center in the Adriatic, that of Pola, although the port of Flume may be used. The attack, coming at a lime when i the Austrians in southern Albania arc I in dire straits nfter losing their support sup-port lines eastward in Macedonia, appears ap-pears to be significant. Military Operations Forecast. Italian troops launched an offensive there on Tuesday. It suggests that military operations may begin along the northern Albanian coast in the rear of the retreating Austrians and the situation holds large possibilities. German armies along tho sector from Lens to Armentieres are in re-treat re-treat and with the British in close pursuit aro hurriedly abandoning tho , region south of the Lys river whon thev were In danger of envelopment. This retreat seems to have uncovered Lille and probably will make inipera-five inipera-five a withdrawal all the way down; the line in front of Arras. IH Last Line of System Broken. Smashing against the German lino east of St. Quentin, Field Marshal Haig's army plunged through tho last lino of the formidable Hindenburg ays- (Continued on Page 4) oo Ales Destroy Austrian Naval Base at Durazzo (Continued from. Page 1) tem yesterday. This assault seemed to have been a blow struck at a vital spot in the enemy's defense and its success' is attested by the progress made during the day. Terrific ertorta made by Germans to halt the progress of the British were fruitless and It Is reported that British cavalry and tanks have reached the open country back of the enemy's front. Further successes at this point would seem to shako the whole German Ger-man line from Douai to Rheims. The enemy, so far as known, has no other position In that region as formidable a sthose captured. Directly behind this front are railroads which are vital to the enemy forces fighting further north. French Make Important Progress. General Berthold's army has made further progress. This advance by the French has a very close relation to that of the British around St. Quen-tin Quen-tin as well as on operations further east in Champagne. There are some military experts who believe that this drive Is of greater strategical valuo than any other now going on in France. General Gouraud's army in Champagne Cham-pagne has at last cleared the western gate of Grandpre gap which runs north of the Argonne forest. Challerange has been taken and the Germans west of that village have been forced to give more ground. Americans Held Up. I East of the Argonne forest the American forces facing the Kriemhild-1 Steelung line appear to bo held up by the desperate defense of the enemy. This may be only temporary, however, as the nature of the country has made it difficult to move up heavy artillery for the resumption of tho drive against the enemy. LONDON, Oct -1 In the levelling of the fortifications and depots at Durazzo. Wednesday, the Entente squadron, according to a Central News dispatch from Rome, destroyed much material for the Austrian army in Albania. |